Jamie Lenman is releasing a new album. But as with all things Jamie, not just any other album … this time he's tackling a covers record! 'Shuffle' will be released via Big Scary Monsters on 5th July. The ex-Reuben man explains: "’I’ve always wanted to make a covers record, and some of these versions have been in the works for many years, so this was a real career goal for me. I was originally going to do it straight after Muscle Memory, but ultimately I felt that I needed to press on with another album of originals to fully establish my sound as a solo artist. I think Devolver achieved this, making now exactly the right time to get a bit creative. I feel like the phrase ‘covers album’ has become a bit of a dirty word, which is odd to me - they’re a vital part of our musical landscape. Some of my favourite records are cover albums – Annie Lennox’s Medusa, Johnny Cash’s Americans…even those early records by the Beatles and The Specials were mostly covers, and still utterly their sound. I want to redefine the concept of a covers album – not just lazy sound-alikes of 80s classics, not just ironic metal versions of pop tunes – there’s no passion or invention in that, it’s just a smug joke. I may have covered a handful of childhood chart hits on this album, but I’ve also covered songs by relatively unknown artists, and I’ve covered songs by artists from my local music scene who I grew up with and admire. It’s not limited to songs - I’ve covered tv themes, movie scores, and the music from my favourite video game. It’s not even limited to music – I’ve covered a chapter from my favourite book and a scene from my favourite short film, in my debut acting performance with my favourite actor (Paul McCann)! As far as I know this hasn’t happened before – not all on one record anyway, so I hope it’s pretty unique."

1. Tomorrow Never Knows 2. Killer 3. Taxi Driver 4. Popeye 5. You're the Boss 6. Song of Seikilos 7. Coda 8. She Bop 9. Adamantium Rage 10. Love Song for a Vampire 11. The Pequod Meets the Delight 12. A Handsome Stranger Called Death 13. Hey Jude 14. The Remembrance

By Adam