The Eighty-Eight is available now at www.jamiecullum.com and on his forthcoming World Tour.
The magazine, which contains essays, stories and pictures curated by Jamie, is published by new Bath social enterprise agency Do Good Things.
Speaking about the launch, Jamie says: “The magazine isn't about me, but about things that I'm interested in. I’ve always loved journalism and writing, and I know so many writers, so I thought I would have a go and get some friends involved. Sophie's a writer, my best friend is a playwright, another runs an amazing burger blog and others are interested in short stories. Not many people know that I studied English Literature and typography, so I also got to indulge my passion for fonts and design.”
The first issue contains essays on silent film soundtracks, the curious history of seafaring, the enduring appeal of the muse written by Sophie Dahl and how the icons of jazz made their mark on menswear. Further content includes a short story by playwright Duncan Macmillan, a history of Jamie’s love affair with shoes and an interview with producer Nostalgia 77.
An additional section called ‘On the road’ includes features from Jamie and his band on their favourite places discovered around the world whilst on tour, a guide to making music in the back of a tour bus, where to find the best burger in London and the perfect welcoming recipe for returning home.
The Eighty-Eight also contains an exclusive rollfold transcription of a previously unavailable new song by Jamie Cullum entitled ‘Don’t Wait to Love’, transcribed by band-member and multi-instrumentalist Tom Richards.
Simon Tapscott, MD at Do Good Things commented: “We started discussing the possibility of launching this magazine last Christmas. We put together a fantastic creative team including Jamie’s old school friend Kate Monument, who designed Jamie’s first album cover. It wasn’t an easy project because during the production process Jamie became a father again and launched a new album. The first content meeting took place in the back of a van on the way to Swansea, while Jamie and his band rehearsed for a radio performance. But we’re all really proud of the end product and are already looking ahead to how we develop it in the future”.
