JAKE ISSAC SHARES THE NEW SINGLE ‘A SUMMER LONG AGO’

Jake Isaac has made his name as an empathetic chronicler of the human condition with a voice like a modern Bill Withers. That quality has beamed brightly throughout his career, which has taken him from praise from Sir Elton John to a renowned set at Glastonbury through to the strongest acclaim and radio play of his career so far for his previous album, 2024’s ‘BENJAMIN’. Now Jake takes that record’s gospel/soul heart and searing conversational honesty into his next chapter as he shares his new single ‘A SUMMER LONG AGO’.

‘A SUMMER LONG AGO’ showcases Jake Isaac’s ever-growing command of blurring the lines between vintage soul and modern pop. It’s a song so natural it feels effortless, with laidback grooves perfect for the moment when a summer’s day drifts into dusk, evocative saxophone that’s both fresh and instantly familiar, and, of course, his inimitable husky voice which is as welcoming as a message from an old friend. And looking back is key to the song’s theme, with a dreamlike meditation on childhood memories when the days felt eternal.
 
Jake says, “I tried to create a song that was easy on the ears, I wanted something to put on at dinner time or to keep everyone chilled during the school run. In this day and age, where things are all over the place, I wanted to go back to the days when it was OK to play in the street as a kid. It’s a nod to that innocent time.”
 
‘A SUMMER LONG AGO’ was written and produced solely by Jake Isaac, who also performed the majority of its instrumentation. That earworm of a sax motif was the main exception, which was provided by Kat Deal (‘Saturday Night Live UK’).
 
Since releasing ‘BENJAMIN’, Jake expanded on his original vision for the album with its Deluxe Edition, and also reimagined favourites from his earlier career with the ’10 YEARS LATER’ album. He also features on Booshle G.’s ‘I WOULD LOSE IT ALL’ EP.
 
The ‘BENJAMIN’ album also saw Jake return to his natural environment on stage, with highlights including a packed headline show atLondon’s Village Underground (documented in a subsequent live EP), as well as playing a special Radio 2 Piano Room live show alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra. His next London show comes with a stripped-back, intimate headline performance within the beautiful setting of St. Pancras Old Church on September 10th, and he will also play the X-TRA Musikcafe in Zurich (September 8th) and the Konzerthaus Schüür in Lucerne (September 9th). Tickets are available HERE. 
 
Originally from south London where he grew up as the son of a pastor, Jake Isaac now lives outside of Manchester with his three young children. Family, faith, love and spirituality are all recurring themes in his music, while his two key songwriting influences – Paul Simonand Bill Withers – feed into a brand of soul which stretches organically from the intimate to the cinematic.
 
Prior to launching his solo career with his debut album ‘Our Lives’, Jake had already learned about the realities of the music world – both in terms of both the creative and the industry aspects. He worked as a marketing manager for a record company while in his early twenties, a time when he’d sometimes witness artists with more buzz than talent. At same time, he was serving as a session musician and a songwriter for artists such as Gabrielle and Cynthia Erivo, who he credits for being able to beguile a room with her talents. He was also used to being at the back of the stage, playing drums and acting as musical director for Duffy. His own work on solo albums like ‘Honesty’ and ‘For When It Hurts’ placed him at the heart of a British soul revival.
 
All of those experiences inspired personal reflection. As he explains, “It caused me to ask myself: what kind of artist do I want to be? There is more longevity when you try and write songs that mean something than when you chase the numbers.”