Some two and a half years after the release of his Mercury nominated debut album ‘Panic Prevention’, Jamie Treays is set to return to this summer, with a series of releases that will cement his status as one of the UK’s most genuine and exciting young musicians.

But why the long-hiatus? Burnt out after a hectic period of touring following the success of his debut release (over 200,000 UK sales, tours in Europe, the US and Australia), Jamie decided to take his time with his follow-up and explore different musical avenues. Originally starting down a folk direction, he quickly scrapped this because, to quote the man himself: “it was just a bit boring.” What followed was an intense eighteen month period for Jamie and his production partner Ben Bones, where the sole mission was to create music that would make people excited. It was a tough period for Jamie, who put himself on creative lock-down, with the only music surfacing being the blistering Sub-Pop inspired punk-rap of ‘Fire Fire, which came with a home-made video that felt like a late-80s Powell-Peralta skate movie. It was a track that exploded all over the blogs but left his fans split down the middle about what direction the Wimbledon born lad was taking.

They shouldn't have been concerned. By alternating between his garden shed studio and a higher-spec East London recording space, plus the decision to not release any music until he was 100% satisfied, Jamie has completely avoided the second album trap.

It’s also meant that there’s enough quality music sat in his computer to first release a 4 track extended-player. The ‘Sticks ‘N’ Stones EP’, released June 29th, is a brilliant work in its own right, harking back to the days when the EP was more like a mini-album. Title track ‘Sticks ‘N’ Stones’ is trademark Jamie: a hugely hooky and euphoric party banger that urges you to “run with the believers”.

Then, following a series of major festival appearances, will be the actual release of his second full-length album. As yet untitled, it’s an eleven track album that is bolder, more mature and broader in its influences than those found on ‘Panic Prevention’, with Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, M.I.A and the Beastie Boys all seeping into the sonics of the record. It’s a truly exciting blend of musical styles and hummable tunes that looks set to break Jamie into a wider audience.