Later... with Jools Holland - Season 59

Jools Holland returns for a new series at his musical home, Helicon Mountain, in south London. To commence proceedings, Jools chats to not one but two special guests. Returning with a new solo album is the multitalented Damon Albarn, who will also perform a track from The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows. Also, chart-topping, Brit-winning, MBE-honoured Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sande comes to tell Jools why she loves The Fugees, who are about to return to the live stage for the first time in many years. Emeli also chats about her new music, and how it marks a new era of creative freedom for her. 

Making her debut on the show is Julie Campbell, aka LoneLady, filmed at Brunswick Mill in her hometown of Manchester. She performs a track from her third studio album, Former Things, an album that was created on electronic sequencers, synths and drum machines in a basement bunker beneath London's Somerset House and offers an ode to the lost golden age of childhood and youth.

Jools invites rock legend and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl to share some of his favourite tales of life as a rock star upon the release of his memoir The Storyteller, as well as reminiscing about his experiences on the show and choosing his favourite artists from the Later... archive, which include a delightful musical mix of k.d. lang, Radiohead and Portuguese fado singer Mariza.

Performing at Jools's studios is LA-based singer Marley Munroe aka Lady Blackbird. Her hauntingly beautiful voice has taken flight on the global jazz scene with the release of her debut album Black Acid Soul, which she recorded in the legendary Studio B (Prince's room) at Sunset Sound studios. She will be joined by her three-piece band to perform the raw and pining torch song It's Not That Easy.

We also welcome the return of British group Jungle, performing for the show from the newly renovated Alexandra Palace Theatre in north London. They recently released their LP Loving in Stereo, described as 'a dynamic disco record for the post social distancing age, with a dancefloor-igniting celebration of all the things that make music irresistibly fun'.

Jools chats to music legend Sir Elton John ahead of the release of his new album The Lockdown Sessions, which sees him team up with the great and good of popular music including Dua Lipa, Charlie Puth and Stevie Wonder. As well as disclosing his song writing secrets and where he keeps his record collection, Elton also delves into the Later… archive to choose some of his favourite performances from the likes of Christine and the Queens to Glen Campbell. 

As always, there are new performances from around the UK, and in this episode North Shields's Sam Fender makes a welcome return to the show and to the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade Watch House Museum, where he played his first ever headline show as a teenager. He performs a track from his second album Seventeen Going Under that he describes as a 'celebration of life after hardship, and a celebration of surviving'. 

There's a debut performance this week from Birmingham raised, Zimbabwe born SIPHO, who signed a record deal with independent British label Dirty Hit whilst studying song writing at the BIMM Institute and who performs a track from his debut EP And God Said…, showcasing his self-described sound of ‘industrial soul'.

Jools chats to global superstar Ed Sheeran ahead of the release of his fifth studio album ‘=' (pronounced 'equals'), which he describes as his ‘best piece of work' and a ‘coming of age record'. Jools talks to Ed about the new record as well as asking him to choose his favourite performances from the Later…archive, which include that legendary debut performance from KT Tunstall, grime legend Skepta and bluesman Seasick Steve.

Also on the show and making her debut is Manchester born singer-songwriter Pip Millett, who has taken the UK by storm with her chilled, emotional fusion of R&B and soul. She will be performing the song Hard Life from her Motion Sick EP at the atmospheric Victoria Baths, also known as Manchester's water palace.

Completing the line-up are unique performances from two British groups making a return to the show. Oxford indie-pop group Glass Animals, fresh off another hugely successful US tour, perform their new track I Don't Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance), filmed at the legendary Studio 2 at Abbey Road, and Scottish rock trio Biffy Clyro perform their current radio smash A Hunger In Your Haunt, from their upcoming ninth studio album The Myth of the Happily Ever After, filmed in Glasgow.

From EartH Hackney in London, the former frontman of the Police, Sting, performs a track from his upcoming new album, The Bridge, and tells Jools how it feels to have celebrated a milestone birthday and why he loves Sam Fender and Shaggy.

Back at his musical home in south London, Jools also chats to one of the biggest stars of the UK's contemporary jazz scene, Nubya Garcia. They discuss recently shortlisted Mercury Prize album Source and her debut at the BBC Proms with a concert dedicated to her brand of ‘eclectic, danceable, political jazz' that draws on influences from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

And the show also introduces two hotly tipped artists. First up is Isle of Wight duo Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, aka Wet Leg, who will be performing their summer viral hit Chaise Longue. And rising south London singer-songwriter Lola Young visits Jools' studio to perform an acoustic version of her track Fake, which she describes as ‘like a scene from a Tarantino movie'.

The final episode of the series sees Jools chatting to special guests who choose their favourite moments from the extensive Later… archive, as well as inviting artists to perform at his unique and intimate recording studio or from interesting places around the UK.

Jools chats to queen of pop Kylie Minogue ahead of the release of her new album Disco: Guest List Edition, which sees her reworking her 2020 Disco LP to include a star-studded cast of guest features from the likes of Gloria Gaynor to Dua Lipa. Kylie also shares her favourite performances from the Later… archive which includes Jessie Ware.

Completing the line-up on the show are three unique performances. There are two debuts, the first from post-punk Leeds band Yard Act, who perform the title track from their upcoming debut album The Overload from their local venue, the Brudenell Social Club. The second debut comes from Swiss-Sri Lankan rising star Priya Ragu, who uses her mother tongue of Tamil in her songs, as well as creating her own genre that she refers to as ‘Ragu Wavy'. Priya performs Lockdown from her latest mixtape, damnshestamil.  

Closing proceedings is king of pop Ed Sheeran, who returns to treat us to a performance of Leave Your Life, a song he wrote for his daughter, which is taken from his recently released = album.