Jaywalkers Talk New Single 'The Radio', New Album And More

Jaywalkers Talk New Single ‘The Radio’, New Album And More

Jaywalkers, a celebrated UK-based Americana trio, are thrilled to announce the release of their new single, The Radio, which is available on all streaming platforms now. This upbeat track is the first taste of what’s to come from their highly anticipated 5th album, set for release in February 2025. They kindly chatted to us about their new single, album and more:

Who is in Jaywalkers, what do they play and how did you meet?

Jaywalkers consists of Jay Bradberry (fiddle, lead vocals, and guitar), Mike Giverin (mandolin, guitar, and harmony vocals), and Lucille Williams (double bass and harmony vocals). The three of us met as teenagers at our local bluegrass jam session, which was led by Lucy’s family (both Jay and Mike took lessons from Lucy’s brother Stuart on their respective instruments). We became friends first through the jam sessions, and our bond as musicians grew from there over the past 24 years.

When did you begin song writing?

I’d (Mike) been playing mandolin for quite a number of years before I even thought about writing, trying to soak up as much music as I could as an over-eager, nerdy teenager. Eventually I took a course at the Sore Fingers Summer School with the great American songwriter called John Lowell. He spent a week with us focussing more on the mind-set of being a songwriter, rather than the finer details of the theory behind how to write a song. His relaxed, self-deprecating approach really helped me realise that song writing is something you just have to try to do and not overthink. Songs aren’t going to write themselves by knowing music theory, you have to be ready to write songs at any moment. Take note of every strange phrase you hear, every quirky news article you come across and every odd encounter you live through and always make sure you have your phone nearby so you can record little melodies or riffs that stumble through your fingers when your mind is working on other things.

What is your earliest musical memory?

We were all raised in musical households so we’ve been around music since day zero but one of our earliest band specific memories is playing alongside legendary dobro player, Rob Ickes on one of his visits to the UK back in 2010. In a full circle moment, we actually have Rob as a guest musicians on two tracks from the new album.

You have your new single ‘The Radio’ which is out now. What was the inspiration/story behind the track?

Working in the music industry, you always feel like you are one bit of luck; a chance meeting, one radio spin, one festival slot away from ‘making it’. This song is written from the perspective of someone whose career has never quite taken off in the way they thought it would and are wondering if they should give up. Their music was never played on the radio and they think that not being heard on the radio was the one element in their career that held them back from making it into the big time.

The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?

The music video for this single was filmed on the same day as our new promo photos were taken, as we were so taken with the location. Despite it being a very cold winter day on the coast, we powered through and were thrilled with how the striking colours and symmetry of the pier came out on camera. We filmed and edited the video ourselves, with the help of Lucy’s husband, who ensured that we were perfectly aligned with the pier’s symmetry.

In addition, you will release your fifth studio album in February 2025. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

For this album, we took a different approach compared to our previous ones. We spent more time on it, which allowed us to refine the songs in a way we hadn’t before. In the past, we would record first and then tour the album, but this time, all of these songs had been played live before we recorded them. This meant we had the chance to give them a bit of breathing room; adjusting them based on how they felt for us live and the reactions we received from audiences. The extra time also gave us the freedom to explore production ideas and collaborate with guest musicians, giving us plenty of space to be as creative as possible with the project.

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

We recorded the album at The Arch studio in Southport. We took along our own engineer and producer, Joe Rusby whose various audio talents we’ve had the pleasure of working alongside for many years now. As Joe has done our live sound so many times now it really helped in achieving that live feel and sound in a recorded format. He has mixed us live on the songs we were recording so he knew our bounds, when to push us and when to offer his creative input.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the album recording sessions?

The 4 of us (producer/engineer Joe included) are friends first and foremost so every session felt easy, relaxed and just like an extension of a trip out to the pub with endless inevitable laughs along the way. At one point, Mike’s mandolin did end up taking a shower to rehydrate the wood and raise the action after struggling in the air con …

Do you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for your music?

The studio we used to record this album is a recently acquired former church building and has been renovated and equipped with the latest technology and facilities making it a popular location despite its early days. With that in mind, along with our complete trust in Joe’s engineering and mixing talents, we just used the same 4 instruments that we always play on stage in order to bring across a sound and tone that is true to what you’d see at a gig. They’re also, naturally, the instruments we’re most comfortable and adept on.

