It was back in 2014 and one of the first reviews I ever did for Backseat Mafia was of this incredibly impressive Blackpool band, Jekyll. I was so impressed, I followed up with an interview and continued to follow them as they grew exponentially. At the time, I presciently questioned why this band wasn’t bigger. Now, signed up to Fierce Panda Records, Jekyll are getting the attention they deserve with new release ‘I Do What I Can’ being premiered on Radio 1 by Huw Stephens on Sunday followed by plays on BBC Radio 6 (Steve Lamacq) and BBC Radio Wales (Janice Long) this week. And just as impressive, the band is playing at the prestigious South by South West Festival in the US in March.
‘I Do What I Can’ is an impressive blast of soaring impassioned vocals and the hard edged driving sound Jekyll has infused in their music: a steely spine covered in melody and rhythm:
Spine tingling and pulse-quickening stuff. You could detect faint echoes of Muse, Radiohead and an eighties shimmer, but the sound is all Jekyll.
Singer/guitarist Joel Foster says of the song:
I Do What I Can’ s a song about relentlessly chasing the object of your desires, with a wish to change the past, and trying to force chance a little bit. It laments missed opportunities and borders on obsession. I think it’s important that there is a sense of tragedy to it all – that despite the optimism in the lyrics, the past can’t be changed and all these efforts to force fate are futile.
Those familiar with the band might recognise ‘I Do What I Can’ from the band’s debut release many years ago but, just like the band, the song has blossomed, matured and regenerated: it was too good a song to be left in the past before Jekyll had a wider audience.
Jekyll are Foster (vocals / guitar), Lewis Armistead (bass), Liam Singleton (drums) and Mike Spence (guitar).
You can get the single here and catch the band at the following places:
16th Jan – The Finsbury, London (Pandamonium)
22nd Feb – Blacksmith Arms, Doncaster (w/Ultrasound)
18th March – SXSW, Texas (Venue TBC)
19th March – SXSW, Texas (Venue TBC)
20th March – SXSW, Texas (Fierce Panda Showcase)
20th March – SXSW, Texas (Venue TBC)
20th March – SXSW, Texas (End Of The Trail Showcase)
