Sunjay announces his new album

Sunjay
Photograph by Scott Clarke

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 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. 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 livestreams 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.

Artist’s website: https://www.sunjay.tv/

‘Link Of Chain’:

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