SUNJAY
Singer. Guitarist. Songwriter. Performer. Entertainer.
INTERNATIONAL SINGER/SONGWRITER & VIRTUOSO GUITARIST UNVEILS HIS NEW ALBUM “I’M JUST LIKE YOU”
RELEASE DATE – MONDAY 11th NOVEMER 2024
PRE-ORDER THE ALBUM FROM FRIDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2024
& NEW SINGLE “LINK OF CHAIN”
RELEASED MONDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2024
PRE-SAVE THE SINGLE ON SPOTIFY, APPLE MUSIC, YOUTUBE MUSIC, AMAZON, DEEZER, AND TIDAL FROM HERE
I’m Just Like You – the new album from UK based international singer/songwriter & guitarist Sunjay is lined up for release on Monday 11th November 2024. The album is available to pre-order from Friday 20th September 2024 on Mighty Tight Records via – www.sunjay.tv / ditto.fm/im-just-like-you
The first single, Link Of Chain, released Friday 20th September 2024, is available to pre-save on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer and Tidal from ditto.fm/link-of-chain.
| Photo by Jane Jordan |
I’m Just Like You produced by Sunjay and Josh Clark at Get Real Studios in Bath, UK is the second in a set of three releases, inspired during the pandemic period. Sunjay was late to the livestreaming party, he explains, “As ever, I wanted to do something different. Instead of just playing my regular set (in different orders!) I decided to do a series of themed livestreams – the VIP (Virtually In Person) live-streaming global tour! The first was on Valentine’s Day with a ‘love’ theme. I did other themes specific to previous albums, a night of the blues which inspired Black & Blues Revisited (2022) (the first of the three releases) and tribute livesteams to inspirational artists. One of those was ‘Sunjay Sings Chris Smither’…”
I’m Just Like You wasn’t originally intended for commercial release – it was recorded in homage as an 80th Birthday present for Chris Smither. “I was inspired by Chris from an early age” muses Sunjay. “The first time I watched him on YouTube at the age of 16 (after discovering him via a Bonnie Raitt album) I was transfixed. I remember saying to myself – that’s EXACTLY what I want to do. I want to play that style of guitar, sing with that gravelly whiskey soaked voice and write these kinds of thought provoking, intelligent lyrics. AND I want that hairstyle! Then I went and told everyone I knew that I’d found my hero… Soon after, I went to see Chris perform at The Luminaire in London. By chance I happened to be staying in the same place as Chris and ran into him at the bar. We spent some time talking and the next day played a guitar together, a testimony to Chris’ natural generous nature. As you can imagine – having met, watched live and played guitar with one of my heroes, I went home in a pretty gleeful state! The next time I saw Chris live, (reminiscent of his experience with Eric Von Schmidt) he asked the venue promoter if I could do three songs to open up the show. Since then I’ve opened up for Chris several times and had the pleasure of getting to know him.
Before discovering Chris, I was playing a lot of 1960’s folky singer/songwriter stuff and the thought of writing songs seemed like something only famous people could do. Occasionally they’d throw a blues tune into their sets and I’d just devour those licks. But here was a guy who was writing deep lyrics, with blues based guitar work – as standard. Every track I listened to inspired me more and more, and that’s why I wanted to record this album. All of the songs here are Chris Smither originals.”
A tribute record is often a complex thing to approach and Sunjay’s keen to point out that the collection of 15 Chris Smither songs are “all faithful representations of the originals and I’ve specifically kept the guitar parts the same as Chris’ original recordings, adding my flavour with the arrangements and production (apart from one line I changed in Leave The Light On – you’ll understand why when you get there). I thought this would be a really nice little birthday present/tribute but somewhere along the way, I decided I wanted people to hear it and so I’m Just Like You is released 11th November 2024, Chris’ 80th Birthday.”
Sunjay had intended to call the album Don’t Call Me Stranger citing Chris’ first album I’m A Stranger Too. “The words just wouldn’t fit! We tried everything to overcome that but there always seemed to be too big of a compromise to make. I started speculating on other titles and at some point came up with I’m Just Like You – the line that follows Don’t Call Me Stranger, which seemed pretty apt and everybody immediately liked it. Kind of a throwback anyway as I’m A Stranger Too is a line taken from Have You Seen My Baby? – a Randy Newman song on that album.” Sunjay explains.
When asked if he’s worried about the comparisons that can be made, Sunjay laughs, “A tribute record is always a tricky thing to approach/sell. You’re opening yourself up to all sorts of criticism, but in this case things are a little different – I’m just about to come full circle. Chris’ Love You Like A Man propelled me forwards, starting my career with a bang, getting me a nomination at the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award when I was 17. At the same time, I misguidedly signed a 10 year publishing contract that I’ve only just started telling people about. Let’s just say it was the wrong career move and since, I’ve been forced to release mostly covers albums, as I didn’t want to give 50% of my royalties away for nothing. I’m out of contract now but I’ve got one more card to play in my covers deck before I release my first originals album. I know that people have been waiting to hear what I really have to say and I’m looking forward to satiating that appetite. At live gigs I’m frequently likened to Neil Diamond and Roy Orbison, as well as Buddy Holly. Lately more and more people tell me I’m a dead ringer for Jeff Goldblum – including Lee (Southall – the harmonica player on the record). I’ll take the Goldblum likeness but from now on whenever someone says I look or sound like someone else I’ll say – I’m Just Like You…”
The band on the album comprises; drummer and bassist Josh Clark (Kate Rusby), Jonny Henderson on keys (Elles Bailey), backing vocals and fiddle Katriona Gilmore (Gilmore & Roberts) Charlie Barker also backing vocals and harmonica player Lee Southall.
