Jake Bugg has announced “vulnerable” and exposing new album ‘Alamo’, along with country-tinged lead single ‘Never Can Tell’ and details of a 2027 tour.
The album marks the seventh from the indie rock icon, and is set for release via Thirty Tigers on November 13. Pre-order it here.
Produced by longtime friend and producer Jimmy Hogarth (Amy Winehouse, Paolo Nutini) and Steve McKewan (Chris Stapleton, Eminem), the album sees Bugg lean into themes of introspection and raw, unfiltered emotion – taking a deep dive into some of the struggles he has faced in recent years.
Throughout the tracklist, the singer will lean into more of a folk sound than in his other material, and capture lyrics that see him overcome recent hardships.
“After all the years of touring and making records, it just felt like the right time to look inward,” he shared. “The last couple of years have been tough for me and I’ve had a lot of struggles. I’m trying to navigate those and figure out where they stem from.”
He continued: “‘Alamo’ was only going to work if I was going to be honest and be as vulnerable as possible. I’ve always had a lot of defences and barriers around me. I thought it was time to bring those down.”
The first taster of the album comes in the form of rollicking single ‘Never Can Tell’, which has nods to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, and finds Bugg exploring how friendships can change after finding success.
“It’s really fucking hard to know who to trust in this day and age, especially growing up how I did and having to be vigilant and observant of the people around you,” he explained.
“The song is about that. Life throws so many parallels at you and it’s hard to know which way to go. People tell you different things and you’ve just got to go with what your gut tells you.”
To celebrate the album announcement, Bugg has announced a new stripped back and intimate solo tour, which is headed across the UK and Europe in 2027.
Dates kick off at Manchester’s Albert Hall on February 6, and continue with shows in Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol and more throughout the month, before wrapping up at London’s Union Chapel on February 26.
Tickets go on sale on Friday September 11 at 10am BST, and pre-sale tickets start this Friday (September 4) at the same time. Visit here for tickets and more information.
Jake Bugg’s 2027 UK and Ireland dates are:
February
6 – Albert Hall, Manchester
9 – 3Olympia, Dublin
11 –The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
14 – Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow
17 – The Glasshouse, Gateshead
18 – Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield
20 – Liverpool Philharmonic, Liverpool
21 – Bristol Beacon, Bristol
23 – Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham
26 – Union Chapel, London
Last year, Bugg joined Blossoms, Hard-Fi and Circa Waves to play a huge show in Manchester to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Radio X. His last album, ‘A Modern Day Distraction’, arrived in 2024.
Before the UK and Ireland headline shows, Bugg will headline Musicians Corner in Nashville on September 18.
