LOVE NO LESS THAN A QUEEN
TRAMPOLENE are a three piece alternative indie rock band consisting of Jack Jones – vocals/guitar, Wayne Thomas – bass/vocals and Jay Bone – drums/vocals.
Jack Jones aside from being the lead singer/guitarist of TRAMPOLENE is also a spoken word poet, singer and songwriter. He further moonlights as lead guitarist in Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres.
BBC Radio produced a documentary portrait of Jack Jones & TRAMPOLENE, entitled ’Another Swansea Poet’ in 2019. Jack writes about everyday life, his up-bringing, and offers his own social commentary on the world, all delivered with a gentle Swansea lilt, reminiscent of his idol Dylan Thomas.
TRAMPOLENE have released two albums to date – ‘Swansea To Hornsey’ (2017) which entered the UK indie chart at no. 10 and ‘Pick A Pocket or Two’ (2018).
Friday 3rd September saw the release of the long anticipated third album from TRAMPOLENE “Love No Less Than a Queen”. The album features 12 new TRAMPOLENE original songs.It was produced by Mike Moore (Baxter Dury/Liam Gallagher), Richard Jackson (Super Furry Animals) & Jason Stafford (Albion Rooms) and mixed by Dave Emery (Arcade Fire/Elbow).
On the album release day (Friday 3rd September) I was lucky enough to head to the Albion Rooms in Margate to see Jack Jones perform an intimate and acoustic set for a select audience.
To say it was a truly momentous and and memorable night would be an understatement! The evening started with one of Jack’s spoken word poems being played over the PA. The stage was empty and the words reverberated around a stock still silent audience rapt in anticipation. The tale was harking back to memories made from school days, some good and some bad; it felt a little uneasy at times and then Jack strolled in with a big grin on his face and set the audience at immediate ease as he said “wow that was a dramatic entrance wasn’t it” He then spoke like he was chatting to old friends with his soft lilting welsh tones, good humour, self depreciating beautiful nature and his absolutely stunning live set.
Each track he performed was a thing of pure joy, this boy is beyond talented. That voice, that skill, I was blown away. Its not often you get to witness magic first hand and Jack Jones was it.
He played songs old and new including “Oh Lover”, “Alcohol Kiss” and “Paradise is Under Your Nose” (a song he wrote with Peter Doherty for the Putra Madres) all interspersed with his own unique brand of spoken word poetry to include “Ketamine” and “PoundLand”. It was an honour and a pleasure in abundance. Jack held the audience in laughter and tears as he told his tales of life through song and poetry for over an hour and a half. It was clear that he was enjoying himself as much as the audience.
For his finale he played “Paradise”and finished by saying that “paradise is indeed right under your nose, as its right here in this room now” a sentiment that was shared by everyone lucky enough to be there that night.
After his set, Jack then made sure that he went into the crowd and made time to talk to each and every person there. What an absolute legend he is!
When performing, Jack says its important to him to tell the listener a little bit about the tracks. These aren’t just songs to him they’re tales and postcards from his life each holding importance in his heart and with specific meaning to him.
Jack says of the new album:
“The album was a way of me summing up my life so far. It made me search into myself and understand that life really is a gift after all and that being at peace isn’t wrong or something you don’t deserve and it actually makes things better that way.”
So far five singles have been lifted from the album: ‘Shoot The Lights,’ ‘Oh Lover,’ ‘Come Join Me In Life,’ ‘Gotta Do More Gotta Be More’ and ‘Uncle Brian’s Abattoir.’
Jack explains each song as follows:
“Gotta Do More Gotta Be More “we’re all told we can be better, we can do more. It’s not always true. Re-
peat it so often it becomes hypnotic and surreal and loses any sense or meaning. Then you’re free to relax
and be yourself.”
Oh Lover’ “started as a one-way message from a boy to a girl about their long distance love affair, but as
the Pandemic became the new reality, it morphed into a song about being apart indefinitely…but now in a
world that was unrecognisable and where nothing made sense and everything has changed.”
‘The Misadventures Of Lord Billy Bilo’ “a nightmare narrative of things that happen when you’re asleep and
your brain is occupied by twisted, weird imaginings that you are convinced are real.”
‘No Love No Kisses’ “I read an article about tower block graveyards in Japan, due to lack of space which
then developed into a song about silly domestic rows with your partner.”
‘Remember’ “getting over your compulsions, mine had begun to ruin my life and damage others and they
were taking away all my dreams. This is about all the people who helped me through.”
‘Uncle Brian’s Abattoir’ “came about when I was picking up my little cousin from an after school art
class…she had painted a paradise where animals and humans lived in harmony but mistakenly called it an
Abattoir…I found the whole thing very charming and jotted it down in my notes…So it’s about an abattoir…but not as you know it…it’s taken straight out of a child’s imagination. It has taken on another meaning
for me lately as it is also about slowly going mad being stuck indoors during the Lockdown”
‘Shoot The Lights’“ for me it’s about when you’re scared and trapped indoors together with someone you
love, for what feels like forever, it’s touch you need, life you want, and shoot the lights when you dare.”
‘Lighter Than Paper’ “I got the idea from an episode of ‘Desert Island Discs,’ someone’s husband had died
and she was very successful and had friends all over the world that she could do anything with, but no-one
she could do nothing with…it stuck with me.”
‘Perfect View’ “is about not selling yourself short – the perfect view is in your mind.”
‘Milan’ “I always wanted to call this Milan on a Comedown, another love song about fighting against having joy in my life…I always thought I was supposed to be lonely and unhappy.
‘Come Join Me In Life’ “a call to arms for the left behinds and the voiceless ones…don’t believe what they
tell you, its your world too.”
The album also features ‘Born Again’ which is included in the soundtrack to the hugely successful Basketball
game NBA2K.
‘Love No Less Than A Queen’ received praise and exposure prior to its official release on the ‘Tim Burgess Listening Party’ on August 24th and the band also recorded a live Radio X Session, featuring four songs from the new album which was broadcast on August 21st.
‘Love No Less Than A Queen’ is out now and is available on CD, cassette, digital download and 12” vinyl, including
beautiful limited marble and Red variants, as well as exclusive formats and signed items. https://www.trampolene.co.uk
TRAMPOLENE and Jack Jones (solo)have played several life shows already this year including dates with Peter Doherty, and a This Feeling Tour at The Moth Club London and The Deaf Institute in Manchester. They also have an upcoming date on the 21st October at the Swansea Fringe Festival.
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Words by SALLY NEWMAN
The songbird 