Talking New Music, Kylie Minogue, And More With The Jungle Giants
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Hi Sam. Thanks for taking the time today to chat with me. So, it’s kind of been a crazy year for you guys. I know you’ve been touring in Europe, you’ve just performed at the F1 in Singapore, and you guys are gearing up in the next couple of days to start your regional Australian tour. So far, what have been some of the standout moments for you this year?
Oh, I mean, it’s been a lot. We played the show in Crete, which was my first time to the Greek islands. People my whole life have been recommending it and I absolutely get the hype now. It was so fun. We love Greek food, we love wine. It was, like, just one of the best trips I’ve ever had. So that was amazing. That was the start of the Europe tour. And also seeing Kylie live at the F1 was unreal. That blew my mind. Oh my God, we’ve had nice travel and also seen some great music along the way, which is just a crazy bonus. Yeah, it’s been good.
Yeah, that’s amazing. I’m dying to see Kylie live.
She was so good. She was so good. She’s so happy on stage that it’s just infectious. I was already a big fan, but I’m a way bigger fan now after seeing her live.
Wow, yeah, well, I mean, speaking of being fans, I’m a big fan of you guys. I’ve been a big fan since your first EP. I remember being in, yeah, probably Grade 10 or something in high school. And that came out, and I was, like, these guys are great. Thinking back to those early songs compared to where you guys are now, with Love Signs and your most recent singles, how do you feel like the band and the sound have evolved as a whole over the years since that first EP?
Thank you. Yeah, it’s funny because we were practising our set this last week, and it’s funny. It’s like you really feel some of those changes when you’re practising the set, putting them side by side, like, heavy-hearted compared to Mr. Polite. It’s just such a journey. For me, I feel like it’s just progressed in a way that I’ve heard a lot more music now than what I had when I was younger. And, you know, as an artist, I just pick up stuff as I go, and I just put it in my pocket.
So, you know, a song like Love Signs has been influenced by more R&B, and I wasn’t even listening to R&B when I was making that first EP. I was, like, 17. So, yeah, it’s just a sign of picking up little things and acquiring inspiration and utilising it. And what’s quite interesting is when you play them all together, they do fit, because I think there’s that underlying songwriting that connects everything, even if they’re different sounds or different genres. I think that’s The Jungle Giants’ magic which is the songwriting that connects everything. There are certain arrangements that I really like that are across the board, even if it’s the really early stuff.
Do you guys ever think about playing those older songs in your new sets, re-introducing them into the sets?
Yeah, we’ve been kind of teasing. With You’ve Got Something, I’ve got a little acoustic version of it, which is kind of cool. We’ve been playing it as an encore at some shows, which has been really fun. People sing along to that. Actually, I kind of pulled it out just to see what would happen, and people sang so loud that it was almost too difficult to be an acoustic song, because, like, you couldn’t hear it. But that’s been good. And on this particular tour, we’ve brought back a couple that we haven’t played in a long while. That feels really good.
Like, we were at rehearsal the other day and it was the first time we played one of these songs. It was from the Quiet Ferocity album, and I just, like, started getting all these memories as I was playing it. There’s a big instrumental section, and I was just thinking about how many years we’d be playing this together as a band, and I got kind of emotional. And then as we finished, I was like, “Dude, we’ve been playing this song for so long together. I love you guys.” And then everyone went, “I was thinking the same thing.” So it’s nice. Playing some of the older stuff is really good, not just for us, but, there’s a lot of people that we haven’t played to before, like, if we do this regional tour. I’m sure that on their requests would be some of these songs. So I think we’ll all be happy.
Yeah definitely. I mean, is there a particular song from your discography that you’re proudest of or that you love playing live?
It always changes, but there’s one that’s always in the conversation and it’s Heartless from Love Signs. I love playing that song. I go somewhere when I’m playing that song. I just, like, chill the fuck out, you know? I just really enjoy it. And I know Cesira loves that, it’s her favourite as well. I think it’s that the strings hit really nicely at the end. There’s a good driving beat, really high falsetto vocals. It ticks every box for me. And also Cesira gets to do a guitar solo, so I’m sure she loves it because of that.
