Music
22 Aug 05

Electric Picnic preview: Our JJ will come

They’ve been off the radar for almost three years, but JJ72 are planning on coming back with a bang.

New Canadian bassist, Sarah Fox, reveals they’ve been drinking hard liquor for breakfast and learning how to rock like The Scorpions (ask your middle-aged East German cousin) at European festivals ahead of their visit to Stradbally Hall.
“Playing ‘Rock For Istanbul’ in Turkey and ‘Rock for People’ in Prague was amazing. We didn’t realise how well known our stuff is in that part of the world and the crowds were great. Especially in the Czech Republic, they go mental over there…good mental of course!” Sarah explains.
To get warmed up for the festival experience they’ve been knocking back Hennessey cognac for breakfast, she adds.
“It used to be a few gulps of Jameson before going on stage. But we figured if we started putting back cognac in the early hours we’d be able to put on live shows like Motörhead!” (laughs)
All heavy metal jokes aside, JJ72 are going for a harder sound these days and Irish fans will get a taste of it at the Electric Picnic.
“It’s great to be able to rock out to big audiences and our new songs are actually harsher than our stuff in the past,” Sarah says.
Along with her bandmates, she’s very keen on checking out some of the other acts lined up for what is fast becoming Ireland’s trendiest music festival.
“We all really, really, wanted to go to Electric Picnic last year, it seems like the cool Irish music festival. This year I’m really looking forward to seeing Mercury Rev, Kraftwerk and obviously The Arcade Fire, who are Canadian. Gotta support the motherland, you know!”
JJ72’s new album is ready to go but Sarah mentions there’s been a bit of a delay with actually setting the release date.
“The usual bureaucracy has been getting in the way,” she sighs. "The label say they’re waiting to find the perfect marketing window but we just want everyone to hear the album as soon as possible.”
Apparently the yet-to-be-titled record will hit the shelves this October, but until then, expect JJ72 to vent their frustrations with an incendiary set at the quaint country picnic.