Over a soul-folk groove, new Buggy Jive single asks: ‘What Do Y’all Know About Shakespeare?’
ALBANY, NY - Singer-songwriter BUGGY JIVE is set to release his latest single “What Do Y’all Know About Shakespeare?” Friday, September 12, 2025.
This is the second single released in anticipation of the new album Icarus Ascending, which is set to arrive later this year.
Over crunchy acoustic guitars and a no-nonsense cajon groove tailor-made for fans of acoustic-driven funk and soul, "What Do Y'all Know About Shakespeare" is a line-by-line series of the songwriter’s inside jokes with himself recounting a visit to New York City earlier this year that he describes as "a fun, informal art sabbatical."
The recovering English major is hard-pressed to elaborate beyond that, but the lyrics provide some clues: hints at recent runs of "Othello" and "Purpose" on Broadway; a reference to an old high school friend's art installation in Soho; and even a Cécile McLorin Salvant performance at Carnegie Hall.
Together with the contemplative timpani and piano zen of the b-side “This Can Not Be That,” Buggy Jive once again offers up the stuff of modern soul singer-songwriters like Brittany Howard, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Frank Ocean, while also appealing to literary music lovers and fellow recovering English majors who might dig Joni Mitchell or Elvis Costello.
The new songs arrive in the aftermath of the somewhat reclusive artist's emergence from his basement studio for several high profile solo-acoustic shows – including opening slots for Macy Gray and Ben Folds; official and curated main stage showcases at the midwest (FARM) and northeast (NERFA) regional conferences of Folk Alliance International; a tribute show for Joni Mitchell produced by Michael Paz at the legendary Riot House in West Hollywood on the eve of Mitchell’s Hollywood Bowl shows; a special tribute show for Tracy Chapman curated by Joy Clark at Space in Evanston, IL, as part of the Evanston Folk Festival; and contributing vocals to hip-hop wunderkind J.B.! a.k.a. Dirty Moses' "Great Day" single, and to two songs on traditional songwriting stylists Lecco Morris & Justin Rivers' upcoming album Spirits.
And a recent update: in August, Folk Alliance International announced that Buggy Jive is among those selected for an Official Showcase at their annual industry gathering taking place in January in New Orleans, LA, on a main stage sponsored by the Black American Music Movement.
A video of a live, solo-acoustic performance of "What Do Y'all Know About Shakespeare?" is also in the works. The full album Icarus Ascending is expected to drop in November.
Stay tuned.
ABOUT BUGGY JIVE
BUGGY JIVE is a soul rock singer-songwriter quietly uploading music from a basement somewhere in Upstate New York. Equal parts Zeppelin and D’Angelo and Prince and Joni in sound and sensibility, his lyrics often mine the literature of the past to make sense of the present – from Ellison to Morrison to Eliot to Didion – delicately balancing the heaviness with humor.
Set for a Fall 2025 release, his forthcoming album Icarus Ascending promises 13 new acoustic soul rock songs contemplating songwriting and storytelling, love and literature, and the festering fears of a divided nation.
Recent accomplishments include: opening slots for Macy Gray’s “Reset” tour and Ben Folds' New Year's Eve show; a feature as a “Top Shelf” entry for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest; Songwriter of the Year, Album of the Year and Music Video of the Year wins for Upstate New York’s “Eddie” Awards; and official and curated main stage showcases at Folk Alliance International northeast and midwest regional conferences (NERFA and FARM); and a recently announced official showcase at the mothership FAI 2026 conference in New Orleans in January.
The artist is a graduate of Niskayuna High School in Schenectady, New York and Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. He may or may not have quit his most recent day job in digital communications at an educational non-profit headquartered in New York's Capital Region. He lives in Delmar, NY, with his wife and two daughters.
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