Sometimes in life, things just come together. It may seem sudden, but when you trace the line, you see the hand of fate guiding it every step of the way. Jamie Webster is one such beneficiary of fate's tender hands.
The Liverpudlian was an electrician by day, moonlighting as a cover artist by night, when fate slipped genius into the mouth of one punter, who changed Webster's cover of 'Mrs Robinson' to say 'Jordan Henderson', the name of a prominent professional footballer.From there, Liverpool FC adopted Webster as their semi-official musician and he was soon playing to crowds of 60,000 fans. However, it was not just a wisecrack that changed the course of Webster's life. It really were the years of using a voice so attached to a heart that bled truth in every beat, which put Webster in that position to create magic.
It's not the football songs that kept people coming back, but their resonance with Webster's everyday-man lyricism. "My view is that life is situational, not locational," Jamie shares.
"If you walk the path of the working class, so to speak, you will experience the same joys, escapes and troubles at the same time, just in a different place with a different accent. All people go through the same things day-to-day, and it's something I've always been drawn to write about."
Webster's lyrics, like 'sing when the times are hard, take my hand and we'll sing the story of our scars' from his 2024 single 'Sing Your Tears', reach into those places we often strive to forget, but need our attention so badly. "It goes back to my biggest influence, Bob Dylan," he confirms.
"I remember being 15 and listening to Dylan's 'Hurricane'. I was blown away, because I'm not the greatest singer, and I'm not the greatest guitar player by a long way.
"Hopefully it's the start of a new relationship with Australia and the songs I've written in my bedroom. . . I intend to give 110 per cent." - Jamie Webster
"I don't think Bob Dylan was either of those things either, but he told the truth and used what he had and made it work by being himself and speaking for the people who he thought needed to be spoken for.
"I was enthralled by that realism that came out of the music. I heard 'It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)', it's written in the '60s, and I felt like he was talking to me about the world today. Some things in life are timeless and connect with people of all ages and backgrounds."
Dylan's spirit moved Webster to write with intention, something he holds very dearly when selecting what goes into his songs. "What comes out is something for people to hold onto, which is that they're not alone.
"What I hope people take from my music is a sense of community and a sense that they're not alone in this world. If they feel like they haven't got a voice, I'll give them one. I'll never tell you that my music could change the world, but if it can convince a couple of people that the world could be changed, then that's a small step in the right direction."
A special artist needs a special place to make their magic, and the Brit has taken a liking to recording at the famous Rockfield Studios, recently completing his third album '10 For The People' there, which hit #2 on the UK charts.
"We've been before and fell in love with the place. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was recorded there. '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?' was recorded there. Bowie's been there. You basically live on a farm in Wales, and tune in and concentrate on the art and paint the picture from start to finish.
"Me and the lads I record with – Tim Cunningham, Jim Sharrock and Danny Murphy – we record the core of every song live together in a room. Sometimes we don't have a click track, we're just four mates playing in a room. You're playing music from ten in the morning till three in the morning.
"It's an amazing way to work. It's a joke that you'd even call it work. I used to work as an electrician, so I know what a real day's work is," he laughs.
Webster's ascendance has been meteoric, from huge crowds to playing at Glastonbury, but this hasn't prevented him from absorbing it all with deep gratitude. "You never know how good a song is until you get the reception from your fans," he reflects.
"I'm so lucky that so many people take something from it and feel empowered or a sense of community from it, it's amazing for me to get to witness that. To play the other stage at Glastonbury was a joke.
"It was one of the most singlehandedly, nerve-racking experiences of my life, I couldn't even digest my cornflakes, I was that nervous. I was worried there wouldn't be a crowd 'cause we were on before midday, and around 30,000 turned up. It was just incredible. It'll live long in the memory."
Crowds are something Jamie had extensive training with, but he still feels the energy every time. "Being from Liverpool, I've played 10, 15 years around some of the roughest pubs that you could ever imagine, and I've learned to deal with hostile crowds, it was a good apprenticeship. I'm always nervous going onstage, but I tend to let it out as soon as I walk onto the stage," he shares his process.
"I give the crowd a signal or scream to let them know that I'm right there with them. I just let whatever's built up inside of me out; and the crowds, especially at my headline shows, are so good, it's easy to get comfortable.
"I always have adrenaline running for the first five, ten minutes, but then I'm able to be myself and talk. When the crowd are giving you what you're giving them, it's impossible to not get carried away, but I love it," he beams.
Webster will be bringing his headline tour to Australia for the first time in December, playing Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth in what are sure to be raucously good times that stir deep in the soul.
"This is my first proper tour of Australia. I'm excited for everywhere, especially Perth, because it's known as Liverpool in the sun. I'm looking forward to feeding off the crowd.
"Hopefully it's the start of a new relationship with Australia and the songs I've written in my bedroom. They've got me to literally the furthest point that I could go on this planet from where I live, it's unbelievable how far it has come and the fan support. I intend to give 110 per cent."
Jamie Webster 2024 Tour Dates
Thu 5 Dec - The Factory (Sydney)Fri 6 Dec - The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
Sat 7 Dec - The Triffid (Brisbane)
Sun 8 Dec - Magnet House (Perth)