Has your relationship with any of the songs changed over time as you’ve played them in shows?
I think it’s more that you go in cycles with the songs. Like, we’re playing She’s A Riot again on this tour, and we stopped playing that for a little while because we were like, “Oh, we’ve changed our sound”. Like, you know, you kind of get in your head about it. But like I said, they are all connected as songs. And as we’ve been playing it again, I’ve just got an appreciation for it at the moment because I really liked playing it for the first time in a while because I think we just overdid it for a lot of years. And now that we’ve brought it back, yeah, I’m just really liking that song. It’s a quite nostalgic feeling. And it’s really fast, which is one of the reasons why we stopped playing it because it was hard to mix it in with 127 BPM songs, which is, like, an average dance beat. She’s A Riot is 200, so it was difficult for us to fit it in. But now we’ve got a perfect place to put it, and it feels good.
Yeah, sometimes you need to take a break from it, come back, and be like “Why did I forget about this? This is a good song.” Well, shifting gears a little bit, I’m keen to hear your thoughts on Australia’s music festival scene right now because obviously it’s been a bit of a tougher year with festivals like Splendour and Groovin’ facing cancellations. As someone who’s involved with it and played at so many of these festivals, what’s your take on it all?
Well, I definitely think it’s not dead. It’s just, like, going through a breakup or something. It’s just having a hard time at the moment. There are definitely a lot of factors. I think some of it is a ripple effect from the pandemic. Costs have changed. Fewer people are working in certain facets. So that’s something that people have to hurdle through, especially for festivals. Their costs are higher. And then also I would say, like, maybe a bit of a cultural shift. I think people are expecting something from festivals, I would say, a more international and genre-broad view. And so if a festival does something where they focus strictly on something and it’s trying to market to everyone, I think people are…We live in the age of Instagram now, and, like, you will just get comments. People will let you know, right? And so I think people are realising the power of their comments, and that is definitely affecting festivals.
So at the moment, you’ve got festivals that are struggling to get the perfect lineup, and then you’ve got people rinsing the festival on Instagram, and you can see that it’s not a perfect playing ground. But that’s why I think it’s not dead. It’s just, like, things are just moving, and I think they’re moving in a good direction. I think promoters are listening to people, which is a great thing. Like, we’re playing this festival that just came out.
Oh, Yours and Owls?
Yep, Yours and Owls, and it’s a good lineup. And different, and, like, you can go there. You can see Honey Dijon if you like dance music. You can see us. You can see all these different types of bands to get your fix, and I think that’s kind of – that’s a modern twist to a festival, or at least if you want a big festival. Like if you go to Glastonbury, you can spend a week in a dance tent, you know, or go see bands. So I think things are skewing in a good direction. It’s just that Australia moves slowly some of the time, and we’re just, like, talking to each other right now, just picking up the vibes, and I think it’ll be absolutely fine. It’s just taking a little bit of time. This was just the experiment year, and we’ll be nailing it next year, I reckon.
Well, also it’s interesting because you look at concerts and individual artists coming. They’re doing so successfully – like so well. They’re selling out immediately, so it’s an interesting contrast.
It is, and people want to see music. Like, that’s definitely not an issue. So, yeah, it’s just about getting the right music to the right people, and then, you know, if there’s some punters that don’t like a specific festival, they can find another one for themselves. Do you know what I mean? Because not every festival can please everybody. I think it’s important for people to know that too.
We’ve got lower-scale festivals like Golden Plains here in Melbourne, and if you go there – one of the rules is you don’t complain about the lineup. You just go and you see what they’ve given you, whereas you’ve got other larger-scale commercial festivals where people can get really pissed off if their favourite band isn’t playing. So there’s definitely a huge discourse going around festivals, but people do want to see music. It’s just about figuring out how to get what music to what people.
Definitely. And, of course, you guys are playing a DJ set in Brisbane this New Year’s Eve on OASIS.
