In Conversation With #206 - The Jacques
A young band with a huge future ahead of them - The Jacques have just released their sophomore album 'Make Repetition!'.
The Jacques have been through more than most: meeting their heroes, the death of their band mate and best friend, recovery from crippling addiction, and having a dream tour torpedoed. The story of The Jacques is one of resilience and togetherness, and one that they now herald with a new beginning as they release their long awaited sophomore album ‘Make Repetition!’.
‘Make Repetition!’ is an album which sees the band collectively regain their voice, which had been lost in the tumultuous experiences around the time of their debut and then further restricted during lockdown. It travels the spectrum of scorched but sky-reaching indie between Blur, Modern Lovers, Parquet Courts and Velvet Underground, with songs of loss, survival, self-destruction, self-improvement, catharsis and sticking together. Yet what could have been a morose mood instead takes on an infectious, bittersweet and ultimately optimistic flavour.
The band took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.
Hey there, how are you? So your album is out now – how does it feel to have it out there?
I’m extremely well thank you! Probably because of that. What a relief! It has taken us a while to get here, and we are so excited for people to hear what we’ve come up with. It’s very special to us, of course.
It is called '‘Make Repetition!’’ – what is the meaning behind that?
Well, its a reference to a tour anecdote. We were in France somewhere getting ready to play a festival, and we had a rehearsal booked beforehand. We were trying to find the studio and a security guard stopped us, but we don’t speak French and he only had broken English. Our tour manager was screaming REHEARSAL!!! at this poor guy, until he finally said ‘ahh! Your’e here to make repetition!!’ The phrase stuck with us, it’s a bit of a band in-joke, but also it’s pretty real isn’t it? Don’t we humans make an awful lot of repetition?!
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories you are willing to share with us?
It was recorded all over the place over a few years. Some in London, some in Somerset, some in Brighton and even some in Glasgow I think. Behind the scenes stories… well, it’s not really a juicy story as such, but we did have a full-on hiatus in the middle of recording during which we genuinely had no idea whether or not we were going to continue as a band. Elliot left at one point and then came back, I went off the whole thing for a few months, and then our bass player left for good. So it was tumultuous to say the least.
What are the key influences behind the album?
The Strokes, definitely (Gordon Raphael recorded two of the tracks on the record) also The Lemonheads, Pixies, PJ Harvey, Beck, Dinosaur Jr, The Clash, Parquet Courts… the list could go on and on!
If the album could be a soundtrack to any film – which one and why?
That’s such a hard question, because it’s pretty eclectic. It would either have to be some sort of coming of age drama with a twist, or maybe something animated. I’d actually just like for us to make our own to be honest. But you want an answer so I’ll try harder; I’m gonna go for The Goonies. Because I love it!
Do you have a favourite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
Yes, it’s from White Heat, and it’s pretty short: “i got a dog track habit” although I love all the lyrics in that tune. I think it’s quite satirical and side-eyed. It’s sort of a joke, but it deals with some real life issues in a very kitsch way. It’s also total make-believe at the same time.
Now the album is out there – what next for you?
Touring! We have nearly 40 shows booked between now and the end of this year, with some more to add, and are looking into next year now as well. Plus, we won’t keep anyone waiting for new music - we’ve already got plans in that regard.
