Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears tells Chris Evans about his new solo album: 'It’s a dance record from top to bottom'

Virgin Radio

21 Feb 2023, 11:29

Jake Shears joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with cinch to talk about his new solo music and his time in Scissor Sisters.

Jake’s latest single, Too Much Music, is out now, and is lifted from his upcoming new album: Last Man Dancing, which will be released on 2nd June. He told Chris: “This record took a while. It took a few years. I recorded it and wrote it all over the world, in Los Angeles, in New York, in New Orleans, London, Lisbon. I finished up writing it in Lisbon.” 

Last Man Dancing features Kylie Minogue, Big Freedia and Amber Martin, with a cameo from Jane Fonda and words from Iggy Pop. Jake said: “I just had a great time making it. It’s a dance record from top to bottom. And I really just took my time to make it just exactly what I wanted it to be. And so it just brings me a lot of pleasure to listen to it, and I just love it. I'm so proud of it.” 

As well as performing his own album launch shows, Jake will also be supporting Duran Duran on their upcoming tour. “This summer is gonna be a blast,” he said.

The frontman recalled how his band Scissor Sisters - who are currently on indefinite hiatus - played with Duran Duran back in the day, and how it proved to be a springboard for their success in the UK. “That really set us up,” he said. “I mean, when we were playing arenas, and full arenas, to big music fans.” 

The frontman continued: “So, suddenly, we were really taking that Duran Duran crowd. People just loved what we were doing. And then what really did it was Glastonbury. It was overnight. We played two shows on the Saturday at Glasto in 2004. And everything changed in one moment. I mean, everything changed.”

Jake also spoke to Chris about how Scissor Sisters first started. Watch the clip here:

Speaking about performing onstage, the musician told Chris: “I've always just been stone cold sober, and people always think that I'm like… you know, because I'm pretty wild on stage. I don't like anything, not even one drink in my system when I'm on stage, because it just slows you down, and I want to feel super connected to my body when I'm dancing and singing.”

He added: “I love being onstage. I love performing. It's always kind of scary and fun. I love the adrenaline. I love getting out there and connecting with the audience immediately. 

“I'm really a normal guy, right? But coming out on stage, you have to just be like, it's just a game you play with the audience in a way, and just being so full of yourself.”

Explaining that he does “a lot of improvisation” when performing live, the singer said: “I just love it when you stop even thinking about it, and everything just starts happening. You know, your body just goes on its own.”

On his new single, Too Much Music, Jake said: “This song is one of my favourite songs I've ever written. [I’m] so proud of it. It's so much fun. It opens my new record.”

The former Scissor Sister now lives in London, but also has a home in New Orleans. Of the latter, he said: “When Scissors was touring the first time, we played New Orleans, I remember getting off the bus and being like, ‘This is amazing. I want to live here someday’. And then I hit a point about eight years ago, nine years ago, where I was like, ‘I'm gonna get a one way ticket to New Orleans’. I didn't know anybody there and just went and started living there. 

“There's no place like it in the world.” 

Too Much Music is out now. The album, Last Man Dancing, comes out on Friday 2nd June. For live tickets, visit jakeshears.com.

For more great interviews listen to  The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with cinch weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or  catch up on-demand here.