Leeds, UK punk/folk rock band Jake and The Jellyfish have released a music video for the track “Reading List”off their most recent album ‘Long In Winters.’
The band says, “Reading List is about confidence and learning how to deal with change. Lyrically this one was really personal to me, but I tried to write it so that it could be as relatable to others as possible, we all deal with change in our lives, whether it’s things getting in the way of seeing the person you love, loosing somebody close or even not spending enough time reading as much as you’d like. I approached our friend Claudio to do the video and he did such a great job of portraying the exact vibe of the song to the video he produced, he’s such a genuine guy and I think his input and enthusiasm for the project really gave the video an extra dynamic.”
Armed with foot-stomping, beer-soaked folk tunes and ‘sing your heart out’ punk rock anthems, Jake and the Jellyfish write dance-able, sing-along songs about the frustrations of daily life, 9 to 5 jobs, environmental concerns and more. Who knew being grumpy could be so much fun?
Social commentary is a key part to J&TJ’s music, an overall sense of dissatisfaction resides underneath the surface of very relatable, catchy lyrics. Whether it’s a fuck you to lad culture “I won’t follow your lead, and I’m not one of the lads”, or being aware of your own flaws “We’re all hypocrites, just to greater or lesser extents” they wear their emotions on their sleeves and it’s evident in their live show.
5 years of touring in a beat up old postal van has added plenty of experiences to their sound. From breaking down in a small town in France with no breakdown cover and no money to get home to accidentally headlining the Woodlands stage in front of thousands of people at Kendal Calling; it all adds to the community spirit of the Jellyfish, they just want to have some beers and play some tunes at the top of their lungs.
Originally just Jake playing punk folk songs by himself, the band met at uni in Leeds, and quickly became a unit rather than a one man show. Deciding to play as many shows as possible, as quickly as possible, they met many friends along the way. And what’s more fun then travelling the world and hanging out with your friends? Over the years their sound has gained more and more energy and yet has still matured.
In addition to performing shows all over, the band has played festivals like Rebellion, Mighty Sounds, Boomtown, Bearded Theory, Kendal Calling, Beat-herder and The Fest, and has shared stages with bands such as Red City Radio, The Skints, H20, Random Hand and Beans on Toast, which has enabled them to carve their own foothold in the DIY music scene.
Upcoming shows:
FEB 1 The Peer Hat, Manchester, UK
MAY 24-May 26 Call of the Wild Festival Lincoln, England, United Kingdom
AUG 6-Aug 9 Punk Rock Holiday 1.9 Tolmin, Goriška Statistical Region, Slovenia
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