“Something very, very special” – Lauren Laverne, BBC Radio 6 Music
“Ooh that’s beautiful isn’t it?” – Huw Stephens, BBC Radio 1
“Extraordinary. Beautiful poised singing, amazing lyrics and hypnotic production” – Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 6 Music
“Gorgeous, beautiful. This stopped me in my tracks. Slightly surreal, in all the right ways” – Jamie Cullum, BBC Radio 2
“Excellent, intriguing and compelling, a man to watch.” – The Guardian
The Magic Lantern, the musical moniker of Jamie Doe, returns with a stunning new single, ‘Gentle Face’, out now via Hectic Eclectic Records, taken from his upcoming EP ‘The Life That I Have’.
‘Gentle Face’ finds The Magic Lantern confronting the everyday anxiety created by our present moment – our politics, the climate crisis and the state of the world. The song circles around the idea of wanting to go to sleep and somehow start over again – both an understandable and entirely naive response to the situation, where even in sleep worry finds its way into our dreams. But somehow a sense of hope remains. Musically, ‘Gentle Face’ embraces the intimacy and momentum of a late night drive. Opening with a simple, compelling drum figure, the listener is propelled along as layers of pianos and keyboards come in and out of focus. As the song builds, horns and more voices enter creating a richly rhythmic, lush texture over which Jamie’s gently powerful voice croons as if to you alone.
Following his stunning third album ‘To The Islands’, released in November 2018, his new EP ‘The Life That I Have’ is a bridge between being and becoming, and confronts, sits with and acknowledges the inevitability of a loss witnessed in slow motion. Produced by Fred Thomas and mixed by Leo Abrahams (Sam Amidon, Belle & Sebastian), ‘The Life That I Have’s’ dreamy production finds nods to Smile-era Bryan Wilson lushness alongside woozy late night grooves and the stark emotional directness of Elliot Smith, all united by Jamie’s inimitable song-writing style.
Drawing on a wide range of influences from folk, jazz and contemporary music, The Magic Lantern is an artist dedicated to addressing the uncertainty present in all of us. Born in Australia, before moving to the UK at 12, Jamie adopted the stage name of The Magic Lantern and began writing songs while studying philosophy in Bristol, performing alongside friends This Is The Kit, Rozi Plain and Rachael Dadd. He lives in London and since 2011 has released three critically acclaimed albums in addition to a compilation of other artists versions of his songs for the charity CALM.
The Magic Lantern has received praise from numerous publications including The Guardian, Songlines, Acoustic Magazine and Folk Radio UK as well as BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, BBC 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne, Guy Garvey, Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction and BBC Radio 2’s Jamie Cullum, Mark Radcliffe and Bob Harris among others.
‘Gentle Face’ is out now via Hectic Eclectic Records.
Tour Dates
15 Dec – Prince Albert, Stroud
16 Dec – Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol