It’s been a summer to remember for the rising star JC Stewart. He’s been tipped by some big names in the shape of Niall Horan and Lewis Capaldi, while his recent single ‘Bones’ was highlighted as the BBC Introducing Track of the Week on Radio 1. JC subsequently completed another early career highlight when he played a sold-out four-night residency at The Islington this week.
Now the self-confessed Professional Sadboy adds to his escalating moment by sharing an intimate live performance of his new song ‘Pick Up Your Phone’ alongside the studio recording of the track.
JC commented, “I wrote ‘Pick Up Your Phone’ about the moment that we’ve all been through where you know you shouldn’t call someone, but you do anyway even though you’re fully aware it’s going to end in carnage. It’s a song about how predictable and weirdly human it is, and how it makes no sense but we do it every time.”
The video opens with JC Stewart gazing out over the city skyline from a balcony on London’s famous Brutalist block Trellick Towers on Golborne Road. Performing alone with an acoustic guitar puts the focus entirely on JC’s powerful, show-stopping vocal – a voice that can instinctively convey any emotion that the song calls for: in this case, heartache, uncertainty and yearning.
The studio version of ‘Pick Up You Phone’ keeps that tenderness while layering up its sonic with some contemporary yet subtle production flourishes. It’s an approach which reveals a different angle to the song, which is sure to be a moment that unifies JC and his fans in a singalong moment of future shows. It was produced by JC’s regular collaborator Nathaniel “Detonate” Ledwidge along with Rick Boardman of production team The Six.
JC follows his sold-out residency by supporting Maisie Peters at Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms (November 13th) and the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (November 14th). He’s also set to embark upon his debut European headline tour next May when he plays the following shows:
MAY
9th – Germany, Berlin, Musik Und Frieden
11th – Germany, Cologne, Blue Shell
12th – Germany, Hamburg, Nochtspeicher
13th – Denmark, Copenhagen, Vega
15th – The Netherlands, Paradiso Noord
16th – Belgium, Antwerp, Zappa
18th – France, Paris, Les Etoiles
20th – England, London, Scala
27th – Ireland, Dublin, Academy
28th – Northern Ireland, Belfast, The Limelight