Shamir has announced his debut book, But I’m a Painter, will arrive on August 27 via Bottlecap Press. The mixed media chapbook, published under his full name Shamir Bailey, will feature essays written about paintings he’s created over the last six years.

“I started painting as a child before I even picked up the guitar. Although music engulfed my life, painting was always my first love,” Bailey commented in an accompanying statement.

“But I’m a Painter begins with me disillusioned after a rocky descent into the music industry, desperately trying to find a creative outlet that didn’t feel immediately exploited.

“Rediscovering my love of painting helped me get in touch with my inner child and granted me catharsis at times when music and writing weren’t enough. But I’m a Painter chronicles my paintings and the stories behind them. It’s an insight into the mind of an artist who’s scrapbooking their life via a paintbrush.”

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Back in March, Bailey contributed a cover of Sharon Van Etten’s ‘Dsharpg’ as part of the 10th anniversary edition of Van Etten‘s album ‘Epic’. Back in June, it was announced that he would join Courtney Barnett for a string of US shows in early 2022.

Bailey released his seventh studio album, the self-titled ‘Shamir’, in October of last year. In a four-star review, NME called it a “hugely focused” and “jubilant” record.

“‘Shamir’ is the sound of a consistently evolving artist reclaiming their path and making the music they want to make. His seventh, self-titled album is the sound of an artist who’s finally found his musical home.”