Jack Steadman (born 1989 or 1990), also known by his stage name Mr Jukes (stylised in lowercase), is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer best known as the vocalist and primary songwriter of the

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...

band

Bombay Bicycle Club Bombay Bicycle Club are an English indie rock band from Crouch End, London, consisting of Jack Steadman, Jamie MacColl, Suren de Saram, and Ed Nash. They are guitar-fronted and have experimented with different genres, including folk, electro ...

since its formation in 2005. He released his debut album as Mr Jukes, ''God First'', in 2017.

Background

Bombay Bicycle Club announced a hiatus in January 2016 as the band members had decided to pursue their own individual projects. Steadman had embarked on a round-the-world trip without flying and recording his solo album. In

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

, Steadman boarded a cargo ship and set up a studio in his cabin and began writing his solo album. The name Mr Jukes comes from a character in Joseph Conrad's ''

Typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

'' named Jukes, who was second in command on a ship heading into a

typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

. Steadman read the book while he was travelling on the cargo ship. The opening song of Mr Jukes' debut album is titled after the same novella.

''God First''

Mr Jukes debut album ''God First'' was released 14 July 2017. Steadman drew inspiration from

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

and funk to write the album, which features several collaborations. The album features collaborations with

Lianne La Havas Lianne Charlotte Barnes (born 23 August 1989), known professionally as Lianne La Havas ( ), is a British singer-songwriter and record producer. Her career began after being introduced to various musicians, including singer Paloma Faith, for wh ...

, Charles Bradley, De La Soul, Horace Andy,

Lalah Hathaway Eulaulah Donyll "Lalah" Hathaway (born December 16, 1968) is an American singer. In 1990 Hathaway released her first album titled ''Lalah Hathaway''. After releasing another album, titled '' A Moment'' (1994), it debuted at number 34 on the To ...

, BJ the Chicago Kid and more.

''The Locket'' with Barney Artist

In the Summer of 2021 the collaborative project ''The Locket'' recorded by Steadman and Barney Artist was released. The London-based artist Barney Artist also contributed to ''God First'''s track ''From Golden Stars Comes Silver Dew”'' (with Lalah Hathaway)''. The Locket'' features 10 tracks cut from sessions that span over 18 months with its title track referring to memories of happier times: ''we fill a locket with memories we protect, and don’t forget to keep it round your neck''. The record features two guest artists - Lex Amor in the sixth track ''Autumn Leaves'' and Kofi Stone in the eighth piece, titled ''Check The Pulse.''The Locket
in

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...

Discography

References

External links

* Island Records artists 20th-century births Living people British musicians Year of birth missing (living people) {{UK-musician-stub