Yeah, that’s going to be wild.
What are you most looking forward to about those shows? You’re playing OASIS and then La La Land after. So what are you most looking forward to, and what can people expect from them?
I don’t know. Like, DJing on a boat is pretty fun. It’s pretty hard not for that to just be my favourite part. I’m pumped for that and it’s going to be New Year’s. We haven’t played Brisbane in a while. People will have the option to just hang with us all night, which is a pretty crazy thing. We can go from one venue to the other and just keep it going, which we have never done.
Well, in the spirit of New Year’s, do you have a New Year’s resolution that you’re bringing into 2025?
You know, I never really do New Year’s resolutions. I’m a big fan of, like, mid-year resolutions. I feel like there’s so much hype on a New Year’s resolution. But, like, let’s hype up mid-year changes. That’s my thing. That’s my new thing. Mid-year changes.
A man of action! Making it happen. Cool. Well, you guys are originally from Brisbane, aren’t you?
Yeah.
So how does it feel playing for your home crowd? Is it a different energy, a different feeling versus playing for other cities?
Yeah, I think at the start of our career, going to Melbourne and going to Sydney, they felt so different. I used to think that people in Melbourne wouldn’t cheer much. And I was extra nervous. But when you go to Sydney, people are really partying. And Brisbane is definitely a mix of the two. If you go to Mexico, you know, people are very emotional about the music they like. So they’ll meet you at your hotel and stuff. Every place has its own way of expressing how it consumes music. But I guess after a while, now we’ve had five records, it has evened out a little bit. There’s a consistency amongst the crowds that kind of unites them all, which is a really cool thing.
Is there any chance you’re going to be playing any new music? At the Brisbane show?
Oh, we’ll see. We’ll see. I mean, you know, because it’s a DJ set, maybe I could just, like, put it on. We’ll see how many margaritas I’ve had.
That will dictate it. And speaking of new music, is there anything in the pipeline for you guys? A new album coming out?
So we have a new song coming very soon that I’m really excited about. So I can’t reveal too much at this time, but it’s super soon. And I know I’ve been teasing for a little while, but, like, it’s mastered. It’s all done. It’s just sitting there ready to be heard. So I’m pumped. I’ve been working on this new record for a good while, and I feel like I’ve finally gotten it lined up so I know exactly the theme and the thing that I’m bringing to this new music. And this next song is a kind of perfect representation of the record.
Well, I’m excited to hear it. Last few quickfire questions for you. Being a Brissy boy, I’d love to hear your take on the best places to go around Brisbane for the following scenarios. What’s your favourite venue to play at and why in Brisbane?
Okay, it’s 50-50. Fortitude Music Hall or Riverstage. I think I have to say Riverstage. I think that was one of my favourite gigs of all time. I grew up seeing people play there, and when we played and we sold it out, my brain melted. And I just cried like a baby after that show. And I’ll never, ever forget that. So I think now that I’ve had that experience, it just has to be Riverstage.
Where’s the best spot in Brisbane to catch live music?
Oh, Black Bear Lodge. Yeah. I like Black Bear Lodge a lot. I always find I just end up there. I just end up there without a plan, seeing some cool bands. I mean, I’ve also seen some really fun bands at Ric’s, but I’m going to say Black Bear Lodge.
Nice. Go-to spot when you return home from touring?
I mean, besides Mum’s house, there’s a taco place called La Patrona and that one is a big one for us. We go there every time we’re in Brisbane. They do really good margs and incredible tacos, and I crave that place often.
Great, and lastly, favourite place to grab a drink with friends?
I will say that there’s something very nostalgic about going to Ric’s and having a beer, and I do that often. Even if I’m just, like, on my way to something, I’ll just go to Ric’s. So I’m going to say—I’m just going to say, for the chill factor, Ric’s.
Ric’s is a classic. Well, thanks so much for the chat, Sam.
Thank you!
Tickets to The Jungle Giants’ DJ set on OASIS for NYE are available here.
