Trampolene (band)

History

Trampolene are named after the Julian Cope song "Trampolene". They formed in their hometown of Swansea - Jack Jones and Wayne Thomas having met when playing for the Football Association of Wales and Jack knew drummer Kyle (a.k.a. Mr Williams) from school.

They moved to a flat in London with the idea of it being a 24/7 creative work factory, like Andy Warhol's Factory, where no internet was allowed, and they invited artists to come round and share ideas and talk about songwriting, poetry, painting and society in general. Jack roadied for Palma Violets and the Strypes in 2013. Although Jack suffers from Crohn's disease resulting in regular hospital appointments for treatment, the band began to play gigs across the country, gaining support from people such as Ray Davies, journalists Pete Paphides and Caitlin Moran, and musicians Carl Barât and Nick Hodgson.

Through mi7 Records they released limited edition 7" singles "My Bourgeoisie Girl/ Under the Strobe Light" and "You Do Nothing For Me/ Adrenaline" in 2013. "Under the Strobe Light" made them online music magazine Louder than War 's New Band of the Day. Following the release of download-only single "I Don't Know" in early 2014, the Guardian called Trampolene "the saviours of indie guitar music". This was followed in April 2014 by their first downloadable "Pocket Album" (5 songs and 1 poem) "Alcohol Kiss" which was also released as a three track limited edition single. They toured throughout the year across the UK and also in France, finishing the year supporting Carl Barât & the Jackals on New Year's Eve at the Macbeth in Hoxton, London.

March 2015 saw the release of "Pocket Album 2" and single "Imagine Something Yesterday", which was a Q Magazine Track of the Day. The video for spoken word "Health & Wellbeing (At Wood Green Job Centre)" was premiered on the Guardian online.

A line-up change in the Spring of 2015 saw Mr Williams leave the band and Jack's childhood friend Rob Steele join as Trampolene's new drummer.

"Pocket Album 3" was released in October 2015, the video for "It's Not Rock & Roll" was premiered on Clash Music website and the single received airplay on Radio X and was played by Greg James and Huw Stephens BBC Radio 1, with the Independent newspaper calling it "new music to listen to this week". The video for their cover of Leonard Cohen's "Tonight Will Be Fine" was premiered on Gigwise on 7 October and "Ketamine" on Noisey on 21 October.

Trampolene recorded a live session for "artists in residence" on John Kennedy's X-Posure show on Radio X and also for Gigwise in November 2015.

Gigs during 2015 included supporting Carl Barât & the Jackals at the Scala, London, headlining James Endeacott's 1965 Records night at the Amersham Arms, in New Cross, a four-week Friday night residency at KOKO in Camden, sets at Glastonbury and Isle of Wight festivals, supporting punk legends Buzzcocks, a headline UK tour for This Feeling in association with XFM and Jack Rocks, the Black Heart in Camden, and finishing in December at Nambucca, on Holloway Road, London, building a loyal following of fans along the way.

The video for poem "Pound Land" was premiered on Gigwise on 18 December.

Jack was asked to be Chrissie Hynde's guitarist, but turned it down due to band commitments with Trampolene.

In January 2016, Jack Jones performed poems on The Libertines arena tour, including the O2 Arena in London, in front of 20000 people.

Trampolene's first gig of 2016 was at Brixton Jamm on 6 February.

Jack Jones' first fashion shoot was for OutThere Style magazine, published February 2016 and the band were featured wearing jewellery for Pirate Treasures "Stage Style" collection also in February 2016.

Download-only single "Tom Hardy" was This Feeling's Track of the Day on Gigslutz website 28 February 2016.

Trampolene began a UK tour beginning in April 2016, with headline dates across the country throughout the year including KOKO, Nambucca and The Water Rats in London, plus venues across the UK including Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, York, Swansea, Dundee, Preston, Plymouth and the John Peel Centre for Creative Arts in Stowmarket. They also played the Greenpeace stage at Glastonbury festival for the second year running, and headlined the Jack Rocks This Feeling stage at Leeds Festival. Other festival appearances included Y Not, Kendal Calling and Party in the Pines.

During May 2016, Jack supported Peter Doherty on his "Eudaimonia" UK tour and also played guitar for him. Venues included Glasgow Barrowlands Ballroom, Manchester Albert Hall and two nights at London's Hackney Empire (where Wayne joined him to sing harmony).

Single "The Gangway" was premiered on BBC Radio 1 by Huw Stephens on 29 June 2016, followed by John Kennedy on Radio X on 30 June and subsequently played on various radio stations. The song is featured on Pocket Album Four, which was released on 12 August 2016 and reached the top 20 in digital charts across Europe.

