Liam Bailey is an English singer-songwriter from Nottingham. He is noted for his soul, reggae, and blues-influenced vocal style.
Career In 2010, he released two solo EPs on Amy Winehouse's Lioness Records. Recorded entirely by Bailey and his guitar, the debut EP 2am Rough Tracks was released on 23 September, following its recording some weeks before. The EP consisted of "Your Heart's Not Safe", "I'd Rather Go Blind" and "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want". This was followed by a second three track EP So Down, Cold, released on 29 November, featuring the tracks; "Fool Boy", "Breaking Out" and "So Down, Cold". Bailey signed to Polydor Records earlier the same year.
Bailey has been performing around the world with Chase & Status since 2010. Bailey co-wrote and performed on their single "Blind Faith", released on 21 January 2011 in the UK, where it debuted at number five in the UK Singles Chart; it also featured on their second album No More Idols. They then collaborated on the single "Big Man", released 16 October 2012, which reached No. 13 on the UK Dance Chart and appears on some editions of follow-up album Brand New Machine.
Bailey's prospective debut album Out of the Shadows was recorded, produced by Salaam Remi, and scheduled for issue in September 2011 but Bailey unexpectedly pulled the release.
Following the break with Polydor, 2013 saw the re-release of "When Will They Learn" on Speakerbox, MistaJam's Ministry of Sound imprint, complete with remixes by Shadow Child and others. The video was shot with Bailey's friends in Nottingham for the relatively small sum of £1,750. Manager Sarah Stennett told HitQuarters that its homegrown, low-key nature was a perfect fit saying: "The video with Liam is amazing because his friends capture him so well. He was signed to a major label previously and they never quite captured it."
Bailey's collaboration with Shy FX, "Soon Come" reached No. 6 on the UK Indie Chart in August 2013 and received praise from David Rodigan, Zane Lowe, and Annie Mac. They also collaborated on an EP as "Project Maldonado", which was released for download on SoundCloud.
His debut album Definitely Now was released in the US in August 2014 on Flying Buddha/Sony, with download single "On My Mind" available with pre-order. In an interview with Wondering Sound, Bailey explains how "it's been torture trying to figure out which way to go" in terms of musical direction. Definitely Now shows that he has now found his sound, and is described by Wondering Sound as "sweet Daptone soul infused with blues moods, Oasis riffage, Sam Cooke grooves and light Jamaican accents".
Nine years after first working together on The Dynamic Set's "When Will They Learn" single, Liam Bailey and Big Crown boss Leon Michels recorded an album together. Ekundayo builds on the Nottingham singer-songwriter's penchant for recording lo-fi soul. Nevertheless, AllMusic describe the 13 track collection as 'reggae'.
Bailey's fourth studio album, Zero Grace, was released in February 2024, produced by Leon Michels and the El Michels Affair collective.
Discography Studio albums Title Details Definitely NowReleased: 19 August 2014 Label: Flying Buddha/Sony Masterworks Formats: Digital download, CD EkundayoReleased: 13 November 2020 Label: Big Crown Records Formats: Digital download, Vinyl Enfant Terrible(with St Francis Hotel)Released: 17 November 2023 Label: Self Released Formats: Digital download, Vinyl Zero GraceReleased: 23 February 2024 Label: Big Crown Records Formats: Vinyl, CD
EPs Title Details 2am Rough TracksReleased: 23 September 2010 Label: Lioness Records Formats: Digital download So Down, ColdReleased: 29 November 2010 Label: Lioness Records Format: Digital download It's Not the SameReleased: 3 July 2011 Label: Polydor Records Formats: Digital download, CD Brand NewReleased: 8 February 2019 Label: Access Records Formats: Digital download Broken Home Released: 22 March 2019 Label: 1985 Music Formats: Digital download
Singles
As lead artist Year Single Album2010"I Belong" rowspan="2" 2011"You Better Leave Me""It's Not the Same" It's Not the Same2013"When Will They Learn"2014"On My Mind" Definitely Now"Villain"(featuring A$AP Ferg)"Please Love Me"rowspan="2" 2016"Love My Neighbours"2018"Brother, Why You Gotta Love Her"(featuring Maverick Sabre) Brand New"You Saw the Devil in Me""Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You" 2019"Broken Home"(with Dogger & Mindstate) Broken Home"Champion" Ekundayo2020"Fight""Don't Blame NY""You Saw the Devil in Me (Remix)"(with Dogger, Mindstate & DRS) The Time is Yours"White Light" Ekundayo"Angel Dust"2021"Give Me Time" Big Crown Records presents Dear Sunny..."Awkward (Take 2)"(with El Michels Affair) Ekundayo Inversions"Walk With Me"(with El Michels Affair)"I Love NY"(with El Michels Affair)2022"Come Around Slowly"(with Shy FX) 2023"Divine Light"(with St Francis Hotel) Enfant Terrible"Recovery Time"(with St Francis Hotel)"Heavysoul"(with IZCO and FELIXCW) "Bliss"(with Fybe:One) This Is Ours"Rain"(with Zefer) Before It Gets Too Late"Good People"(with St Francis Hotel) Enfant Terrible"Water Your Time (Bag Uh Reasons)"(with Summer-Pearl) OutMySystem"We're Not Clear"(with NARX) Underwater2024"Stand Alone"(with Blundetto) Heavy Soul2025"Dance Affi Nice / Juicy Bubble"(with SlickNBobby)rowspan="2" "Gather Around (Good Times)"(with Dizzee Rascal, Bou and Shapes)2026"Gold" Shadow Town"A Perfect Release"
Notes – The track was released as a free download from his website.
