top of page

Interview | Jet Black Alley Cat

Having amassed over 600k streams with their latest EP 'The Back Era', Jet Black Alley Cat have returned with their new energetic sound, whilst still maintaining what makes them so popular with their fans.

 

'Ready For This' discusses the emotional pros and cons of entering a serious commitment, in a new and uplifting style for the band. Powerful lyrics, excellent vocals and a total band performance at the top level will make you wonder how you ever weren’t a fan of JBAC.

 

We had a chat with Joe from the band to find out more...


Introduce yourselves to our readers!

Y"o it’s Joe from the band jet black alley cat & I’ll be answering your questions today."


When did you meet and start making music together?

"4 of us met in college and played under different names & acoustic sets. But once meeting Bryant, our drummer, in 2014 we officially called ourselves jet black alley cat. The rest is history."


Is there a story behind the band name?

"No real story behind the name, just stumbled across the idea walking in a theatre I was working at one night. It felt like a set of words that somehow put our character on display. Rock n roll sounding. So we rolled with it."


Who are your biggest inspirations?

"Inspirations are vast & can come from any place at any time. Movies & movie characters played big roles in our themes. As far as artists I’d say the killers, Johnny Cash, The 1975, Amy Winehouse, the nbhd & others."


You’ve just released your newest single ‘Ready For This’. Tell us a bit about it!

"‘Ready for This’ was written in the middle of this set of songs. A random day in our home studio we found the chorus and it came together pretty quick. It’s a look into commitment & the patience of falling in love. It has great energy & it’s a great way to start this chapter of our music life."

It’s accompanied by a music video. Was there a concept behind the visuals?

"This video was shot during the heart of Covid lockdown. So we had very limited options at the time. We decided to use the most consistent thing in our band career, The Road Van, & be as unsafe as possible hanging out the side of it. It’s a performance video with as many outfit changes as possible. Hopefully we set some record for that. You guys should find out."


How have you found releasing music and being creative during the pandemic - which has been overall pretty awful for artists?

"Most of this year was spent recording & building the content of the record, and less in the writing phase for us. Making the record is really about just getting down to it and getting the work done. So I can’t say the pandemic has affected us in that area very much. Now in terms of the most crucial element of our band, touring, it’s been demoralizing. That’s the lifeblood of who we are while maintaining the connection we have with those in the room. It’s what we missed the most during all this."


Finally, have you got any more plans for the near future?

"Plan is to release the record in the new year with another video (maybe our best we’ve ever made) & kinda ride off in the sunset. It’s our time you know. We’re so thankful & proud of every moment we’ve shared together. Fingers crossed on timing, but we hope to do one final set of shows as a goodbye. So those of you reading this, hold on to that & put your good energy into the world that a tour finds a way to happen. Love you all."


'Ready For This' is out now.


Read more of our interview with Jet Black Alley Cat in Issue Two of our print magazine!

Pre-order HERE

 

The Lowdown is an online blog & print entertainment platform for music discovery featuring the very best in both established and upcoming talent. Find the latest news, reviews, interviews with your favourite artists and grab tickets to upcoming gigs & tours.

bottom of page