Staying true to her folk roots, though never purely, Jesca Hoop delivers strikingly original songwriting showcasing her innovative vocals augmented by imaginative arrangements. 'Long Wave Home' is energized and rings with the promise of a fresh new chapter for the artist.
“When I was faced with the challenge of writing and recording a new album, I had the choice to stay where I was comfortable, under the sage guidance of a producer or to step out into the dark and produce it myself. It became clear that if I was going to grow in the craft, I needed to become my own lighthouse. So I made the commitment to take on the Producer role. There were a lot of sleepless nights.
"Writing 'Long Wave Home', though no less daunting, became a refuge for me—a place to explore interpersonal connections and the rise and fall of emotions that come with relationships. Writing an album can be very agitating, but it’s a discomfort I am comfortable with. What a gift it is to spend my time examining my inner world, my relationships, and from it make music.
"My life took an unexpected turn in 2025. Many people exited my life... like a bus pulling into the station. Some of these relationships were of great importance, so I had much to wrestle with in these verses. Disconnect, or the illusion thereof, was also fodder for songs—amid the chaos and confusion we are creating in this world, I feel a responsibility to record what I see transpiring among us: what is being done... by whom and to whom.
"The song titled ‘Caravan’ articulates the risks of investing in or relying upon intimate relationships. The title track, ‘Long Wave Home’, addresses a certain estrangement that I believe we are all feeling, as technologies isolate each of us and make connections feel ever more distant. ‘Playground’ is a protest song advocating for the children of Gaza.
"Recording this album was a road trip and a forage—me and a hard drive in a camper van, pulling into studios up and down England, gathering material. I enlisted engineers Leo Abrahams (at The Shed in London); Jim and Rob Homes (at Empire Sound on the Isle of Wight); Jim Barr (at J&J Studio in Bristol); and Tim Thomas (at Blueprint in Manchester). I brought in Jesse D Vernon to arrange brass and tuned percussion. I brought in Sebastian Rochford on drums, Jon Thorne on bass, and Sam Amidon to play a cast of stringed instruments. Over three weeks, I roved my way through these sessions, gathering performances. I slept under viaducts and ancient oak trees, and I woke to dewy, glistening pastures. I found the best cafés, and I swam in the sea. The sessions felt like discoveries—surprise after surprise—as the musicians and engineers coloured the tunes, each in their own way. With a full hard drive and heart, I returned to Manchester—to Tim Thomas—where we laid out the sessions like bolts of raw material and constructed the album.
"'Long Wave Home' is not just a renewal of my commitment to the craft of writing and record-making—it’s a vote of confidence and an investment in myself as an artist and authority over my vocation and life’s path.” – Jesca Hoop
“When I was faced with the challenge of writing and recording a new album, I had the choice to stay where I was comfortable, under the sage guidance of a producer or to step out into the dark and produce it myself. It became clear that if I was going to grow in the craft, I needed to become my own lighthouse. So I made the commitment to take on the Producer role. There were a lot of sleepless nights.
"Writing 'Long Wave Home', though no less daunting, became a refuge for me—a place to explore interpersonal connections and the rise and fall of emotions that come with relationships. Writing an album can be very agitating, but it’s a discomfort I am comfortable with. What a gift it is to spend my time examining my inner world, my relationships, and from it make music.
"My life took an unexpected turn in 2025. Many people exited my life... like a bus pulling into the station. Some of these relationships were of great importance, so I had much to wrestle with in these verses. Disconnect, or the illusion thereof, was also fodder for songs—amid the chaos and confusion we are creating in this world, I feel a responsibility to record what I see transpiring among us: what is being done... by whom and to whom.
"The song titled ‘Caravan’ articulates the risks of investing in or relying upon intimate relationships. The title track, ‘Long Wave Home’, addresses a certain estrangement that I believe we are all feeling, as technologies isolate each of us and make connections feel ever more distant. ‘Playground’ is a protest song advocating for the children of Gaza.
"Recording this album was a road trip and a forage—me and a hard drive in a camper van, pulling into studios up and down England, gathering material. I enlisted engineers Leo Abrahams (at The Shed in London); Jim and Rob Homes (at Empire Sound on the Isle of Wight); Jim Barr (at J&J Studio in Bristol); and Tim Thomas (at Blueprint in Manchester). I brought in Jesse D Vernon to arrange brass and tuned percussion. I brought in Sebastian Rochford on drums, Jon Thorne on bass, and Sam Amidon to play a cast of stringed instruments. Over three weeks, I roved my way through these sessions, gathering performances. I slept under viaducts and ancient oak trees, and I woke to dewy, glistening pastures. I found the best cafés, and I swam in the sea. The sessions felt like discoveries—surprise after surprise—as the musicians and engineers coloured the tunes, each in their own way. With a full hard drive and heart, I returned to Manchester—to Tim Thomas—where we laid out the sessions like bolts of raw material and constructed the album.
"'Long Wave Home' is not just a renewal of my commitment to the craft of writing and record-making—it’s a vote of confidence and an investment in myself as an artist and authority over my vocation and life’s path.” – Jesca Hoop
STAFF COMMENTS
Barry says: Warmingly bucolic folk passages bolstered with snapping percussion and Hoop's off-kilter vocal timbre, evocative of 60's alt-rock and psychedelic as much as it is folk music. A wonderfully widescreen distillation of influences, perfectly funnelled into these uniquely affecting symphonies. Lovely stuff.TRACK LISTING
1. Adam
2. Now The Ash
3. Designer Citizen
4. Big Storm
5. Love Is Salvation
6. Caravan
7. Playground
8. Signal To Noise
9. Viv Over Drink
10. Long Wave Home