On 3 September 2016 the day after a playing a headline show at KOKO in Camden, London, Jack appeared on Tom Robinson's BBC 6 Music show where he performed spoken word and was interviewed, which was filmed for a live stream on the Trampolene Facebook page.

7 September 2016 Jack was asked to perform "To Be A Libertine" and introduce The Libertines to the stage at their sell-out Unity Rocks charity show.

Trampolene's "homecoming" show at The Scene Bar in Swansea on 30 September made Welsh newspaper headlines, as a fan travelled from Japan to see them.

Jack Jones recorded an acoustic session for The Selector radio station of The British Council.

"Divided Kingdom" was released as a single on 11 October 2016 and was This Feeling's Track of the Day on Gigslutz website, plus Track/Song of the Day on other online music magazines. It was premiered on BBC Radio One on the Annie Mac show, first played on Radio X by John Kennedy and on BBC Radio Wales by Adam Walton. The video was premiered on Gigwise website.

Pocket Album Five was released on 25 November 2016.

In November 2016, the day after Trampolene headlined a sold out show for This Feeling (club night) at Water Rats in London, Jack flew to Argentina as Peter Doherty's lead guitarist in his band the Puta Madres, for a November/December 2016 tour of Argentina, France and UK. They played two shows for the reopening of Le Bataclan in Paris, followed by a week's tour across France and shows in London and Manchester. Jack Jones opened the shows with a solo music and spoken word set, before rejoining the stage as Peter's lead guitarist. He was described in a five star review in The Independent newspaper as "Swanseas's finest" and "sickeningly talented".

The video for "Blue Balls and a Broken Heart" was filmed during a Puta Madres show in Lyon and was premiered on NME on 29 November.

Jack Jones played two solo shows at the end of 2016, Kazoopa Festival, Leeds in November and This Feeling's New Year's Eve night at Nambucca, London.

The video for "She's A Nice Girl" was released January 2017 and "Slug" on 4 February.

In January 2017 Trampolene began a series of "House Party" gigs, playing in fans' houses. They made the Welsh newspapers after playing in a young fan's garage.

Trampolene played four dates in Scotland, 28 February and 1–3 March 2017. Other dates announced so far are 25 March in Paris and 27 April in Swindon.

Musical style

Trampolene are an alternative rock or indie rock band, with influences as diverse as The Prodigy, Oasis and Dylan Thomas.

They are described in the media as having "raw, unpolished talent...backed by squealing guitar riffs", "supercharged indie rock" with "tons of attitude and loads of melody".

Gigwise have called them "the perfect package", The Gig Channel say "Trampolene combines poetry and rock'n'roll perfectly" and This Feeling say they "do not fail to deliver with their unique combo of garage rock, kitchen-sink poetry and acoustic heartbreakers." Music website Gigslutz adding "the raw combination of the spoken word united with a weightier expression of rock rhythm symbolised This Feeling’s manifestation of exciting new talent". Jack Jones is described by The Independent as "Swansea's finest" and "sickeningly talented".

Discography

Videos

Trampolene have produced a video representation for all their songs and poems.

‘You Do Nothing For Me" / "Adrenaline" / "My Bourgeoisie Girl" / "Under The Strobe Light" / " Very Thin" / "Swansea To Hornsey" / "I Don’t Know" / "Alcohol Kiss" / "Pack Of Bastards" / "Camden Mannequins" / " Artwork of Youth" / "Imagine Something Yesterday" / "I’m On My Own" / "Ketamine" / "Pound Land" / "To Be A Libertine" were directed by acclaimed video and documentary maker Roger Sargent.

The videos for "Newcastle Brown Love Song" / "Cinderella’s Shoe" / "It’s Not Rock & Roll" / "Concept Lover" and "No One’s Got Love Like We Got" were filmed by photographer Simon Sarin.

"Tom Hardy", "Friday I'm In Love", "Dreams So Rich, Life So Poor" and "She's A Nice Girl" were filmed and directed by Lee Thomas, as well as the documentary style film "A Day in the Life of Trampolene".

"Divided Kingdom" was filmed by Lee Thomas and Wayne Thomas, and directed by Lee Thomas. It starred Shaun Rivers.

"Blue Balls & a Broken Heart" was filmed and edited by Jack Jones.

"Health & Wellbeing (at Wood Green Job Centre)", "Tonight Will Be Fine" and "Slug" were filmed by Hannah.