James Blunt Is Back

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter James Blunt returns on September 17th with his eagerly anticipated second studio album ‘All The Lost Souls’ on Custard/Atlantic Records. The new LP comes nearly 3 years after the original 2004 release of his breakthrough debut ‘Back To Bedlam’ - the second biggest-selling album of the decade.

The impressive new single‘1973’ is the first to be taken from ‘All The Lost Souls’ and is released September 3rd.

‘All The Lost Souls’ was recorded and mixed in Los Angeles with producer Tom Rothrock, who oversaw “Back To Bedlam’. The new collection features several songs that became road-tested favorites in the course of James’ marathon touring during 2006, including ‘1973’, ‘I Really Want You’, ‘Same Mistake’ and ‘Annie’. Backing him throughout ‘All The Lost Souls’ is James’ long-standing live band of keyboardist Paul Beard, guitarist Ben Castle, bassist Malcolm Moore, and drummer Karl Brazil.

“For me, there was absolutely no pressure whatsoever,” he says. “Having sold over 11 million albums, I know that the likelihood of doing that again is really minimal. Instead of setting that as a target, I set out to do and record something that I really enjoy, that I’m really happy with. It was a release, in a way. It’s something that I can say shows my growth and a development as a songwriter and as a musician, shows development in my own life, and documents it in that way.”

Among his activities leading up to the release of ‘All The Lost Souls’, James will perform at London’s Wembley Stadium on July 7th as part of the monumental Live Earth music event. The global concerts will feature 24 hours of music spanning 7 continents, bringing together more than 2 billion people to combat the climate crisis.

The UK release of ‘Back To Bedlam’ in October of 2004 marked the beginning of a remarkable musical story. With his compelling songs, captivating voice, and charismatic presence, James gradually built a passionate following through constant gigging and contagious word-of-mouth. Two years later, ’Back To Bedlam’ had sold some 11 million copies around the world and James had become an unlikely chart-topper, evolving from musical obscurity into global stardom.

The album held the UK Number 1 spot UK for a remarkable nine weeks, while ‘You’re Beautiful’ also topped the singles charts for five. James became the biggest-selling artist of 2005 in the UK, earning two prestigious BRIT Awards. ‘Back To Bedlam’ went on to hit Number1 in 16 territories around the world, and ranked at Number1 on the European Top 100 Albums chart for over two months. Two World Music Awards and an MTV Europe Music Award followed.

In the U.S., ‘Back To Bedlam’ earned RIAA double platinum certification, while James gathered a remarkable five Grammy nominations and two MTV VMA Awards. When ‘You’re Beautiful’ hit Number1 on the Billboard Hot 100, he became the first British artist to top the U.S. singles charts since Elton John with his track ‘Candle In The Wind 1997’.

James’s breakthrough was documented on the DVD release ‘Chasing Time: The Bedlam Sessions’. Along with a live concert filmed at BBC Studios in London, it includes over an hour of extras, featuring video clips and making-of-the-video features, a documentary, an interview and a photo gallery.

James is a staunch supporter of Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the international medical humanitarian organization. He personally witnessed the organization’s life-saving work while stationed with the British army in Kosovo, where he served as a reconnaissance officer with the NATO peacekeeping force.

Throughout his 2006 world tour, Blunt worked to increase awareness and generate much-needed funds for Doctors Without Borders/MSF.

To find out more, visit Jamesblunt.com.