The Jacks

Where: The Dublin Castle, London

When: 30th June 2009

As the Jacks sit down at my table at The Dublin Castle it's about a million degrees and I'm sweating like someone out of Apocalypse Now. They however come over like they've just stepped out of a fridge; bright-eyed, fresh and excited for the launch gig of their first single "Not Me Not You". It's not just Rightguard and shorts that's keeping them cool though; as I learn from the interview and gig these guys are serious pop-funsters who's mission it is to make sure you have a bloody good time.

I start off by asking about how the band came about. Dom Goldsmith (Vocals/Acoustic Guitar) and Paul Colley (Backing Vocals/Bass) are old friends from deepest, darkest Northamptonshire who were later joined by Jack Gourlay on the electric guitar and most recently drummer Martin Rooney. There's certainly and eclectic mix of musical influences amongst the members, everything from Blur and Supergrass to Traffic and King Crimson. Guitarist Jack, who looks like Jimmy Carr on the verge of a killing spree is a bit more clear-cut on his heroes: "The Smiths. If I were to list my top ten bands number one would be the Smiths, number two would be The Smiths, number three would be The Smiths... with maybe The 'Stones at number eleven." I ask them with such a mixture of influences what they would say the band's sound is, expecting a ten hyphened genre including the words "indie", "electro", "post-punk" and "Morrissey". Paul's reply is instant and brief. "Pop". A little surprised at this I ask them if they thought labelling themselves as a pop band might bring negative connotations with the wealth of audio guff under that umbrella. "No", states Paul, "This is pop in a proper sense, pop that's fun. Pop is cool". Lead singer Dom, looking like the love child of Jarvis Cocker and Graham Coxon, adds "We just want to write songs that lots of people enjoy... songs that you listen to when you feel shit to make you feel good again." It's actually refreshing to meet a band whose raison d'etre is to be unashamedly entertaining. So often bands talk about exploring whole new realms of sound influenced by the writings of Jean Paul Satre and their 3 week stay in Tibet and what you get is a couple of songs with an accordion and a gong in them and fuck all in the way of enjoyment.

We move on to the single "Not Me Not You" and I ask about them why they chose to release this particular track. Again their lack of pretension and bullshit comes across, saying this was the only track they have as a master, that it was well polished and that, quite frankly, it's very good. The inspiration behind the track is equally simple, it's a song about four people trying to make it in a band and the frustrations of the music industry. Similarly the B-side "Do or Don't" was inspired by a guy from a record company who kept promising to come and see them but never did. "We just write about stuff we know" says Dom "We're all middle-class guys, we don't pretend to be something we're not. If you haven't experienced it you can't fake it." They point out though that they don't set out to ram any sort of message down your throat and the lyrics they write are translucent enough to take what you want from them. This is a band who are focused on the listener's pleasure, writing from the heart without it bleeding all over your iPod.

I thank the guys and go cool off outside with my Malboros and a couple of pints, eagerly anticipating the gig. As soon as the band before starts packing up the hall fills with people and there's definitely something in the air other than the whiff of perspiration: a whole load of excitement. They kick of with the B-side "Do or Don't" and it goes down a treat; it's a jaunty, sprightly song with a distinct essence of summer that immediately gets everyone bopping about. The band play extremely well together, Dom and Paul's vocal harmonies are a strawberries and cream combination, Martin Rooney's drumming is incredibly tight with restrained but brilliant flourishes and Jack's guitar playing as sharp and engaging as his wit. They, and everyone else, are loving it. They play a few more tracks before they get to the single, some of which are on their Myspace and some which are regrettably not as each one is an absolute feel good and dance-you-arse-off belter, particularly "Cliches" which has a corking guitar part with a  hint of "Bennie and the Jets".

The Jacks have a distinct sound running through their songs, gorgeously harmonised vocals with a light and  upbeat melody reminiscent of The Thrills or The Coral underpinned by punchy guitar parts, bass lines and rhythms moving at a fair old lick which sound closer to Franz Ferdinand and happy-go-lucky Britpop. They avoid each song sounding to samey by littering each one with varied and attractive riffs and giving each member their moment to strut their stuff, which everyone does with aplomb. The single is announced with enthusiastic whoops and cheers and rightly so, it's great. It's a real hand-clapping good time piece of pop with a sprinkling of skiffle; pared down and tight verses that bloom into a ridiculously catchy chorus full of colour in its shifting harmonies and ear catching guitar. They graciously accept crowd going mental with delight and on briefly feign slinking away before playing the inevitable encore , "Safety Catch", yet another precisely crafted song of pure fun.

Having spoken to them I'm convinced The Jacks are dedicated to creating great pop songs simply for people to enjoy listening to and having watched them play can confirm they can carry it off with no small amount of talent. So, if you aren't entirely miserable and enjoy hearing something every now and again that puts a big grin on your face, buy the new single. Think of it as a 69er like transaction, they give you something which is upbeat, enjoyable and ultimately a lot of fun and you give a band devoid of any wanky pretension and filled with the desire to entertain the means to carry on what their doing. Everyone's a winner.

Words: Harvey Ovenden

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