Jamie T shares, 'Waist 36 Leg 32', a rousing meditation on haunting guilt, masculinity and the perils of consumerism.
Released as Jack Saunders’ “Hottest Record” and featured on the EA SPORTS FC 27 soundtrack, ‘Waist 36, Leg 32’ landed alongside a video starring Charlie Cooper (This Country) that sees him auditioning to be Jamie T. Inspired by Mick Jones of the Clash, according to Jamie this song is “a fable of sorts” akin to the cut of the same moniker from the band’s 1978 album Give ’Em Enough Rope. Speaking further on the single, Jamie shares, “This song is a reminder to the listener to ‘step lightly and stay free’. Be kind to others, be kind to yourself, and leave the ghosts be. Or….. it’s about ‘oh, baby baby, oh baby baby’ Up to you…”
The track is taken from his sixth album Ghosts (100 Days of Morning), released earlier this month via Polydor Records. Written over a solo trip to Siena and built from years of lost voice notes and sketches, the confronting 11-track collection of former ghosts sees Jamie reclaim his identity, his signature sharp storytelling reaching sophisticated new heights imbued with a deep sense of hope.
Listen to ‘Waist 36 Leg 32’ on EFL Matchday.
On the release of Ghosts, he adds, “Everyone has a part of themselves they keep at arm’s length, even from the people they love. ‘Ghosts’ to me is about seeing that version of yourself for the first time in a long time and trying to hold on to it. This album is me trying to find that again.”
Jamie has always been frank about his mental health – ever since bursting onto the scene with a debut album title that referenced his panic disorder diagnosis. Ghosts (100 Days of Morning) digs deeper into his psyche, with Treays facing his demons with startling conviction. From the introspective Leif Vollebekk sampling, British icon celebrating ‘Tallahassee’ and anthemic album opener ‘3310’, the tracklist nods to growing up and leaving youth behind, love, loss and the brittle nostalgia of halcyon indie-era nights.
‘Chelsea Girls’ is a look at British culture through the lens of tabloid sensationalism that evokes the ghosts of late-’90s electronica. At the centre of the album is a cover of ‘Ghosts’ by Paul Weller – a song about owning the hidden parts of our identity. Whilst he was struggling to rehearse for his Finsbury Park show in 2022, Jamie re-discovered the song from The Jam’s back catalogue. Though in many ways Treays had ‘nothing in the tank’, the opening line, ‘Why are you frightened, can’t you see it’s you // That’s not a ghost it’s a reflection of you’, hit him like a bolt of lightning.
Sitting with Ghosts in human and musical form sparked a reignition for Jamie, and thus his sixth album began to take form. On the impact of this moment, Jamie says: “Slowly I found a way. A song genuinely helped me put my life back together and get to where I am now.”. With the release of Ghosts, he closes the loop, leaving the liminal space held between his youth and his present self behind.
Coming up in December, Jamie T will embark on his fast selling nationwide UK Tour. Kicking off in Birmingham and finishing in Brighton, the tour will include a two date London stop at Wembley Stadium, alongside further stops in Newcastle, Leeds, two nights in Glasgow and Manchester.
