Watching Sparks Fly

In this Jubilee year, when Top Shop sells MC5 t-shirts and Busted claim an affinity with the Sex Pistols, it’s a relief that somebody has managed to retain something of the essence of punk. Jetplane Landing are a third of the way through a 60 date tour, a self-booked stint that’ll cover every nook of Ireland and the UK, promoting the release of their second self-funded LP on their own independent label. The Anglo-Irish four-piece have heeded their own counsel and continue to forge “another way” in order to survive in the murky music biz. All very admirable you’ll agree, but how’s the reality of living with principles shaping up?

“It’s very stressful!” laughs Andrew down the line from the northern tip of Scotland on day 24. “Doing the tours that we have to do isn’t monstrous craic all the time. Being independent means we sacrifice a lot of things that go with the road. You don’t go out after the shows, you don’t drink. You just have so much extra work to do and there’s a high stress level all the time. So we’re very much at fever pitch.
“But then,” he adds, “that informs the way we play. It can be really unhinged which is exciting. I always wanted to be in a band that was unpredictable. It’s very easy to be safe and play your songs the same way every night. But in this band we mess around a lot and we can be really brilliant or it can all fall apart.”
Such fiery determination sets JPL apart. As they have invested literally everything into their band – money, time, heart and guts – it’s unsurprising the resultant music sounds like their lives depend on it. Once Like A Spark, the new record, is 40 minutes of unmitigated urgency. It’s feisty, political (with a small p), personal, frustrated, cathartic and at war with itself. It’s nothing the average person won’t recognise in themselves. And on top of all this, it’s chockfull of tunes. An obvious progression from Els Quarte Gats, the interim EP released last year, the new album is sonically much heavier than debut Zero For Conduct. Emo to the core, thematically, the songs are hefty with self-realisation and social comment.
“There’s a transparency we’re trying to achieve with our music.” agrees Andrew. “So there can be some quite schizophrenic resolutions to the songs. We write personal songs and social songs and there are songs on the record that fuse both. Sometimes they’re like little self-help books I write for myself and I hope other people can get that too. All I can do as a songwriter and all we can do as a band is diarise our experiences and be really free with our pens and hope that that speaks to people.”
Judging by the regular visitors to the band’s website and by the growing numbers at the shows, JPL are winning themselves a hugely loyal fanbase, something they never take for granted.
“Yeah, we’re fuelled by the people who like the band,” says Andrew. “If they weren’t there buying the albums or selling out shows, we couldn’t do it. In a way, we’re a metaphor for other people who want to do something themselves in their life. And that makes me feel good, the feeling that we’re doing something useful as well as entertaining.”

Once Like A Spark is out now on Smalltown America