Indie-folk troubadour Jeremy Loops worked on his debut album Trading Change for two and a half years before he felt confident that he had adequately translated the magic of his unique, loop-rooted live show onto an album. “Making Trading Change was the craziest experience of my life at the time,” Loops tells Apple Music. “I was still so excited to get to make and share these songs I’ve been dreaming up since I can remember, but at the same time I was a little overwhelmed by the buzz and the excitement for the record and the pressure to deliver. I remember the final recording sessions, feeling this weight lift, like, ‘I’ve made a piece of work I’m insanely proud of. If just one other person feels anywhere near the way I feel about it too, then that’s enough.’ And release day came, it took on a life of its own, and the rest is history. It will always be special to me.” The record gave Loops his first No. 1 on South Africa’s iTunes chart come release day—a feat which preceded his first headlining European tour and boosted his profile significantly in markets where he now flourishes. Produced by Bryan Wilson (Sofi Tukker, Stormzy, Wolf Alice, Disclosure), Trading Change is a showcase of how far Loops had come from a solo busker to the head of a fully fledged, internationally recognized live outfit. On the deluxe version, Loops added two new tracks and a live version of “Down South.”