#Alive Tour catch up with Jack Jones of Trampolene
The Zine UK last caught up with Trampolene's Jack Jones in the summer, when our #Zeenage Daydream Elly Bailey had an in depth chat with him. Now, about to embark on headlining This Feeling's Alive Tour with such hot picks such as The Surrenders and Lacuna Bloome - another #Zeenager, Lisa Higgins steps into the realm to catch up with the enigmatic front man. Scroll down for the full tour dates and info.
Backstage at Y Not festival, behind the This Feeling with Pirate Studios & Pretty Green stage, Trampolene frontman Jack Jones is lurking in dark sunglasses. While many of the other young energies stalk around like layered up lions, booting footballs or crushing Red Stripe cans and keen to make themselves known, this unassuming fella is stood at the back collecting his thoughts.
I last spoke to Jack in a similar environment backstage at Reading festival last year and he’s had quite a year since then! From the incredible gigs playing a headline UK tour in the Spring, ending with an epic night at Scala in London, to headlining the BBC Music Introducing stage at the BBC Biggest Weekend fest in Swansea, playing various other festivals including Y Not, Kendal Calling, Truck, Victorious and Wheel and Fins, and - lest we forget - massive support slots for Liam Gallagher in Finsbury Park and Kasabian in Bristol.
Trampolene (above; Drummer; Rob, singer/guitarist; Jack and Bassist Wayne) also released an EP, Hard Times For Dreamers, and Jack’s been keeping up his appearances in Peter Doherty’s band The Puta Madres in between.
TheZineUK : "Knackered, much?"
Jack : “Yeah I think I’m split into three pieces at the moment!”
How do you manage all this it sounds insane?
“I don't know if I am managing it? I feel like things have happened and I've made my own luck and now I want to just go for it and take everything on. I don't know, maybe I’ll have a nervous breakdown in a couple of months haha but it will all be worth it.”
Looking back on your crazy year what would you say are the highlights?
“I haven’t looked back yet, I'm not even sure what happened. Supporting Liam Gallagher was really amazing.”
Did you get to hang out with him?
“Yeah we watched the football together earlier in the day. He’s just a really like a rock n roll Buddha. He’s so solid and simple it’s brilliant. He's connected to so many people and he's doing bonkers gigs. He’s got such a connection to the fans.”
How was the support slot - I can’t imagine how epic that must have felt playing to a sea of Oasis fans old and new.
“We were just well up for it and I think we were a great match. I did a little rendition of Songbird and it was just brilliant. By the third fourth show we were really good. Manchester at the end was amazing, even for him; to fill it out on your own it must have been a big deal for him.”
OK let’s get back down to earth. When you write a song who do you show it to first?
“My manager, maybe Peter’s manager Jai, I’m really close to him. Sometimes I will ask my sister to listen to a song and she what she says. If she doesn’t dig it then I know. My dad too is always commenting on the work. He’s an English Literature fiend and I always think when I write something I’ve got to make it good enough that he will like it. It’s always in my head that I can’t just be funny, my writing has to be poetically and numerically perfect. He will analyse me the enth degree.”
Do you have to shut yourself away for a bit to write?
“I haven't done it for a long time but I’m booking in a 10 day retreat in a little hut in the middle of nowhere on the coast with no internet or anything. I can’t wait.”
Among everything else you’ve also recently released a solo single, Swim Up. What made you want to release something on your own?
“It came about through never wanting to stop and wanting to change the sounds I was creating up a bit and make sure I'm the best I can be. I just did it because I thought, ‘oh fucking hell there’s this other side of me that I want to be in the world.’ I’m not good at holding anything back. It’s helped me and it’s actually helped me with Trampolene too, working out what works for us as a band.”
Was it a song you always knew was just for you, or had you tried with the band?
“I wrote it with a friend of mine Mike Moore (Liam Gallagher's guitarist) who's a really good guitar player and it was just always seen as a different kind of vibe. I felt it, he felt it and we just carried on. I feel like there’s a bit of magic in it and some of me in it.”
Tell me what else you have coming up as I’m sure the year isn’t going to be quiet!
“We’ve got our Alive headline tour happening in November and we’re writing again to push the band in a different way, making sure the melodies and lyrics come first. It’s been an interesting challenge not to just stand on the distortion pedal and go mad.”
I’ve noticed you’ve got meditation beads round your neck, are you spiritual?
“I am trying to get into meditation to get some moments to myself. I’ve been using apps to help me sleep but I would love to find a way to meditate properly. My sister has just become a yoga teacher though so I’m learning yoga - it’s really hard! Especially in a hot room. I’d teach it in schools if I was the Prime Minister.”
Do you have any pre-gig rituals?
“Sometimes we sing nursery rhymes before a gig. Haha no, we’re not a big huddle cuddle band its more just go out there and do your job. I don't mind a cuddle though.”
On that note we embrace for a good minute and then Jack heads off to play the gig, leaping about and tearing that tent a new one.
Quiet and unassuming on stage, he is not.
These guys are one of the most hard working bands around and it’s paying off.
Good things come to those who graft.
(Pic: Jack Jones out in support of musical peers last summer at a This Feeling event)
TheZineUK team have just about recovered from 2017's shenanigans and are ready to do it all over again.
Wanna see stars?
Catch the #Alive 2018 road show!
Trampolene, The Surrenders, Lacuna Bloome plus the cream of the local scenes! They will, they WILL rock you!
November
20 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach w/ The Pitchforks
22 Birmingham Hare & Hounds w/ Young Chasers
23 Sheffield The Record Junkee w/ The Seamonsters
24 Manchester Night People w/ King Kartel (
27 Brighton The Green Door Store w/ King Kuda
28 London Dingwalls w/ Cavalcade
29 Leeds Brudenell Social Club w/ Bad Bug
30 Glasgow Cat House w/ The Good Arms
December
01 Newcastle Head of Steam w/ The Yada Yada Yadas
Reserve your place down the front! £8 advance (London £10 advance) tickets (act fast, dates are selling out) - get them via www.thisfeeling.co.uk