I’ve been thinking about music and its place in the world. I’ve been thinking about artistic space and our willingness to occupy it. And I’ve been thinking, again, about success, what it means and to whom I ask for validation of it. These aren’t new thoughts exactly, but they are thoughts I have taken greater root this new year.

It feels important to say out loud that I am not competing with or against any other musician for your attention. I refuse to submerge my artistic practice in the barren, cold waters of marketing speak. Branding is for cows. And while of course I want to grow my audience, to reach further and farther, to travel and make new connections through my songs, what is meaningful to me is the depth more than the breadth. 

Experience and practice, the love of those this music has reached, the support of other musicians, have gifted me a perspective that brooks less doubt about the value of what I do these days. This is a kind of success. Thank you to everyone who nourishes me. 

My work for this year, hand in hand with the exciting and messy business of releasing a new album, is to more deeply embrace gratitude and practice some radical acceptance; to take a look around and realise this may be as good as it gets, and know that it is enough. The work continues. 

My new album 'To Everything a Season' is out on 11 October. 

Big love

The Magic Lantern / Jamie x 

"Excellent, intriguing and compelling, a man to watch"
-The Guardian

"Something very, very special"
- Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music

"Gorgeous, beautiful, this stopped me in my tracks. Slightly surreal, in all the right ways" - Jamie Cullum, BBC Radio 2

"Every now and again you come across a piece of music that will completely take your breath away. It might not be instant, but it will. The Magic Lantern’s ‘Holding Hands’ is one of those pieces of music. 8/10"
- Fortitude Magazine

"Creating something truly mesmerizing and incredibly unique. Jamie’s ability to combine jazz and folk into something ethereal and is undeniably spellbinding. Fans of Grizzly Bear and Chet Baker will feel at home here."
- The Vinyl District



www.the-magic-lantern.co.uk
Contact: jamiefdoe@yahoo.com

Avert Francis plays acoustic finger picking folk songs in the vein of Townes Van Zandt, Bert Jansch and Nick Drake.
Inspiration is drawn from traditional Folk and Blues artists and story telling is always key to his songwriting experience.

avertfrancis is following