Interview: Trampolene lead has spring in his step thanks to Pete Doherty, ahead of PJ Molloys gig

Jack Jones, the sickeningly talented lead of the three-piece, is on his own in a Frankfurt dressing room waiting for the The Libertines frontman and free spirit, Pete Doherty, to return from yet another one of his spontaneous adventures, when he takes my call.

The Swansea-born Jack was handpicked by the iconic figure to take up the lead in Doherty’s indie project band, the Puta Madres, after performing two poems ahead of The Libertines taking to the stage in front of 20,000 adoring fans.

Sell-out crowds are not uncommon for Trampolene anymore either, and that’s not at all surprising, given the unquestionable efforts they put in during their genesis that saw themselves locked away, by choice, in an internet-free “mayhem house” in London. A home of creative freedom and madness, the move from Wales was the catalyst that sparked their then immeasurable trajectory, with masses of new fans in towns across the UK being accumulated with ease.

Scotland is a favourite touring spot of Jack’s, and without a question being asked, he bursts into a proclamation of his love of Scots and their recent political voting.

“There’s never been a better time to be in Scotland or be Scottish,” he told Press:ON: “Your rugby team is starting to look pretty awesome and you’re the only people in the country who voted the right way! (referring to Brexit). You’re showing everyone up! If I was Scottish I’d be proud as hell of my country. I’m quite embarrassed by how Wales voted. Scotland stuck it to the man!

“I love it up there. When I played the Barrowlands in Glasgow with Peter, I’ve never seen a crowd go so mental in all my life! It’s just amazing! Whenever I go to a gig the crowd is the thing that amazes me more than the music. You guys just know how to enjoy yourselves!”

What can the packed PJ’s crowd expect from Jack, Wayne Thomas (bass, vocals) and Rob Steele (drums, vocals), when they make their Dunfermline debut on Tuesday night, then?

“I don’t even know what to expect from me, pal. I don’t have a clue what we’re going to do”, Jack says with a natural freedom that is ever-present in all of their previous works.

Whether in spoken word or in strong riffs and intense vocals, Trampolene have their own identity. Jack’s poetry and writing is blunt and resonating, creative and slick.

Even before his introduction to Doherty and his ways, the 25-year-old was always passionate about the words on the page being written before an instrument was lifted.

Speaking of Doherty, Jack laughs: “I think he has just popped back to Paris to pick up a suit, as you do! He should arrive just before the show. Hopefully.

“I don’t even know how to describe him any more really. It’s like working with a fictional character from a novel. Maybe a Sherlock Holmes songwriter? He’s completely surreal and I never thought I’d meet anyone like him. You hear all these stories about him and then when you actually meet him, you realise that they’re all true. He’s so spontaneous. He lives by his own rules. He holds no fear.

“He’s so surreal and it’s not even on a daily basis! It’s on a minutely basis! You always have to be ready to adapt. If he wants to rehearse in Barcelona for a few days, that’s us off to Barcelona. That’s just the tip of the iceberg really.”

“Last year I thought things couldn’t get any better for me and then after a Trampolene show in London, Peter’s manager calls me the next day telling me that Peter wants me to be his new guitarist. I said “yeah,” and he says, “Good, cause we’ve booked you on a flight to Buenos Aries at 7pm tonight so pack your bags and get on your bike.”

This year is set to be a busy one for Jack and his own band, too, as Trampolene are set to release a full-length debut album in the summer, “even if I have to press it myself,” Jack adds.

The trio had previously released five “Pocket Albums”, typically five- to six-track EPs, from April 2014 to November last year.

“We’re going to leave space for four or five new songs and then we’ll have a debate on what songs everyone wants on the album. If it wasn’t for everyone supporting us, we wouldn’t be here. It would be silly to make the album without having a chat with fans.”

It is that connection with fans that separates them from other bands.
In January this year, Jack, Wayne and Rob performed literal ‘house party’ shows in fans’ homes, in what was a “truly humbling and touching” experience for the band.

The Welsh talent is extremely proud of what they have been able to achieve as a group, after what started off as an idea that he was originally too coy to share.

He said: “Last year was a really big one for me emotionally, as well as learning and settling into the kind of artist I am and who I want to be. 

“When we first started as a band, I was quite shy to share our music and put myself out there. I always wanted to be a poet with music and I thought it was just a brilliant idea for a band and like nothing that had ever been seen before. 

“I was really private. And now I just feel like I’m a writer as much as a musician and feel I kind of embody them both in what I do, and what the band do. I don’t feel scared of what I am any more.

“For me personally, lyrics are a lot more important than the actual music. Music is just the vessel of how you carry the story. Music is just music to me. Without the lyrics it’s just empty.”

Tickets for the gig are available for £6.95 via www.ticketweb.co.uk, with doors opening at 7pm.