Last year, 18-year-old Jake Bugg sat sheepishly in Clash HQ, preparing to be grilled for our Ones To Watch pages. We’d seen the YouTube videos and heard his demos and realised not only that this kid was seriously talented, but that his retro-tinged tunes laced with dissatisfaction and frustration showed an acute awareness beyond his years. Twelve months later, he adorns our cover. We explore talk through his meteoric rise to fame.
Elsewhere, the polished sound, look and artwork of James Blake can often give an impression of someone confident, calm and controlled. Yet, still waters run deep, and beneath the pretty, deadpan face of our pale protagonist lurks an inner battle for artistic honesty, a crushing weight of expectancy and the paranoia of becoming a ship that has gone off-course. Clash meets James in the lobby of his Texas hotel.
Plus: Festivals special, Phoenix, Local Natives, The Strypes, Stereophonics and a look back on R.E.M.'s 'Murmur' album.
