Right then, you lovely riff-hungry legends… this is how you mark album number TEN. Not with a polite acoustic nod and a cup of chamomile. No, mun. You crank the amp, shine the winkle pickers, and rebuild a blues classic from the ground up. 😈🔥
Award-winning British blues & roots powerhouse Sunjay has announced his tenth studio album, Split The Sheets, landing September 18th, 2026 – and he’s kicked the doors open with a bold, heavyweight reimagining of Jimmy Reed’s classic Take Out Some Insurance.
And tidy lord… it’s got bite.
🎶 BLUES, BUT MAKE IT HEAVY
Jimmy Reed’s original? Loose, swinging, timeless. A smoky bar shuffle you could nod along to all night.
Sunjay’s version? Fuller. Heavier. Deliberately more physical.
He hasn’t tried to recreate it. He’s leaned into tension. Into groove. Into something that feels alive and kicking in 2026 rather than preserved behind museum glass.
He’s said it himself:
“I didn’t want a polite record, I wanted something with weight, groove and emotional honesty.”
And that’s exactly what you get. This isn’t background music. This is blues with muscle. Blues that stands its ground. Blues that makes you lean forward in your seat.
🧨 ALBUM TEN – AND A PROPER TURNING POINT
Now here’s the big one…
Split The Sheets isn’t just album number ten. It’s the final covers record Sunjay plans to make.
That’s a chapter closing right there, butt.
Years of absorbing the greats. Years of interpreting, learning, refining. And now he’s drawing a line under it with a record that feels like a statement. A pivot. A proper artistic moment.
It’s the sound of someone saying:
“I’ve done the homework. Now I’m writing my own rules.”
And we love to see it.
🏆 NOT JUST HYPE – PROPER PRAISE
Let’s not pretend this lad’s come out of nowhere.
- BBC Radio Scotland called him “One of the UK’s finest young Blues stars.”
- RNR Magazine praised his mature stage presence.
- BBC Radio 2’s Mike Harding described him as “One of the best young pickers and singers around.”
He’s a BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards nominee, Wath Festival Young Performers Award winner, and twice nominated at the British Blues Awards.
That’s serious credentials without the ego. Proper job.
🎩 CITY SLICKER LOOK, DEEP SOUTH SOUL
Here’s what we love about Sunjay.
He walks on stage looking sharp enough to sell you a tailored suit. Perfect hair. Shining boots. Slick as anything.
Then he plays.
And suddenly you’re transported somewhere between Mississippi crossroads and a packed UK club night. Blues and country melting together like wax under stage lights.
It’s that contrast that makes it special. Clean presentation. Dirty grooves. 🤘
📅 LIVE DATES 2026 – GO SEE IT LIVE, MUN
He’s taking the new material on the road next year with stops including:
• Forest Folk Club
• Warwick Folk Club
• Banbury Folk Club
• Anchor Folk Club, Surrey
• Stables 2, Milton Keynes
• Saltburn Blues Club
• Swallow Theatre, Dumfries
• Dunfermline Folk Club
• Nettleham Live, Lincolnshire
If this single is anything to go by, these shows are going to carry some serious groove weight. Expect grit. Expect tension. Expect that polished-but-raw delivery he’s built his reputation on.
🎧 OUT NOW – GET IT IN YOUR EARS
Take Out Some Insurance is streaming across all digital platforms right now.
Split The Sheets drops September 18th, 2026.
This feels like one of those moments where British blues quietly shifts a gear. No gimmicks. No nostalgia cosplay. Just evolution.
And if this is the final covers record before he steps fully into his next creative era?
We’re watching a proper turning point unfold.
Blues doesn’t survive by staying still. It survives because artists like Sunjay keep pushing it forward.
Turn it up. Let it breathe. And let’s see where chapter eleven takes us. 🔥🤘
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
Comments