In August 2002, Jay parted ways with EMI and subsequently with his manager Martyn Watson and backing band. Suggesting there were problems with the label earlier, a couple of months after the release of "Draw" Jay warned on stage prior to playing his then-upcoming single "Please Don't Send Me Away" that "you've got to make this go Top 75 at least, or else I'll get dropped". It charted at 83 and dropped out of the charts the next week. The label rejected the initial work done for his second album, which was recorded with his backing band, and decided he needed to work with outside collaborators. During this time he worked with a number of established songwriters on songs which remain unreleased, including Guy Chambers on the song "Waiting For The Weekend", Tim Hawes and Pete Kirtley on "She's At It Again" and "Naked" and Busted songwriting team Steve Robson, John McLaughlin, Charlie Simpson and James Bourne on "She Knows". This work was also ultimately rejected and EMI didn't renew his contract.