Jamie Webster discusses new album ’10 For The People’ and details major Liverpool show
Following the success of Moments and a sold-out tour, including a headline performance at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, Jamie Webster has announced plans to release his third album, 10 For The People. He’s also shared details of the biggest show of his career at Sefton Park next summer.
Festival season has already been a whirlwind for the singer-songwriter. In June, he played to a packed Avalon Stage at Glastonbury, and two shows at Pier Head in Liverpool, shifting 13,000 tickets each night. Webster is also performing on the main stage at Reading & Leeds later this month.
Webster’s rise has been powered by the people. With every tour, the venues have gradually grown, and next summer, he is booked in for an outdoor performance in the heart of Liverpool at the 40,000-capacity Sefton Park. Despite not receiving bundles of radio play, the social media sensation has circumvented the traditional industry routes and carved out a unique path.
2024 is the biggest year of his career yet, with the release of Ten For The People scheduled for February 2nd and the Sefton Park show set to take place on July 12th. Webster is ambitious with his aims and is still fuelled by the strong work ethic that served him well for nearly a decade as an electrician.
Ten For The People was recorded in Rockfield Studios with Dave Erdinga, who was previously at the helm for Moments in the same Welsh rural studio. The album has been previewed with the politically-charged single ‘Voice For The Voiceless’, a fiery embodiment of Webster’s mission for his music.
More music is expected in the near future, but to keep fans stimulated in the meantime, Far Out spoke on the phone with Jamie to learn more about his bold plans.
Q&A with Jamie Webster
Far Out: A lot has happened since we last spoke, including the sold-out show at the M&S Bank Arena last year and the two concerts at the Pier Head this summer; how were those experiences?
Jamie: “The Pier Head shows were up another level, I wasn’t sure how, but each night topped itself. I’m very lucky to have what I’ve got in this city, and it’s definitely not something I take for granted. The Thursday gig was great because the weather was lovely, and it was a bit more of a musical night, I’ve never been more in the music than during that show. Then on the Friday, the rain and the wind were howling, it was like a battle. But, it added an element of defiance to the night which was superb.”
Far Out: Next year, you’re elevating things again with a headline show at the 40,000-capacity Sefton Park. Has that sunk in yet?
Jamie: “I’ve had so many things going on, and I’m only starting to dip my toe into it now with promo as it’s still not announced. I think once it gets announced and once the tickets start selling, that’s when it gets a bit real, and I realise, ‘Oh shit, this is really happening’. It’s the biggest show I’ve done, hands down, and it’s going to be a lot of work to get it sold, but we’re planning to bring in some great artists on the day, really big bands I’m looking for.
Far Out: Considering the pandemic struck before you had a chance to extensively tour, it’s been a seismic couple of years…
Jamie: “There’s not really many more places to go in Liverpool once I’ve done this Sefton Park show. To mark the first single, we played a launch night at Zanzibar, which was actually supposed to be in The Shipping Forecast for about 150 people, but we sold that out very quickly. That was our first show in November 2019, which was 300 capacity, and to think it’s not even been four years since then.”
Far Out: It’s not just Liverpool, though. On your upcoming tour later this year, you’ve sold-out two shows at the Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, added an extra show in Glasgow and will also headline London’s Roundhouse…
Jamie: “My endgame is to be playing arenas in as many places as I can. I want to let everyone know that this isn’t just a flash in the pan. This is something that’s been going on and will continue to grow. With the live side of things, it’s just been ridiculous. We’ve also just announced a proper two-week tour in Europe and sold-out Paradiso in Amsterdam months ago, which is 1,500 people.”
Far Out: 10 For The People is out on February 2nd through Modern Sky, and ‘Voice of the Voiceless’ is out now. What made you select that song as the lead single?
Jamie: “For that song, I went down to Brighton and worked with Ian Archer to write that. It’s the first time I’ve done a co-write, and I absolutely loved it. We just bounced off each other all day. He said, ‘If you had to sum up yourself, what would you say in four words?’ and I replied with, ‘Voice of the Voiceless’. He goes, ‘OK, there’s our title’, we started working from that, and it was written in a few hours. I was overwhelmed when we recorded the song after writing it, I felt it was beyond me.”
Far Out: What made you decide upon 10 For The People as the album title?
Jamie: “It’s not named after a song like the last two albums. I was sort of pulling my hair last year when all these albums were getting number one after Moments (which charted at three), and I was looking at these albums thinking they had no message. They all had three big singles, then a load of shit filler. I don’t want to name names, but in my opinion, these albums are inferior to what I’d just done. So I thought, I’m going to cut the bullshit and just write ten stories for the people. These are songs that normal people can listen to and resonate with every story. It also gives us food for thought about we need to change society without being too in your face and preachy.”
Far Out: Do you have a favourite song on 10 For The People?
Jamie: “My favourite song is called ‘Looking Good’. It’s about a character called Molly, not Molly McCann (the UFC fighter who starred in the ‘Voice for the Voiceless’ video) but I needed a girl’s name, and Molly had texted me at the time. It rhymes with so many things, so it was perfect. The song is about how people can say what they want about you, and people will judge you, but if you’re happy, then that’s all that matters. There’s a brass section, a string section, and a big outro.”
Far Out: Finally, are you hopeful of earning a number one with 10 For The People?
Jamie: “That’s what we want, that’s what every artist wants. I’m confident about it, but whether we get a number one or not is by the by, this album is going to make noise. I think it’ll have a ripple effect. If people are looking for something to cling to in a world that’s quite fucking bleak at the moment, there’s elements of beauty in life which is reflected in the album, but also, it’ll remind them they’re not alone. It’s definitely my best body of work.”
