Jake Bugg is heading back to where it all started.
The Nottingham-born singer-songwriter has announced his seventh studio album, Alamo, due for release on November 13 via Thirty Tigers, alongside a new single, ‘Never Can Tell’, and plans for an intimate UK and European tour that includes a hometown date at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall.
Raised on the Clifton estate and propelled from Nottingham’s grassroots music scene to the top of the charts while still a teenager, Bugg’s latest chapter finds him looking inward. Produced by long-time collaborator Jimmy Hogarth alongside Steve McKewan, Alamo marks a return to the folk and country influences that first put him on the map, delivering what is being described as his most honest and vulnerable record to date.
The 11-track collection sees the 32-year-old strip away the layers and confront themes of isolation, heartbreak and self-discovery. Songs such as the Dylan and Leonard Cohen-inspired ‘Day By Day’, the reflective opener ‘When The Night’ and the emotionally charged title track showcase a songwriter embracing a newfound openness.
Speaking about the album, Bugg said: “After all the years of touring and making records, it just felt like the right time to look inward. The last couple of years have been tough for me and I’ve had a lot of struggles.
“‘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.”
Leading the charge is first single ‘Never Can Tell’, a driving, country-leaning anthem that tackles trust, friendship and the challenges that come with success.
“It’s really hard to know who to trust in this day and age,” Bugg explained. “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.”
Alongside the album news, Bugg has unveiled a stripped-back solo tour for 2027. The run kicks off at Manchester’s Albert Hall before culminating at London’s Union Chapel, with a special stop at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall on February 23.
Nearly 15 years on from his breakthrough debut album, which topped the UK charts and sold millions of copies, Bugg has continued to do things his own way on his latest long player. Like his debut, Alamo‘s artwork was photographed by legendary photographer Kevin Westenberg, underlining the sense of coming full circle that runs throughout the project.
Older, wiser and more reflective than the teenager who first emerged from Nottingham with an acoustic guitar and a string of unforgettable songs, Bugg remains a singular voice in British music, and Alamo sounds set to be one of his most personal statements yet.
Jake Bugg UK Tour 2027
- February 6 – Albert Hall, Manchester
- February 9 – 3Olympia, Dublin
- February 11 – The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
- February 14 – Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow
- February 17 – The Glasshouse, Gateshead
- February 18 – Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield
- February 20 – Liverpool Philharmonic, Liverpool
- February 21 – Bristol Beacon, Bristol
- February 23 – Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham
- February 26 – Union Chapel, London