Sunjay heads out on tour on 3rd November, starting in Twickenham and finishing in Bewdley on 14th December.
Before setting off on tour, Sunjay begins with a single to accompany the release of his I’m Just Like You album on 11th November 2024. The first single is an upbeat, Lightnin’ Hopkins inspired bluesy shuffle called Link Of Chain.
Link Of Chain was originally recorded/released in 1995 on Chris Smither’s Up On The Lowdown album. Sunjay says, “I love the three-part harmony backing vocals on this track. The track really grooves and I think you can tell that we’re all enjoying ourselves.”
The B-side Don’t Call Me Stranger another up-tempo blues which features the album title line.
Link Of Chain, released Friday 20th September 2024, is available to pre-save on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer and Tidal from https://ditto.fm/link-of-chain.
TRACK LISTING & SONGWRITING CREDITS
- Link Of Chain (3:56)
- No Love Today (4.56)
- Love You Like A Man (3:08)
- Mail Order Mystics (3:05)
- Father’s Day (5:20)
- Up On The Lowdown (5.13)
- Rosalie (3:39)
- Small Revelations (4:03)
- Open Up (3:11)
- Don’t Call Me Stranger (3:47)
- Never Needed It More (3:45)
- What It Might Have Been (3:43)
- Help Me Now (3:37)
- Train Home (4:11)
- Leave The Light On (4:21)
All songs written by Chris Smither and published by BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited apart from: ‘Love You Like A Man’, written by Chris Smither and published by EMI United Partnership Ltd, ‘Mail Order Mystics’ & ‘Rosalie’ written by Chris Smither and published by Budde Music UK, ‘What It Might Have Been’ published by: Homunculus Music Inc
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by: Sunjay Brain & Josh Clark
Recorded at: Get Real Studios, Bath, UK & Mad Hat Studios, Wolverhampton, UK
Engineered by: Josh Clark (Get Real), Mark Stuart & Sheena (Mad Hat)
Mixed & Mastered by: Josh Clark
Design: Shelley Todd & Sunjay Brain
Photography: Jane Jordan
LINE-UP
Sunjay Brain – Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Hi-strung Guitar, Feet & Percussion
Charlie Barker – Backing Vocals
Josh Clark – Drums & Bass
Katriona Gilmore – Backing Vocals & Fiddle
Jonny Henderson – Hammond Organ & Piano
Lee Southall – Harmonica
I’M JUST LIKE YOU
UK TOUR 2024
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM: WWW.SUNJAY.TV
03 NOV – Twickfolk TWICKENHAM
08 NOV – Woodman Folk Club KINGSWINFORD
09 NOV – Finstock Village Hall CHIPPING NORTON
10 NOV Balmoral Club SALTBURN
11 NOV – White Horse Folk Club, BEVERLEY
13 NOV – Cramlington Folk Club, CRAMLINGTON
15 NOV – Stables 2 MILTON KEYNES
19 NOV – Tuesday Night Music Club LONDON
20 NOV – Atherstone Folk Club WARWICKSHIRE
26 NOV – Dartford Folk Club DARTFORD
28 NOV – Wren, STONE
14 DEC – St. Georges Hall, BEWDLEY
I’M JUST LIKE YOU
CZECH REPUBLIC TOUR 2025
- 05.2025– ČERNOŠICE-clubkino
27. 05.2025– BRNO-Stará Pekárna
28.05.2025 – BRNO-Jakubák open-air
29.05.2025 – VYŠKOV-MěKS
30.05.2025 – OSTRAVA-klub Parník
so 31.05.2025 – BANSKÁ BYSTRICA (SK)
01.06.2025 – VALAŠSKÉ MEZIŘÍČÍ
03.06.2025 – PRAHA-JazzDock
04.06.2025 – VOLYMĚ-tvrz
05.06.2025 – ČERNICE-Stodola (okr. Č. Krumlov)
06.06.2025 – PARDUBICE-JTG
07.06.2025 – ZITTAU-Kronenkino (D)
SUNJAY
BIOGRAPHY
Radio 2 Young Folk Awards Nominee 2012
Winner of the Wath Festival Young Performers Award 2012
British Blues Awards Nominee 2014/2023
Sunjay is the antithesis of your typical denim clad disheveled folk and blues musician. From his perfectly groomed hair to his spotlessly shining winkle picker boots he walks onto the stage every inch the “city slicker.” When Sunjay starts to sing and play the guitar however, you are transported to a world where blues and country music meld seamlessly amidst humid mangrove swamps and red neck barbecues. Sunjay is, without doubt, the real deal.
Drawing from a rich, musical, and cultural background it is hardly surprising that Sunjay has quickly become recognised as one of the UK’s rising stars. His performances have been described as “mature and confident,” while his guitar playing has been hailed as, “superb, brilliant, experienced, intricate amd faultless.” Sunjay’s style has that natural drift between folk and blues.
Sunjay has in every sense, grown up in public, having performed regularly to ever increasing audiences from the age of seven. Now, at thirty years of age, Sunjay has become a master guitarist, who has crafted his show to perfection. He also has an encyclopedic knowledge of his music, and a wicked sense of humour.
An evening with Sunjay is an evening of exquisite blues, country and folk music with sonorous vocals and a master class in guitar playing, interspersed with hilarious anecdotes.
“One of the best young pickers and singers around.”
– Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2
“One of the UK’s finest young Blues stars.”
– Iain Anderson, BBC Radio Scotland
“A very accomplished and dynamic guitarist, with a mature
stage presence and echoes of a young Ralph McTell.”
– RNR Magazine
“Already creating a stir with talents way beyond his years. A really
soothing, natural sound and most definitely destined for bigger things.”
– Maverick Magazine
SUNJAY