Years and Shears

Having had one of GCN’s most interesting interviews ever with Jake Shears just a couple of Prides ago, we’re waiting with bated breath for his memoir, Boys Keep Swinging, which is published next month. In it Jake explores his evolution as a young artist as he evolved from bullied teenager, Jason Sellards into Jake Shears, the singer of multi-platinum glam-hits including ‘Take Your Mama’ and ‘I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’.

Comparisons to Patti Smith’s brilliant Just Kids have been mentioned (albiet by the book’s publishers), and we can see how the link might be made. Just as Smith’s memoir is about a queer artistic friendship at the heart of New York city, much of Shear’s book is centred on his arrival in the Big Apple, and his creative friendship with fellow gay musician Scott Hoffman, aka Babydaddy, with whom he formed Scissor Sisters.

Whether his writing will be up to similar scratch remains to be seen, but no matter what, we expect this memoir to be full of Shears’ trademark smart observations and sass. It’s out on February 20.