UK band to give Indian fans a treat on sounds inspired by nature

A UK band will treat its fans in India for the first time with its nature-inspired sounds

Organically melodic and rhythmic soul music, with elements of funk and electronic, built on a base of sounds borrowed from nature comes close to describing UK outfit Jungle’s work. Modern compositions constructed on concepts reminiscent of the era they grew up in, the members’ eclectic tastes are evident. Growing up, their drummer George Day was into hip-hop while percussionist Dominic Whalley grew up listening to Brazilian music; his rhythmic sense is founded in those traditions. Co-founders and guitarists Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson (guitars and vocals) listened to Incubus, street music and UK hip-hop. They will be making their India debut as the headlining act for SulaFest in Nashik this weekend.

A lot of Jungle’s early songs featured sounds recorded in forests. It became an integral part of their music, and today sets them apart. Take Lucky I Got What I Want, which has elements of a crackling fire giving it a constant rhythmic base. “I was in the forest with a friend and we made a big campfire. The sound of the fire caught my attention and as I had recording equipment with me, I put it to use. I uploaded it and started playing the synthesizer around it,” McFarland tells us over the phone from their Russia tour.

And hence, they were called Jungle. “It made sense as we derive our core sound from the environment, which gives it a distinct texture and sense of place and seems more surreal,” he informs. And inorganic elements is something that bothers them. “The music scene is in a weird place due to the rampant use of auto tune, which I hope will fade, like trends and fads. I hope musicians use a lot more organic and natural sounds,” he says.

Tom McFarland, Fraser MacColl, Josh Lloyd-Watson, Rudi Salmon, George Day, Dominic Whalley, and Nat Zanghi

Hence, a free state of mind while composing is a practice they swear by. “We ensure there’s no preconception about what you’re creating, because when that happens, you are bound by limitations and don’t fully explore your creativity. So, we try not to think about it too much as that’s what makes the music fake,” explains McFarland. While their titular album made heads turn, their second one, For Ever, deals with growing up and being emotionally connected as men. “Which is easily ignored in today’s society. There’s a lot of toxic masculinity — people have a negative view on masculinity and it’s expected that men don’t talk about their emotions. This, in turn, leads to anger and pain, which ripples through society,” says McFarland, explaining their song Happy Man.

Looking forward to their performance, he adds, “I’d rather go on tour than make lots of money. Because in our free time, we explore cities and get inspired. We live in an age where artistes don’t get paid. So, we spend a lot of our time on tour, or composing for advertisements and films.” Jungle will tour the US in March and the UK after, before starting work on their third album later this year.

On February 2, 2.30 pm
At SulaFest, Sula Vineyards, Nashik.
Log on to insider.in
Cost Rs 2,800 onwards

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!