Upcoming album from Music by Jeremy

There’s something unusual about a debut that arrives sounding as though its creator has already lived through several musical lifetimes. Based in Banbury in the UK, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy, however, that sense of experience is exactly the point and under the moniker Music by Jeremy, he presents a project informed by years of listening, writing and collecting ideas. Taking cues from artists such as John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Randy Newman and David Bowie, he draws on classic songwriting styles to create his own original sonic output.

Working entirely independently from a home studio, Jeremy has recently created A Well Worn Path, a double album that feels like the opening of a long-kept diary. Its origins can be traced back to a collection of songs originally penned for a collaboration that never quite materialised. The songs remained, however and eventually became too insistent to ignore, so Jeremy decided to make the band himself.

Working from his old Faith acoustic and arranging the material in Ableton, he plays all the guitars and fretless bass across the record. For the remaining parts, he turned towards generative AI, painstakingly training vocal models using his own voice and guiding them with his own performances. The technology becomes less of a novelty than a practical extension of his creative reach, a prosthetic that allows the music to exist in the form he imagined.

That distinction matters because A Well Worn Path is ultimately a profoundly human record; Jeremy’s use of technology isn’t about removing the human element, strangely, it appears to have given him more freedom to explore it. Without the complications of assembling a physical band, he found himself able to stop performing and start being honest, resulting in music that can look directly at difficult subjects without surrendering to despair. Grief, dependency and moral failure sit alongside humour, curiosity and an enduring sense of wonder, with the openness to the songwriting examining the parts of life that are usually kept private.

Across 24 original tracks, A Well Worn Path moves through acoustic folk, soul, post punk, synth pop, blues and gospel, with Jeremy’s lyrical writing providing the thread that ties everything together. The first instalment, Scenes from a Well Worn Path – Side One, is set to land on the 25th of August, beginning a four-sided release that will arrive between August and November. Its lead single and opening track “Be Me” offers an immediate entry point into the album’s world via a driving indie pop anthem that tackles the exhaustion of constantly performing a version of yourself for other people.

It is an idea that feels particularly suited to Jeremy’s approach and within the melodies and arrangements is an artist interested in the gap between how we present ourselves and what we actually carry. “Be Me” turns that tension into something direct and melodic, offering a charming musical moment brimming with soulful vocals, poignant lyricism and a folk-style arrangement. “The Story of Mistress” follows with the flutter of bright acoustic guitar lines as the patter of rhythm forms and emotive vocals glide in with storytelling lyrics to deliver a catchy folk pop jam that’s sure to leave a lasting impression.

“Bowie on the Wall” slows things down with elegant guitar notes and a lilting rhythmic sway, casting a dreamy soundscape that flows with tender vocals and laid back percussion. With “How to be Good,” the melancholic flicker of guitar chords and warm vocalisations gently slips into a subtly moody scene that expands with punchy drums and soaring vocal leads, resulting in a highly affecting musical experience that’s moving and memorable in equal measure.

The rustle of marching drums then ushers in “A Well Worn Path,” which offers an instantly catchy alternative pop sound led by stunning vocal leads and alluring melodies while intricate instrumental flourishes add colour to the arrangement throughout. Closing the release with “Bittersweet,” the soft strums of guitar and mellow taps of drums crafts an intimate musical fabric as tender vocals drift above to deliver a delightful finale to this exciting first instalment of Music by Jeremy’s upcoming project.

Commenting on the release, Jeremy shares, “During the course of this recording, my studio has become a sort of rock ’n’ roll confessional. Working alone meant there was nowhere to hide — which is exactly why the album sounds the way it does. These are songs about the world as it is, and my small part in it, but without despair or false comfort.”

Pre-Save Scenes from a Well Worn Path – Side One here