Liam Bailey's heartfelt and emotive songwriting and grainy vocals cut through all of his work as a collaborator and solo artist, whether he's working within the traditions of folk, soul, and reggae, or teaming with dance music producers. The singer, songwriter, and guitarist emerged as a member of
the Accidental, earned the admiration of
Amy Winehouse, and hit the Top Ten of the U.K. pop chart as co-writer and vocalist of
Chase & Status' "Blind Faith" (2011). As a solo artist, he has since worked closely with fellow producers
Salaam Remi and
Leon Michels, releasing the albums Definitely Now (2014) and
Ekundayo (2020).
Born in Nottingham to an English mother and Jamaican father,
Liam Bailey had his diverse musical interests shaped by listening to his parents'
Bob Marley,
Stevie Wonder, and
Jimi Hendrix records. In the 2000s, he was part of the hip-hop collective 1st Blood and a member of the folk group
the Accidental, the latter of which released the album There Were Wolves in 2008.
Bailey soon carved out a solo career. The subject of a bidding war between numerous labels,
Bailey signed with Polydor in early 2010, and the same year released his first two EPs, 2am Rough Tracks and So, Down Cold, through
Amy Winehouse's Polydor-supported Lioness label. While working with
Winehouse producer
Salaam Remi on his debut album,
Bailey supported
Ellie Goulding on her U.K. tour, and he both co-wrote and was featured on
Chase & Status' "Blind Faith," a number five U.K. hit in early 2011.
Bailey's solo album Out of the Shadows was scheduled to follow later in 2011, but was pulled by the artist at the last minute.
Over the next few years,
Bailey continued to collaborate with
Chase & Status, as well as other artists including
Delilah and
Shy FX. Signed to
Salaam Remi's Flying Buddha label through Sony Masterworks,
Bailey finally offered his debut album, Definitely Now, in 2014. He and
Remi produced the majority of the songs, while
Leon Michels worked on a re-recording of "So, Down Cold." After several years of loose singles as a headliner and featured artist,
Bailey reconnected with
Leon Michels for his second album, the reggae-oriented
Ekundayo. It was released on
Michels' Big Crown label in 2020, and was followed the next year by a set of dubbed-out alternate versions entitled Ekundayo Inversions. ~ Jon O'Brien & Andy Kellman