Why Jacob feels called to play

Like most 17-year-old boys, Jacob Lloyd spends his time studying for his A-Levels, hanging out with friends and playing FIFA. But as he is releasing his album this week, See in Colour, he also has to fit in gigs across the country most weekends, appearances at festivals (he calls Greenbelt ‘the best gig of his life’) and learning how to play with a band for the very first time.

He doesn’t see it as work, though. “As much as I love playing FIFA, the music is my recreation,” he tells me, over his Vanilla Latte. Music has always been his escape. Jacob’s dad, a youth pastor at their church, walked out on his mum, the most ‘inspirational’ person he knows, and two sisters when he was younger and shortly after he was bullied at school for his faith.

When the attacks starting appearing online, too, on sites like Bebo, he took to the guitar as a way out. “I never questioned my faith, but I started asking what was so wrong with it that so many people are taking that much out on it,” he admitted.

But he believes God used music as his way of helping him through. He feels called to play. Gigging since he was 14, Jacob is becoming known for his heartfelt lyrics and laidback, acoustic feel. But it’s not all about selling out venues to play amazing music. “I have always had a heart for evangelism,” he tells me. “I just want to be able to evangelise.”

Being a musician wasn’t always the plan. “I always wanted to be a doctor,” he recalls, “Or something to do with biomedical science.” And he could have, with amazing GCSE results.

He and his family pray through every step of his life and feel this is where God is leading him. How does he manage to study while touring the country, though? “My mum tells me when I am not doing enough work and makes sure I am!”

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