John Newman is "Waiting For A Lifetime" with new single on Warner

Release date: Out now Label: Warner Records

John Newman, owner of one of the most distinctive voices, writer and performer of some of the biggest anthems including 3 number 1 singles, marks his very welcome return with the release of his brand-new single ‘Waiting For A Lifetime’, which is released globally via Warner Records. 

John Newman’s anticipated return follows a brief hiatus from music and some much-needed space to revisit the origins of his passion for his craft, which begun as a young teenager in Yorkshire. John found himself going back to basics, making tunes in his bedroom on a laptop purely for the love of it. Feeling no pressure to create another hit, he instead started making dance music instrumentals and felt his spirit being healed by the process. It brought back the amazing feelings he associated with music from his childhood, restoring the innocence to his music-making. Managing to disassociate completely from the darker trappings of the industry, he was able to reconnect with his soul roots and fuse vocals and guitar with his dance and hip hop-influenced beats. Now John is combining all of his talents and stylistic cornerstones, just as he had originally intended.

John explains, “To discover the next step in this amazing journey I’ve been on took some pretty challenging days. It is hard to change and adapt yourself when it’s only you that has curated your own barriers. For years I was leaning on a side of me that was influenced by Northern Soul and Motown. Although it will always inspire me, I felt I began to lose grip, lose focus and become disorientated. I had to stop making music and try to hold my creativity back as I was using it as a device to cover up my emotions and fears. When I achieved feeling positive and better, I felt was really missing something which was music, being creative and a project!”

The sonics of John’s new work sees him ready to re-enter the world poised behind the decks. Produced by John himself, he’s leant on his close network of DJ pals to assist, with Sigala co-producing the single. Giving a nod to his catalogue, John has completely reconfigured his live set up, composing a mix of live vocals, live mixing and beat triggering. Summer 2022 will see John get behind the decks and play a string of DJ sets as well as create bespoke mixes for fans online. Below The Decks is John’s newly launched mix series, which is curated and mixed entirely by John, showcasing his prowess as a DJ and his influences. You can listen to Below The Decks 001 here.

“It started with me creating a tiny little set up in a bedroom, like when I was kid, a time when music was simple with no pressure.” John continues, “I began to create these instrumental dance tracks, but I wanted to create a different name that I could hide behind again to lose the pressure from the past I’d put on myself. Once I started making these tracks as a songwriter and as a producer, I couldn’t stop creating melodies over the top until finally giving in and giving my vocals a shot at the tracks. It felt natural, like I’d created my own new style, the journey I’d wanted for so long had landed at my feet without me noticing through my own creation. On top of that, to answer the questions as to why my new live shows are now vocal DJ hybrid? Every childhood dream should be achieved.”

Since signing to Warner and feeling refreshed by the artistic freedom he’s being afforded, the tracks John Newman is making are filled with feelings of euphoria and celebration, tailor-made to make festival crowds erupt. His new stage show combines DJing, live performance and dazzling visuals, with sets around Europe at events such as Witcombe Festival, SAGA Festival and Energy Air this summer sending crowds into overdrive. Collaborations with the likes of Rudimental, Sigma, David Guetta, Sigala and Calvin Harris across his career have shown he’s got all the talent to mix with the biggest dance stars in the world, and he’s also intent on bringing his own unique angle to the top table. “I've fully exposed myself and shown the real me,” says John as he embarks on a new musical era. Dance music has helped him feel amazing again — expect the same effect on his listeners.

John Newman has written and performed on some of the biggest anthems of the last 10 years, ever since bursting onto the scene as the co-writer and voice on Rudimental’s classic ‘Feel The Love’. He quickly followed that number 1 smash with his own debut number 1 single the modern classic ‘Love Me Again’. A third chart topping single, the Calvin Harris worldwide hit ‘Blame’ with John on lead vocals followed. Since then, Newman has travelled the world, headlining some of the most legendary venues and performing on some of the biggest stages and in 2022, is ready for you to love him all over again.

Craig & Scott