Liam Bailey

Liam Bailey is an English singer-songwriter from Nottingham. He is noted for his soul, reggae, and blues-influenced vocal style.

Career In 2010, he released two solo EPs on Amy Winehouse's Lioness Records. Recorded entirely by Bailey and his guitar, the debut EP 2am Rough Tracks was released on 23 September, following its recording some weeks before. The EP consisted of "Your Heart's Not Safe", "I'd Rather Go Blind" and "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want". This was followed by a second three track EP So Down, Cold, released on 29 November, featuring the tracks; "Fool Boy", "Breaking Out" and "So Down, Cold". Bailey signed to Polydor Records earlier the same year.

Bailey has been performing around the world with Chase & Status since 2010. Bailey co-wrote and performed on their single "Blind Faith", released on 21 January 2011 in the UK, where it debuted at number five in the UK Singles Chart; it also featured on their second album No More Idols. They then collaborated on the single "Big Man", released 16 October 2012, which reached No. 13 on the UK Dance Chart and appears on some editions of follow-up album Brand New Machine.

Bailey's prospective debut album Out of the Shadows was recorded, produced by Salaam Remi, and scheduled for issue in September 2011 but Bailey unexpectedly pulled the release.

Following the break with Polydor, 2013 saw the re-release of "When Will They Learn" on Speakerbox, MistaJam's Ministry of Sound imprint, complete with remixes by Shadow Child and others. The video was shot with Bailey's friends in Nottingham for the relatively small sum of £1,750. Manager Sarah Stennett told HitQuarters that its homegrown, low-key nature was a perfect fit saying: "The video with Liam is amazing because his friends capture him so well. He was signed to a major label previously and they never quite captured it." which was released for download on SoundCloud.

His debut album Definitely Now was released in the US in August 2014 on Flying Buddha/Sony, with download single "On My Mind" available with pre-order. In an interview with Wondering Sound, Bailey explains how "it's been torture trying to figure out which way to go" in terms of musical direction. Definitely Now shows that he has now found his sound, and is described by Wondering Sound as "sweet Daptone soul infused with blues moods, Oasis riffage, Sam Cooke grooves and light Jamaican accents". Ekundayo builds on the Nottingham singer-songwriter's penchant for recording lo-fi soul. Nevertheless, AllMusic describe the 13 track collection as 'reggae'.

Bailey's fourth studio album, Zero Grace, was released in February 2024, produced by Leon Michels and the El Michels Affair collective.

Discography Studio albums Title Details Definitely NowReleased: 19 August 2014 Label: Flying Buddha/Sony Masterworks Formats: Digital download, CD EkundayoReleased: 13 November 2020 Label: Big Crown Records Formats: Digital download, Vinyl Enfant Terrible(with St Francis Hotel)Released: 17 November 2023 Label: Self Released Formats: Digital download, Vinyl Zero GraceReleased: 23 February 2024 Label: Big Crown Records Formats: Vinyl, CD

EPs Title Details 2am Rough TracksReleased: 23 September 2010 Label: Lioness Records Formats: Digital download So Down, ColdReleased: 29 November 2010 Label: Lioness Records Format: Digital download It's Not the SameReleased: 3 July 2011 Label: Polydor Records Formats: Digital download, CD Brand NewReleased: 8 February 2019 Label: Access Records Formats: Digital download Broken Home Released: 22 March 2019 Label: 1985 Music Formats: Digital download

Singles

As lead artist