Trick is Jamie's treat

Days after releasing an album and just before a tour, the recording studio is probably the last place you might expect to find a musician '“ unless it's Jamie T.
Jamie T plays Sheffields O2 Academy on Friday, October 21Jamie T plays Sheffields O2 Academy on Friday, October 21
Jamie T plays Sheffields O2 Academy on Friday, October 21

Treays – that is what the T stands for – writes constantly.

“It’s a great feeling knowing you have something coming out,” he says “almost like you’re washing your hands of it and ready for the next thing.

“It’s that excitement that keeps me going. Even when I’m supposed to be on holiday, I sneak into the studio.”

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Trick, his fourth album, has just been released, going straight in at number three, ahead of a nationwide tour which includes an October date in Sheffield.

Jamie says: “As always, it felt like it was taking forever to write and record, but whenever I think that, the record tends to be finished within a month. It’s something to do with the way I write.

“It’s very unglamorous, and I don’t see the fruit of my labour for a long time. It takes several attempts for me to get a song. I really have to work at it, and I take ages to write the end.

“The main thing is when I was writing it, I was really enjoying myself.”

Treays released his debut, Panic Prevention, in 2007.

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He followed it up two years later with Kings & Queens, and then he was gone. There was no sign of Treays, who managed to retreat from public life completely.

Almost six years later, Carry On The Grudge arrived, during which time a Facebook group was founded to try to find out where the songwriter was, with worried fans posting sightings of Mr T to reassure others.

Treays has been candid regarding his anxiety, and the condition played a part in his lengthy retreat.

He is managing it better, as shown by the shorter time between releases.

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“I suppose the easy answer is yes, I am better,” he says, cautiously. “Writing and releasing music is a good way of stemming the negatives of anxiety. It could also be that me releasing more music means I am worse, but the main thing is to keep busy, but in a good way. I’m much happier when I’m productive.

“I need to find a balance. I was away for five years, and now, it’s just a year since my last gig. I’ve learned that I enjoy songwriting more if I do it quicker. If I could get the gap between albums to three years, I’d be very happy.”

Self-examination is something he says he also has to watch out for, specifically too much of it.

“It’s similar with some comedians,” he says. “They can often suffer from depression.

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“To me, anxiety seems to go with the territory of writing songs. My job, in a way, is putting words to feelings. I have no fear about what I put in my songs, though. If I start leaving things out because I’m going to be asked about it, then that’s going to have a detrimental effect.”

Jamie T’s album Trick is out now. He plays Sheffield’s O2 Academy on Friday, October 21. For tickets, see O2 Academy Sheffield