J.BERNARDT Announces New Album ‘Wild Swim’
By J.BERNARDT
Announces new studio album, WILD SWIM.
Out on November 13th via Play It Again Sam
New single ‘Love Is On My Mind’ out now
EU / UK tour in December 2026 / January 2027
J.Bernardt, the alter ego of Jinte Deprez (Balthazar), releases his third studio album Wild Swim on November 13 via Play It Again Sam. The second single, ‘Love Is on My Mind ‘is also out now.
Jinte on ‘Love Is on My Mind’:
‘Love Is on My Mind’ is a guitar-driven song I wrote on an old piano, while feeling watched by the stars. It’s about a new, unintentional starting point — “I hear it coughing around the corner, ready to cause a scene, how the hell did love get in my mind.” Who knows when or how, but you always seem to pick yourself back up one day, right when you weren’t paying attention.”
Listen to ‘Love Is On My Mind’ HERE.
In contrast to his previous albums, Jinte chose to step outside of anything familiar in his creative process. He travelled alone to Los Angeles, where he leaned into a caricature of himself: the washed-up European musician landing in America to reinvent his life. This time, it wasn’t the musical all-rounder but the singer in J.Bernardt who boarded the plane.
At 64 Sound Studio, he worked with producer Paul Butler (Michael Kiwanuka, Devendra Banhart), who created an intuitive environment in which Jinte found his most liberated vocal performance. “On my third solo record, I truly felt for the first time what singing can feel like.”
Los Angeles itself also left its mark. The city’s uncompromising energy collided head-on with Jinte’s West Flemish instinct for restraint. “In the US, there is no time for subtlety. You surrender to your impulses.”
Many of the songs were recorded live, in fiery one-take performances with drummer Lewis Wright (Alabama Shakes), bassist Peter Randall (Adele), and keyboardist Mitchell Yoshida (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros). The result is a more open and expansive sound. J.Bernardt’s recognisable signature remains, but expands into a retro-modernist sound, smouldering rhythms, and sprawling melodies. The Motown-like backing vocals of Lex Noblitt, Isabel Whelan and Dasha Chadwick weave throughout the record, forming a thrilling counterpoint to his vibrato. Butler’s kaleidoscopic production makes it feel as if every window in J.Bernardt’s mind has been thrown open at once. The record is euphoric and reckless.
Thematically, too, J.Bernardt takes a new direction. Where his previous records were strongly autobiographical, he now opts for a more universal perspective, embracing a manic celebration of the randomness of life. The songs don’t anchor themselves in reason, but in feeling. A balancing act between lust for life and a kind of euphoric nihilism. “After the wreckage of a breakup, eventually you reach the point where you can see the humour in life again.”
Within a caricatured dream world, J.Bernardt has crafted a layered record that pulls the listener into a disorienting yet liberating trip.
Jinte is also the singer of Balthazar, one of Belgium’s most acclaimed alternative rock bands. The band has been active for over 20 years and has sold more than 600,000 albums worldwide. The third J.Bernardt album will be released on * November 2026 via Play It Again Sam.
Tracklist:
Four In The Morning
Remedy
Big Fat Moon
Children
Big Hopes
Love Is On My Mind
Wild Place To Start
Echo Chamber
Favorite Song
Pre-order the album HERE
Tour dates
08/12/2026 Luxemburg, Luxemburg, Den Atlier
09/12/2026 Germany, Hamburg, Knust
10/12/2026 Netherlands, Amsterdam, Melkweg Max
11/12/2026 Netherlands, Nijmegen, Doornroosje
12/12/2026 France, Lille, Aeronef
14/01/2027 Poland, Warsaw, Hydrozagadka
15/01/2027 Poland, Poznan, Blue Note Jazz
16/01/2027 Czechia, Prague, Cargo
18/01/2027 Austrian Vienna, Porgy & Bess
20/01/2027 Germany, Berlin, Lido
21/01/2027 Netherlands, Groningen, Vera
22/01/2027 Netherlands, Maastricht, Muziekgieterij
23/01/2027 Netherlands, Breda, Mezz
25/01/2027 Belgium, Brussels, AB
28/01/2027 Germany, Cologne, Stadtgarten Cologne
29/01/2027 France, Paris, La Gaité Lyrique
03/02/2027 UK, London, Colors