Which of your new tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

Happiest: We’re all fast-pickin’ bluegrass musicians at heart so it’s always fun to play an upbeat instrumental in the set! The one on this album is called, ‘Flight of the Snipe’ and we were unbelievably happy to have renowned American guitarist, Trey Hensley guest on this one.
Angriest: Possibly the angriest/saddest song we’ve ever written, ‘Gone Forever’. Mike saw a tweet last year that was a collection of hand drawn birds and the title ‘all the birds that went extinct in 2023’. The conservationist Dave Goulson re-tweeted it with the caption ‘Gone Forever’ and the idea for this song was born. The lyrics are written from the point of view of the last bird of its kind looking out for others, not sure if they will ever find another and keep the species alive. The outro contains a list of birds that have gone extinct in the last few years, mostly thanks to human factors like habitat loss & introduced species.

Most Reflective: The album ends with a song called, ‘December in the Desert’ which has the repeating chorus refrain “I hope that this year, is better than the last”. To be sung on New Year’s Eve as the clock strikes midnight; a reflection of the difficult year that has just happened, and a wish that the year about to start will be much smoother.

Who created/designed the album artwork?

For our past three releases, we’ve worked with illustrators and artists to create album artwork that typically relates to a particular track or the overall theme of the album. For this album, we went back and forth with a lot of ideas to capture themes of music, nature, etc. Eventually, we discovered the incredible work of Chris Goodson at Never Hero Designs, and the colours and feel of his artwork instantly felt right for all of us and we couldn’t be more pleased with the Chaffinch perched on the radio representing this album’s music!

Was it a difficult album to write?

I am a terrible songwriter. If I sit down to try to write, I’ll inevitably end up back in my safe space; practicing the mandolin. So, in that sense yes it was a difficult album to write, I have to feel like I’ve done enough practice on the mandolin, before my brain allows me the time and energy to focus on the song writing. In terms of subject matter and inspiration, no it was a fairly simple album to write. I write about lived experiences and observations of the world around me, which in this modern era of 24 hour news and the internet, there is no shortage of interesting stories to look at. If albums were written off voice recordings and ideas in the back of a notebook, I’d have 10 albums lined up for release next year.

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

That the audience had a nice time … and that we did too!

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

We’ve been using the same trusty mandolin, fiddle and double bass for the entire history of the band! We’ve not dabbled in the world of effects except for a boost pedal on Mike’s mandolin for solos (gotta hear all those notes!).

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

We’re all based in Cheshire, a stone’s throw from the beautiful Roman city of Chester. If I had to describe it in 5 words I would say quiet-solace-near-the-motorway

How do you look after your voices?

I (Jay – lead singer) am guilty of not doing an awful lot to look after my voice! There are some obvious things like not smoking and looking after my general respiratory health that probably help me avoid any problems. I’m lucky in that Mike tailor writes all of the Jaywalkers material for my exact vocal range so I’m never vocally pushed beyond a comfortable limit during gigs, rehearsals or recording.

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

If Howard Shore hadn’t written the most iconic film score of the last 25 years for Lord of the Rings, that would be my answer. I love those books and re-reading them at the end of 2023 helped me get back in the lyric writing mind-set to finish the last few songs. But what Howard wrote for those films was so perfect nothing anyone else could write would ever come close. I also don’t read a huge amount of novels, I’m more of a non-fiction, facts-about-nature based reader, so I’d write a soundtrack to accompany Isabella Tree’s amazing book ‘Wilding’ about rewilding the Knepp estate and the recovery of nature when left to its own devices.

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

The band was born at a bluegrass jam session so of course we had the early influences of Nickel Creek, Alison Krauss and Union Station and New Grass Revival alongside the stacks of top class American Bluegrass tutors we got to meet attending the Sore Fingers Summer School annually for many years. These days we’re just as likely to be listening to 90s pop classics together in the car as we are a Willie Nelson record from the 60s – both know how to deliver a catchy hook!

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2024/2025?

We certainly do! We have a 10 date release tour spanning Feb-April 2025 and then start our festival season in May with the Crossover festival leading into what is shaping into an exciting festival season too (more details soon!). All dates can be found on our website!