As featured artist Year Single Peak chart positions AlbumUKUKDanceDEN 2011"Blind Faith"(Chase & Status featuring Liam Bailey) 5 1 24 No More Idols2012"Breathe"(Delilah featuring Liam Bailey) 87 — — "Big Man"(Chase & Status featuring Liam Bailey) 68 — — Brand New Machine"Don't Tell Me"(DJ Fresh featuring Liam Bailey) — — — Nextlevelism 2013"Soon Come"(Shy FX featuring Liam Bailey) 55 18 — Cornerstone 2015"Revelation"(Breakage featuring Liam Bailey) — — — When the Night Comes 2016"4am Where Are You"(Kumarachi featuring Liam Bailey) — — — Flashback2020"Yesterday"(Friction featuring Liam Bailey) — — —rowspan="2" "Make No Sound"(Brookes Brothers featuring Liam Bailey) — — —"Lost & Proud"(Alix Perez featuring Liam Bailey) — — — Without End2022"Look 4"(Brighter Days Family featuring Liam Bailey) — — — 2023"Gunshot Love"(Break featuring Liam Bailey) — — —Digital World"Rivers"(Think Tonk vs. DJ Fresh featuring Jamie McCool and Liam Bailey) — — — "Satisfy My Soul"(Halogenix featuring Liam Bailey) — — — Passions"Enough"(Manudigital featuring Liam Bailey) — — — Step Up"No Fear"(V V Brown featuring Liam Bailey) — — — Am I British Yet?"No Sunset For Soul"(Monty featuring Liam Bailey) — — — So Sunset For Soul2024"Gone For the Night"(Disrupta and Rudimental featuring Liam Bailey, BackRoad Gee, Scrufizzer and Shakes) — — — Rudim3ntal (Deluxe Edition)"Sorrow"(Joe Armon-Jones featuring Liam Bailey) — — — Aquarii In Dub2025"Hard Times"(Dogger and Dub Phizix featuring Liam Bailey) — — —rowspan="2" "Mbappé"(Sudley featuring Liam Bailey) — — —"Let the Sun Shine"(Joliffe featuring Liam Bailey) — — — Offshore
Other appearances Year Song Artist Album2018"I Belong"Salaam Remi One: In the Chamber"Dancing with the Devil"Roxanne Tataei Full Moon in Aries2019"Lay You Down"Foreign Beggars Matriarchy"Actualize"Louis Cypher Cypher Sore Eyes"For This"Friction 15 Years of Shogun Audio2020"Been Away"Juga-Naut Bem"The Time is Yours"Dogger & Mindstate The Time is Yours"Holding Back"Dogger, Mindstate, DRS"Moving On"Alix Perez Without End2021"Lord's Prayer"Dimension Organ2022"Living Hard"Juga-Naut Time & Place"Don't Even Try It"DJ Yoda Prom Nite"Not Today"Matata Super Morio2023"Gotta Believe" Break Digital World "Don't Let Go" Fybe:One This Is Ours"What Have I Done" 2024 "More Time" Crate Classics Green Lanes"Hurt Each Other" BCee These Are the Days2025"Confidence" Rudimental, Riko Dan, Eva Lazarus Rudim3ntal"Where Do We Go" Rudimental, Eva Lazarus, Dr Meaker"Desire" Nightmares on Wax, Haile Supreme Echo45 Sound System"Echo45" Nightmares on Wax"Mumzie Cut""Hop-to-Mystic"2026"Flood the Zone" Sleaford Mods The Demise of Planet X"Tek Control" Izco Powerscroft
References
External links Liam Bailey on YouTube Liam Bailey video interview in the Virgin Red Room The Line of Best Fit interview, March 2011 LeftLion interview, May 2011