Jake Bugg (born Jacob Edwin Kennedy; 1994) is an English singer songwriter. His work is influenced by Bob Dylan, Alice In Chains, Jimi Hendrix, Oasis and The Beatles. Bugg was born in Nottingham. grew up in the Clifton area of Nottingham and started playing guitar aged 12. He was chosen by the BBC to appear on their "Introducing" stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival aged 17, and because of this was given a contract by Mercury Records. His songs were then placed on various BBC Radio play lists and one of them, "Country Song", was selected for use in a national TV beer commercial for Greene King IPA.
Jake Bugg was born in Clifton, Nottingham, to musical parents who separated when he was young. His father, whose last name was Bugg, was a nurse, and his mother worked in sales, both having previously made recordings. He grew up in the Clifton council estate of Nottingham and started playing guitar at the age of 12 after being introduced to the instrument by his uncle Mark. He attended Farnborough school technology college in Clifton. He also states that his formative musical moment was hearing Don McLean's "Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)" on an episode of The Simpsons. He was enrolled in a music technology course, but by the age of 16 he had dropped out and was writing and performing his own songs influenced by The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Don McLean, Oasis, Donovan, The Everly Brothers and Jimi Hendrix.