Revered alt-rock songwriter Jamie Lenman is pleased to reveal the video for his new charity single ‘Hospital Tree’ released 17th November 2022, the proceeds from which will go towards NHS Charities.
The track is the third single to be taken from his forthcoming fifth album, The Atheist, set for release on 25th November 2022 via Big Scary Monsters.
Coming at a time when the NHS is buckling under the strain of COVID fallout, understaffing, funding issues, and a national strike over nurses’ pay, the single is a timely reminder of the personal stories and people behind the vital public service, highlighting the length that staff go to for patients over even the smallest of details.
Commenting on the track, Lenman says: “I ended up visiting Frimley Park Hospital, who treated me when I got pneumonia and took care of my Dad when he had cancer, to talk to them about the idea of Christmas in hospital. One lady said she was glad I’d noticed their efforts with things like decorations and such, that cheering the place up around the holidays is important to them, and that one of the things that made the pandemic even harder was that they weren’t able to do as much of that. So it was wonderful that they could hear my message of thanks. I hope they all hear it.”
The single comes with a beautifully simplistic video directed by Jen Hingley that echoes the poignant lyrical themes of the song, which sees Lenman flexing his multi-instrumental muscles on a piano ballad in yet another impressive chameleonic turn.
“My original idea had been to get hold a huge choir and have everyone singing away in this whole epic production,” says Lenman of the visuals, “but I just couldn’t get it together so we ended up going the other way—just me and a piano in a beautiful old village hall, really concentrating on the song and, of course, the tree.”
On the live side, as well as his forthcoming November UK headline dates, Lenman recently revealed the details of ‘Lenmania III: LenManchester’. Specially curated by the man himself, the annual all-day festival is set to return on 18th December 2022 for a very special northern edition at Club Academy + Bar 532, Manchester.
The line-up will feature two appearances from Jamie Lenman along with some of his favourite up-and-coming new artists including Saint Agnes, Sick Joy, James & The Cold Gun, Katie Malco, Rad Pitt, Gen & The Degenerates, Brigade, and Other Half.
“People just go crazy whenever you say ‘Lenmania’, they’re all so behind the concept it’s great,” he says of the event. “Everyone keeps going on about how strong the lineup is, and I’m really glad that they’re all just as excited as I am to have gathered all these great acts in one place. I always want Lenmania to be a snapshot of wherever the scene is at one particular time – and I guess that time is 18th December 2022! Christmas is here at last, bay-bay!”
Recorded at The Chapel studios in Chichester over January and February 2022, forthcoming new album The Atheist was engineered, produced and mixed by Mark Roberts (Delta Sleep, Black Peaks, The Physics House Band) with additional engineering by Kieran Heighes, and mastered by Tom Langrish (65DOS, Fontaines D.C., Chubby & The Gang, IDLES).
“It’s funny—when you make an album, by the time it comes out you’ve already heard it a million times,” says Lenman of his feelings ahead of The Atheist’s release. “You’ve heard all the different mixes, you’ve gone through the masters with a fine-toothed comb, you’ve pored over the test pressings and drilled it with the band. So you kinda forget that beyond this little group, nobody else has actually heard it. We’ve been playing these shows with like, eight or nine songs off the album, and no one in the audience has any idea what’s going on! So I can’t wait for everyone to catch up to me, to be able to hear what I can hear. They’re gonna love it!”
The album’s anthemic lead single ‘Talk Hard’ and recently-released stadium-bothering follow-up ‘Lena Don’t Leave Me’ are both out now on all good DSPs, with official videos for both tracks. The album has been racking up coverage from Music Week, Kerrang! Magazine, Rock Sound, UPSET, Guitar World, Total Guitar, DSCVRD, The Arts Desk and more with a hearty, ever-growing list of radio spins and playlist placements at BBC Radio One, Kerrang! Radio, Amazing Radio, Absolute Radio and many more.
Further live dates TBA.
New album ‘The Atheist’ is released 25th November 2022 via Big Scary Monsters
Jamie Lenman Live Dates:
16.11.22 – St. Albans – Horn
17.11.22 – Hertford – Corn Exchange
18.12.22 – Manchester – Club Academy + Bar 532 (LenManchester)