Multi-instrumentalist Jaws The Shark, aka Olly Bailey, has announced the release of his debut album, Wasteland! on 19 July. The album was produced by previous collaborator, George Perks, at VADA Recording Studios. Performed by Olly, he is also joined by bassist Brendan O’Boyle and Dinosaur Pile-Up’s Michael Sheils on drums.
Olly explains,
“Wasteland is an album that I’d been wanting to write for some time now, and one that I’m really proud of personally. Some of the tracks that I write wouldn’t necessarily be put into the Jaws The Shark category when you look back at what I’ve released previously, but I wanted this album to show off some of my versatility that I like to explore when writing songs.”
The indie/alt-rock artist has also today released ‘California’, the first single to be taken from Wasteland. The fast-paced and swaggering track builds to a blistering chorus, which showcases Olly’s signature raw yet soaring vocals. He has also revealed the official music video, shot by Jamie Korn of Grow Up Sad. The visuals see Olly performing in front of various Californian scenes, and is later joined by a second guitarist, April, who is dressed identically to him.
He says of the brand new single and video:
“‘California’ was one of the last tracks I wrote for the record, it was one of those ones that just sprung out of nowhere and fell into my lap one day. I had a friend that moved from the UK to the US and in doing so it meant that her long term relationship collapsed. I wrote the track with that scenario in mind and wanted to write each verse from both people’s perspectives, from the one doing the breaking up and the one being broken up with. In the end after some time had passed, they both realised that it was actually for the best for both of them.”
“The video itself is representative of the track in the sense that it shows us batting with our feelings and emotions, as a relationship is being torn apart due to circumstance. Having April in the video represents the other person in the relationship, the male/female dynamic, but the fact that we’re also dressed in the same clothes and look like one another was a conscious decision to represent that you also need to take a look in the mirror at yourself sometimes and be a little more introspective.”
In celebration of the album announcement and the release of ‘California,’ Olly will headline London’s Notting Hill Arts Club on Thursday 21st March. The Devon-born artist will then head to Manchester to headline Off The Square on 22nd March, followed by a headline show at The Lanes in Bristol on 23rd March.
Jaws The Shark Live Dates
March
21 – Notting Hill Arts Club, London
22 – Off The Square, Manchester
23 – The Lanes, Bristol
For more information on Jaws the Shark please check out facebook and instagram.
