Interview: Esteban



So how has your latest album/EP gone so far with fans then?

Our fans have been genuinely thrilled to get their hands on the brand-new Jackpot Motel album. They’ve waited very patiently so, when it was announced that it was happening, our Facebook was alive with genuine love and support, we are truly grateful for their response. It might sound cliché but we have the best fans; we wanted to make this record for them as much as for our record label and ourselves. I think because we kept these simple goals in mind, we managed to produce a very special and intimate album, we weren’t distracted by outside pressure’s so to speak, it is a record to cherish for these reasons.

Tell us something about the release no one knows?

The front cover to Jackpot Motel was photographed by guitarist Liam the day after he got married in Las Vegas when he and his beautiful wife did a bit of sightseeing.

If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?

De La Soul or Beck because it’d be awesome to understand their creative processes, and try to figure out what it is about those guys that makes them so consistently inspirational and tickle our pickles. Also, I reckon it would be a blast!

How has your latest release been received?

The first single release from the Jackpot Motel album was a track called Suburban Paradise. We were inundated with support from our fans, I really think we weren’t expecting too much so when people started posting positive things and writing lovely reviews about it, we were and still are bowled over.

Can you tell us about the meaning behind the track?

For most of us during lockdown searching for those fleeting moments of freedom, especially with our significant others can be tricky. Lines like ‘I think you’re pretty with your comfy’s on’ tap into the real-life colloquialisms that we use as we try to steal a moment away from the little thieves. Motown funk patterns and Philly soul drive the message of a new intimacy, and while Bruno Mars and Al Green might inspire melodies, the feel-good guitar props up the vibe throughout in a funky ‘ring my bell’-style.

What tours do you have coming up, and what can you tell us about them?

We’re chomping at the bit to take this new record live! However, like everyone we’ve put the shows on the back burner for now. We love the live thing, we lived for it back along, sometimes playing 5 or 6 gigs a week, year after year totalling 315 gigs to date. It was great sharing the stage with the likes of Dizzy Rascal, the Zutons and Gomez however, the best shows were intimate, when you can literally feel the heat from the crowd, they’re that close.

What venue are you most looking forward to playing the most, and why?

Back to Newquay, Cornwall to re-live some of those crazy intimate gigs. Everyone on holiday and up for it, we had such a party vibe with the Dirty Wrecked album – it was pretty much written about those nights and for those nights. If you saw us then, it was like you were family, part of something special. The best thing is that we still play hard, we’ve still got the funk and we learned so much that we’re almost giggling in the wings whilst we wait for the right moment to re-ignite the fuse. Can’t wait!

What else can we expect from in 2020?

COVID has, for us been a really productive period; we’ve doubled down on writing new material, so we’re heading back into the studio this year to record new material. Our goal is to simply maintain momentum and continue creating and working on our craft.

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