Weirdly enough, a new song from them appeared randomly on streaming yesterday...

 

 

Mess

 

Although I remember one of them saying they signed some weird deal with RU Listening and were contracted to release an album with them (hence ‘Ten’ being hashed together) so guessing this is just the label trying to earn some coin from the collaboration with them.

Jaymi did an interview with the Mail about the split a few days ago:

 

In his first interview since the post, Jaymi exclusively told MailOnline why he decided to leave, admitting it was a 'last minute' decision as he addressed the rumours of unrest in the group.

 

His announcement is still yet to be acknowledged by fellow band members George Shelley, JJ Hamblett and Josh Cuthbert or even the band's official Twitter account.

 

Describing the split as 'last minute', Jaymi revealed he felt the band were 'flogging something past its sell by date' and that he no longer felt he was doing the fans or himself justice by continuing.

 

He added that it was when the band cancelled their hotly-anticipated comeback tour last month - which he said was due to the group 'overshooting our capability and timeframe that we had' - that he began to seriously think about leaving.

 

Jaymi told MailOnline: 'Things have happened over the last few weeks and when the tour got cancelled I thought, "is it time for me to step away from this? How do I need to give myself a clean break?" Mentally, that was my main thing.

 

'I had a a variation of the statement that I wanted it to put out in case I made the jump and then I taught myself out of it.

 

'I felt I had to have a loyalty to the fans, loyalty to the boys, to the project, which actually for me, I think, was a misguided thing.

 

'The disservice I was doing was to myself and to a fan base by flogging something that I think had its sell by date.'

 

Speaking about his decision to leave the group, Jaymi added that he had to make the 'selfish' decision to leave, even though his bandmates weren't in agreeance.

 

He confessed: 'I hadn't really discussed it with the boys and down the line maybe I will feel like that was the right or wrong decision.

 

'But this for no one else, and was solely for myself. So yes, I'm sad at this situation, but I don't have any regrets. I genuinely feel for the first time it was the the one selfish move that I've made for that project.'

 

Addressing if the boys had fallen out in the wake of the announcement, Jaymi confessed: 'The decision wasn't a group decision. It was my sole decision and I haven't talked to the boys per say.

 

'We all knew the situation was what it was. I think the boys would say the same. I think we were all in a similar place with where the project was, and that's been very much shown internally.

 

'We're individuals and we're not always going to see eye to eye in a situation. It would be a lie to say we're all still in honeymoon period. That was 10 years ago.

 

'We've grown up and become different men. We have different viewpoints in the world.'

 

While none of his bandmates have publicly acknowledged the post, Jaymi reasoned: 'I wouldn't expect them to.'

 

He explained to MailOnline: 'I don't know what they're going to do. I messaged them all individually after I did it and I'm not trying to make them to see eye to eye with me because I know it does effect them. But it was what I needed to do at that time.'

 

Speaking about the possibility of ever rejoining the group down the line for another reunion, Jaymi admitted the door wasn't entirely closed, revealing he didn't think the band would have reformed last year so he wouldn't close himself off to another collaboration in the future.

 

He mused: 'I need to go away and think about what the future of Union J would look like. I love the fan base, I'm proud of what we achieved over the years and I do have a lot of respect for the boys.

 

'I don't know, I think for now the best thing is for us, the fans, and for the boys is to put this situation to bed.'

 

He added: 'The music industry is about making money, or it's about fame and it was never about money for me.

 

'We could go out and do shows and earn money, and we could release music for the sake of releasing music for a fan base but it doesn't excite me anymore.'

 

As for what the future holds for him, Jaymi revealed he will be taking time out to reassess his career, admitting he'd be open to writing songs for other artists, pursuing a solo career or even stepping away from the industry entirely and going travelling.

 

He mused: 'I've always been known as Jaymi from Union J. There's an identity crisis where you think what am I if I'm not attached to that project?

 

'It's a strange place to be so I just have to go out there and see who I am.'

 

The last single that Union J recorded together - Devil With Angel Eyes - is available to stream on Spotify now.

The whole thing still feels ambiguous without an official statement as to what's going on.

I can’t help but feel there’s been a discussion about something which Jaymi has disagreed on and he’s thrown his toys out the pram and left.

All this drama over a flop group is so bizarre. The size of the venues for their attempted tour was wildly over ambitious.

How have I only just realised…

 

that the name ‘Union J’ is a play on ‘Union Jack’! :lol: