Where the California Dream collides with the sound of London, find the neo-soul musical collective whose 2014 album was nominated for a Mercury Prize.
Featuring singles ‘Platoon’, ‘Busy Earnin’’, ‘Time’, ‘The Heat’ and ‘Julia’, their self-titled debut evoked escapism, with an unmistakable sound and a vivid, visual world.
The whole thing was dreamed up by Josh ‘J’ Lloyd-Watson and Tom ‘T’ McFarland, a production and multi-instrumentalist duo who became the core of a talent-filled seven-strong collective.
Jungle now have under their belt songs of the summer (two summers, even), viral videos, half a million sales and rave reviews (including from Noel Gallagher).
If Jungle’s first album was their imaginary soundtrack to the places they had never been, 2018’s second album For Ever was inspired by real-life experiences of the places they’d dreamed of for so long.
Support comes from singer-songwriter Rosie Lowe, with her signature downbeat material which draws inspiration from R&B, soul and electronic music.
Opening the show is Swedish producer and multi-instrumentalist sir Was, whose debut album Digging a Tunnelwas selected by Lauren Laverne as her album of 2017.
Swapping Shepherd’s Bush for the Hollywood Hills, J and T set up camp in Los Angeles to write and record the album.
Over time, their romanticisation of the Californian Dream clashed with the reality of actually living it, the feeling of being adrift on the West Coast compounded by the collapse of long-term relationships.
Returning home to London, they teamed up with highly regarded young producer Inflo, where they sought to create a ‘post-apocalyptic radio station playing break up songs’.
That station and those songs and that journey are the sound of Jungle’s second album For Ever. They had to go away to come home.
And what J and T lost in love, they gained in music.
For Ever is for real, deeper and higher, more intimate and more expansive, feelgood and, just occasionally, feelbad. It is, then, a proper second album.
need to know
Age recommendation
For ages 14+. Under-18s should be accompanied by an adult.
Ticketing
Tickets go on sale to Southbank Centre Members at 10am, Wednesday 12 June, and on general sale at 10am, Friday 14 June.
Southbank Centre takes a strong view on secondary ticketing. We require the lead booker to attend (photo ID may be requested). Tickets can only be resold by Southbank Centre or one of its authorised agents.
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