Jamie Freeman

Jamie Freeman (27 May 1965 – 3 December 2022) was a British singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, who previously fronted The Jamie Freeman Agreement. He was the brother[1] of actor Martin Freeman and musician Tim Freeman (Frazier Chorus). He co-founded Union Music Store in Lewes, East Sussex with his ex-wife, Stevie Smith. He was a member of the Americana Music Association (Nashville) and Americana Music Association UK. His song, "The Fire", co-written with Ben Glover, was nominated for UK Song Of The Year at the UK Americana Awards.[2]

Freeman's primary instrument was guitar but he was also a drummer. He started drumming at the age of 13 and played with the group Salter Cane for eight years. He played electric and acoustic guitar, and a kick-drum when playing solo. In the studio he also played keyboards, bass, lap steel and percussion. He played with Frazier Chorus as a member of the touring band, and performed on their third album Wide Awake, released on the Pure label.

His 2019 album Dreams About Falling features co-writes with, among others, Angaleena Presley, Brandy Zdan, and Amy Speace.[3] (Two songs on Freeman's second album were co-written with Amy Tudor, a poet from Kentucky.) The album also features duets with Brandy Zdan, Amy Speace,[3] and Angaleena Presley.[4] The album release was supported by over thirty live shows.[5]

In 2019, Freeman attended the House of Songs Songwriter Summit in Bentonville, Arkansas, writing with Elles Bailey, Dylan Earle, Graham Weber, and Jonathan Terrell.[6]

Death

Freeman died from brain cancer on 3 December 2022. He was 57 years old.[7][8]

Albums

Freeman's first album Just You, released under his own name, was described as "a perfect blend of UK folk/American roots" by Gilded Palace. The follow-up 100 Miles From Town was released under the band's name The Jamie Freeman Agreement and features guest appearances by several artists including Larkin Poe, Brandy Zdan, Richard Smith, and The Good Lovelies. Mark Chadwick (The Levellers) was consultant producer on the album.[9][10] Freeman's third album Dreams About Falling was produced by Grammy-nominated producer Neilson Hubbard.[11]

Critical acclaim
  • "Jamie is patently in the vanguard of the current crop of British songwriters, regardless of genre-type. Dreams About Falling is a musical tour de force" – FolkRadio.co.uk[12]
  • "100 Miles From Town – the Jamie Freeman Agreement set about defining English Americana" – FATEA[13]

Discography
Artist name Title Year Label Format Catalogue No.
Jamie Freeman Just You 2011 Union Music Store CD/Digital UMS001
The Jamie Freeman Agreement 100 Miles From Town 2013 Union Music Store CD/Digital UMS005
Jamie Freeman Hasia Dreams 2017 Union Music Store CD/Digital UMS013
Jamie Freeman Dreams About Falling 2019 Union Music Store CD/Vinyl/Digital UMS014
Jamie Freeman Isolated Incidents 2021 Self Released CD/Digital/Zine JMF001

Production credits
Artist Title Description Year Label
Jamie Freeman Just You Album 2011 Union Music Store
Zoe Brownrigg Not Once Did I See Your Face EP 2011 Union Music Store
The Self Help Group Not Waving, But Drowning Album 2012 Union Music Store
The Jamie Freeman Agreement 100 Miles From Town Album 2013 Union Music Store
Police Dog Hogan Home (Remix) Remix track for the Moutarde! vinyl EP (produced by Al Scott) 2015 Union Music Store
Mark Chadwick No Change Track from Land of Hope and Fury compilation 2015 Union Music Store
Lucy Ward Bigger Than That 2015 Union Music Store
Phil Jones New Homes 2015 Union Music Store
The Jamie Freeman Agreement Homes For Heroes 2015 Union Music Store
The Self Help Group Funeral Drum 2015 Union Music Store
Emily Barker Doing The Best I Can Mix, track from Land of Hope and Fury compilation (Produced by Emily Barker) 2015 Union Music Store
The Self Help Group Dead Stars Album 2015 Union Music Store
Noble Jacks What The Hammer Album 2017 Union Music Store
Jamie Freeman Hasia Dreams 5 song EP. Track 3 produced by Rebecca Lovell (Larkin Poe). 2017 Union Music Store
Ben Norris Moral Vacuum Album 2020 n/a
Jamie Freeman Isolated Incidents 4 song EP. 2021 Self released

Production reviews

The Self Help Group (Not Waving But Drowning, Dead Stars)

"The actual sound is a huge tribute to producer Jamie Freeman, giving great depth and openness to the recording but never overdoing the instrumentation, imbuing the whole disc with a power and drive that really shouldn't be possible when taking into account the mellowness of the music. – American Roots UK[14]

"Dead Stars is the bands second studio outing, impeccably produced by Jamie Freeman" – Brighton's Finest[15]

"Working with the same producer as the on the first album, the album is again a small masterpiece" – FATEA[16]

The Jamie Freeman Agreement (100 Miles From Town)

"It is high quality, beautifully written, arranged, sung, played and produced music that keeps the listener in thrall... and when it comes to the production there is a lovely clear open spacey feel even on songs with a fuller instrumentation. He seems to have an instinctive 'knack' for getting everything perfectly in balance and co-ordinated, and yet there is always a strong dramatic edginess to the performances and sound." – American Roots UK[17]

References
  1. Sawyer, Miranda (17 April 2005). "Master of the universe". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  2. "Americana Music Association UK - Voting is now CLOSED for UK Americana Awards 2020". theamauk.org. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  3. CD Album: Jamie Freeman - Dreams About Falling (2019), retrieved 30 May 2019
  4. hannahjessica31 (20 May 2019). "Jamie Freeman shares 'Down Range', duet with Angaleena Presley (Pistol Annies) and Announces UK tour dates supporting Wade Bowen this summer". Building Our Own Nashville. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  5. "Jamie Freeman Music". Bandsintown. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  6. "Songwriter Summit". The House of Songs. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  7. "Jamie". Adactio. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  8. "We are devastated to share the news that Jamie passed away peacefully yesterday after a courageous 10 month fight with brain cancer". Jamie Freeman on Twitter. 4 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  9. Freeman, Jamie. "Jamie Freeman official website". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  10. Davy, John (26 November 2013). "FATEA Reviews". FATEA. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  11. "GRAMMY NOMINATION!". Mary Gauthier. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  12. Pratt, David (26 March 2019). "Jamie Freeman: Dreams About Falling". Folk Radio UK - Folk Music Magazine. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  13. Hughes, David (2013). "FATEA – Reviews". fatea-records.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  14. "Self Help Group – Not Waving But Drowning". Americanrootsuk.com. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  15. "The Self Help Group – Dead Stars". brightonsfinest.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  16. "FATEA – Reviews". fatea-records.co.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  17. "Jamie Freeman Agreement – 100 Miles From Town". Americanrootsuk.com. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
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