Fresh from a sold-out UK and European tour supporting Barns Courtney, most artists might be tempted to slow down for a moment. Jake Whiskin has other plans. Instead, he closes July with the release of Sabbath Deep Cuts, his first new music in three years, signalling not just a return but the beginning of a new chapter after stepping away to focus on family and health.
Recorded in Los Angeles with producer James Flannigan, Sabbath Deep Cuts unfolds as a late-night reflection on heartache, longing and everything that lingers after something has slipped away. The song moves with quiet confidence, giving its melancholy room to breathe while proving that vulnerability can be just as powerful as any bigger, louder statement.
Reflecting on the release, Whiskin explains, “This is the first music I’ve released in years after taking some time off to focus on family and health. The first record was made around the corner from my house in Leeds not long after Covid; so there's this tentative feeling that I hear in it because the world and I felt so fragile at the time…” Looking back has also helped him understand exactly where he wants to go next. “This next chapter is me owning what I was figuring out in the past and inhabiting a new world where I'm not second-guessing myself; this is exactly the music I want to make – whether that's more bombastic or more sad, I'm not overthinking it if it feels good.”
Only a few hours before the single arrived, Whiskin offered another glimpse into its creation on social media, remembering late-night drives through Los Angeles after recording sessions, “a little Mezcal buzz,” neon lights passing by the car window and the excitement of discovering the music as it came together. “It felt like magic at the time, and I can still hear magic in it now,” he wrote, inviting listeners to pay close attention to the violin performances by longtime collaborator James Flannigan.
