Jamie T talks new music and reveals what he's been up to on his six year hiatus

12 May 2022, 11:40 | Updated: 21 July 2022, 13:05

Jamie T tells Radio X where he's been for the past six years

Jamie T stopped by to talk to Radio X about his new single The Old Style Raiders, his Theory of Whatever album and what he's been up to the past five years.

Jamie T is back and he spoke to Radio X's Rich Wolfenden about his new music.

Last week saw the South London wordsmith announce a brand new album, The Theory of Whatever, which is set for release on 22nd July.

Asked if there was a theme to his fifth studio album, he revealed: "Well it's been five years or more of my life when it comes to songwriting, so when it comes to saying the theme, I say... well 'five years'."

He added: "I don't really know what it's about as such, but it's pretty much about... it's all I do all day, you know?"

"There's songs on it I wrote four years ago, there's songs on it I wrote three months ago," he added. "So it really spans a long period of time in my life."

Asked if that explains the album title, the Wimbledon bard explained: "It was originally the title of a song, which funnily enough didn't end on the album [...], but it just felt right so I just went with it."

Watch our full interview with Jamie T above.

READ MORE: Jamie T's best lyrics

The first taste to come from the record is single The Old Style Raiders, which Jamie T revealed is "about trying to find something that you enjoy and love in love enough to be the best version of yourself and try and find something you can love and give your time to. And the hope that goes into that".

It might be the first cut from the album, but The Old Style Raiders almost never made the album at all as he completely forgotten he'd even written it.

Jamie T - whose real name is Jamie Treays explained: "I'd forgotten I'd written it and I found it on a laptop. I remember what it was about but I'd forgotten recording it. I have no memory of recording it until I got in there with Hugo White [from the Maccabees] and we finished it off.

"And I'm very proud of it. It's one of my favourite songs on the album and one of my favourite tracks I've ever done really."

Watch the official video for The Old Style Raiders below:

Jamie T - The Old Style Raiders (Official Video)

Talking about the fact it has been five since he's performed and six since he's released new music, he said: "Yeah, somebody said something like that to me. I hadn't realised it had been that long."

As for what he's been doing to express himself while on hiatus? Fancy dress.

"I got myself quite into buying fancy dress stuff," he revealed. "That was quite a thing, 'cause you know you're just all locked inside for so long..."

It's also been 15 years since Jamie T released his debut album, Panic Prevention, and the importance of the milestone hasn't been lost on him.

"It's hard to believe," he mused. "Time has gone flying by in that respect. I can't quite get my head round that really, being 15 years ago."

He added: "I was really proud of it when I listened back to it and it brought back loads of fond memories and I'm glad it got picked up and sold".

One huge track from the album is indie club anthem, Sheila, which is known for its iconic speaking parts.

While the words did come from a sample, Treays finally put to bed who actually utters the line 'Good heavens you boys, blue blooded murder of the English tongue!'

As it turns out, it's actually his father speaking on the tune. "That is my dad," he revealed. "It was originally a sample from a very famous musical and I couldn't use it, so that is my dad."

And while the words are forever immortalised in his hit single, it turns out there was a lot less pomp and ceremony to the recording of the part, with Jamie simply dragging his very unimpressed father upstairs to record it in his room.

"He was downstairs, so I just got my Dad upstairs - as angry as he was to be disturbed - he came upstairs and [is] forever immortalised sounding annoyed."

READ MORE: What's the sample on Jamie T's Sheila?