Intimacy and the Roar: talking with Jack And Sally

By RingMaster Review on December 12, 2019 • ( 0 )

Hi and thank you for sparing time to chat with us.

Could you first introduce yourself/the band and tell us how it came to be?

Prav-Like Fez from That 70s Show, I was given the name Prav by the band and yes, like Fez I am also an International student. I moved to London to play Rock ‘n Roll and met Ben and Josh in the winter of 2018. We formed the band shortly after.

Josh -I’m Josh, I’m play guitar for the band. I was originally going to join Ben’s old band but before I could, they fell apart! I went ahead and met Ben anyway, and we eventually found Prav from the musicians network group and as they say, the rest is history.

How would you define not only your sound but the creative character of the band?

Prav -The sound is probably best described as Green Day meets Rise Against. If the band had an alter ego, it would be a boy/girl in their early 20s who are at a critical point in their life. He/she would be experiencing feelings of love and loss, discovering how messed up and complex the modern world is and also finding their own passion for the good and genuine things in life.

Ben –Like Prav said, our song writing revolves around issues in real-life that regular people deal with on a regular basis –and just like everyone else, we do too.

Josh -Creatively I think we draw from a lot of disparate places but it blends well. I listen to a lot of harder stuff and I bring that into the songs we write. Ben’s vocals are mainstream sounding but he writes them into punk riffs, and Prav brings in his influences from grunge and hard rock into the drums.

You touched on previous musical experiences for band members, would you elaborate and suggest how have they been embraced in what you do now?

Prav -I used to play in a Funk Rock band back in India and played with another Hard Rock act in London for just over a year. I would definitely say that those experiences shaped what I play now for Jack and Sally.

Ben –I’ve played in bands in college. I was in a band in 2009 that was called Aisle Riot –we played one gig but my time in that band had a major influence on my life and showed me that I could be in a band –that I could actually do it.

Josh -I’ve been in bands since school but my last serious band was at university -Chance Encounter. We tracked a few songs, it was a pretty fun experience especially it was my first few times ever playing live in the U.K.

Is there a particular process to the band’s songwriting?

Prav-Ben or I write a song and bring it to the studio where we then fiddle around with our parts and start adding in ideas. Slowly but surely, the song starts taking shape as each of our styles pour in. Once we feel confident that this is how we want our audiences to listen to the song, we make a demo.

Ben -I write lyrics first, based on ideas I have in my head. The idea for our second single Macy came to me when I was on a train in Finland -from a graffiti image sprayed on a wall. It actually took me 6 years to write Tomorrow’s Revolution! Based on my influences in life, I’ve carried a lot of anger –and all of that inspired me write about a whole new world -that world is called ‘Nevernia’ –it’s what the EP is based around. Once I have finished writing the lyrics to a song, I’ll put some basic chords around it and then take it to the studio to work on, like Prav said.

Josh -We continually fiddle with our songs as well to improve it for live situations –Tomorrow’s Revolution for example sounds much different today than when we originally played it live, and it’s much better (in my opinion at least!)

Would you tell us about your latest release?

Ben –Our latest release is our EP, Who We Become!

Josh -It’s out everywhere to stream and buy from 11th November. We’ve also released two music videos for the singles on it, so check it out!

What are the major inspirations to its heart and themes?

Ben –Our EP is based on a concept, which follows the life of its protagonist ‘Macy’ who has grown up into a world plagued by issues like racism, corporate greed, austerity and oppression. It deals with how Macy stands up to these issues of modern day society.

I am always intrigued as to how artists choose track order on albums and EP’s and whether in hindsight they would change that. What has been the deciding factor for you?

Prav -The EP’s track order follows Macy’s journey. Superstar is her Father’s message to her that she doesn’t have to try too hard to make the world see that she is good. Nevernia is essentially a metaphor to describe the messed up world we live in and how Macy tries to traverse it. Tomorrow’s Revolution is about Macy’s rebellion after she realises that she needs to take drastic measures to bring about change. Long Way Home is about her feeling homesick and how she longs to go back to the people she loves. Macy is ultimately the story of how Macy’s loved ones mourn her loss.

What do you find the most enjoyable part of being in a band and similarly the most cathartic?

Prav -playing original songs that we made from the ground up on stage, touring and when people come and tell you that they had a sick time watching us play.

Ben –Being able to play our songs to people that they sing back at us is one of the most underrated achievements anyone could ever have. It’s beautiful, and seeing people believe in words that I wrote in my bedroom is truly unreal.

Josh -I’ll never get used to hearing people say they like our songs, but it’s definitely one of the best things about being in a band. Playing shows live as well -the adrenaline rush is unreal.

For anyone contemplating checking you out live give some teasers as to what they can expect.

Prav-thumping grooves, sick riffs and yes, be ready to sing with us!

Ben –We are loud, yes we are Pop Rock to the core, but you will hear Metal, you will hear Punk Rock and you will also want to dance to our tracks.

Josh -Riffs, solos, and some meaningful lyrics.

What has been your most thrilling moment on stage to date?

Prav -Probably at The Cavern, Exeter a few weeks ago. The place seemed so packed all of a sudden when we played All The Small Things. We couldn’t believe our eyes!

Josh -Yeah I’d agree with Prav -the Cavern show was mental.

Do you have live dates coming up?

Ben –We do, yes. We are booking our tour for April 2020, and some shows have already been confirmed.

What else can we expect in the near future?

Prav -More releases, probably some collaborations with other artists as well.

Ben –Definitely new music, but for now we’re focussing on our debut EP and getting a tour or two together.

What are the major inspirations to you sound wise and as a musician?

Prav -Green Day’s American Idiot, Audioslave, Velvet Revolver and Switchfoot.

Ben –Green Day is my favourite band, Linkin Park and Nirvana.

Josh -Soundwise -Blink-182, Paramore. Musician wise -Metallica, Enter Shikari.

And finally what song or release would you say was the spark to your passion for music?

Prav -Superunknown (Soundgarden)