Jake Shillingford of My Life Story releases first solo album through DIY investment scheme. Never one to shy away from big, universal themes and colourful wordplay, Jake Shillingford of My Life Story and Exile Inside, releases his debut solo album 'Written Large' on March 17th 2008. The acoustic album presents new material with bittersweet overtones as well as an alternative working of some MLS classics . Shillingford said: When people think of My Life Story, they think of a big and boisterous sound. With this album, I wanted to take the songs and strip them down, and show a subtler side. Jake will be doing acoustic performances around the UK in 2008. Background Jake Shillingford is Singer/Songwriter and founder of the cult orchestral alternative band My Life Story. A key player during the Britpop years, the large 13-piece ensemble was a huge favourite on the live circuit performing over 500 flamboyant shows around the world. MLS released 3 albums, countless singles and achieved 6 top 40 hits in the UK with massive pop anthems like 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, Strumpet and It's a Girl Thing. One of the original so called DIY practitioners, incredibly Shillingford released the first ever internet only single in 1998, affectionately titled If You Can't Live Without Me Then Why Aren't You Dead Yet? More recently, he has released 2 dark electronic pop albums under the name ExileInside through his own imprint Exilophone Records and ever so slight nod to his former label Parlophone. Jake's label owes its existence to a small team of private backers: called The Investor Angels.
The investment scheme is based on the traditional notion of patronage common throughout European cultural history where benefactors would subsidise artistic creation. Over the past 5 years The Angels have made financial contributions in order for Jake to record, manufacture and release music as well as tour and promote current material. He has replaced the traditional role of the record company with his fans enabling him to run his own genuinely independent label. After a 6-year hiatus, Jake reformed My Life Story in 2006 alongside twelve original members to promote a ‘best of ‘ album to sell out crowds at The London Astoria and more recently, a Christmas show at The Shepherds Bush Empire.