Jordan Allen
Ahead of Fridays show at The Zanzibar, Getintothis’ Amos Wynn caught up with the front man of Bolton band Jordan Allen.
Jordan Allen released their latest single Synchronised last week.
To accompany this the band have also ventured on tour across the country which including the date in Liverpool on the 15th.
The band’s singer, Jordan Allen, says the reaction to their latest release has been “really really good,” after receiving radio plays and some naming it track of the week. “It’s had a great response and we are dead happy with it.”
Allen says Synchronised is about juggling university and a music career at the same time. “It was hard trying to balance studying and trying to write a tune at the same time. Since finishing it has been easier because there’s a bit more freedom, I’m pretty much in the music world full time now, I can’t complain.”
He adds jokingly, “it’s a nice time and I hope it will all fall into place otherwise I’ll have to get a real job.” As well as the single, the band also released the B-side, Half Life Lover alongside it.
“We didn’t tell anyone about it and has received a really good reaction, it has been ace, we have been blown away by it.” The singer says releasing music is something you “don’t really get used to, it is a strange time.”
He admits when releasing music, they are always ‘confident’ and back their tunes, “hoping that other people jump on board with it and like it as much as us. It is a worry, especially in this day and age, it is so tough for new bands to get their music out there. So, it is nice that people are listening us, it’s a great feeling that they are chatting about it.”
The reaction to their songs has been ‘pretty manic,’ and jokes the nature of the reaction “depends where we go.”
“You get people coming up singing the songs at you. I was sat in the library at uni and this lad was looking at me weirdly, he came over and went ‘you are in a band, aren’t you?’ It is weird, and you don’t get used to it.”
Whilst in Birmingham, “a group of lads went past chanting about a footballer to the tune of ‘ROSIE’, I thought it was outstanding football knowledge.”
Thinking back to previous gigs, Allen admits it’s ‘tough’ to pick a favourite. “I think the Academy with The Sherlocks was really good because it was one of the biggest crowds we have played to, everyone in the room was bouncing front to back.”
He also picks out their first appearance at Reading and Leeds as a “really cool” chance to have, whilst “even turning on Bolton Christmas lights was dead good, the 5000 people there was probably the most we have played to.”
The big shows continue throughout this summer for the four piece as they headline the This Feeling stage at Isle of Wight and a main stage appearance at Kendal Calling. “I think Kendal is our biggest yet, and we are on before Catfish as well so that’s cool. I think the big shows are yet to come hopefully.”
Paul McCartney Liverpool Philharmonic Pub and Carpool Karaoke mayhem
On the bands December tour, Allen says there were ‘a few shocks’ in Plymouth and Southampton. “For some reason they love us down there; we got out our minibus and people were shouting at us wanting pictures. We sold out both, so it was really special. It’s nice to know you are not just stuck in the north and other people are listening elsewhere in the country.”
So far on the current tour, they have played in Cardiff where “we received a really good reception and a lot of people singing the songs. It’s nice everywhere we go to get some good crowds.”
For the future, Allen hopes to play in Scotland again having previously played in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee with ‘our Scottish mates’ Vida.
“We have been lucky enough to play a lot of places in England; playing in Ireland and then Europe would be really cool, but one step at a time.”
Touring is one of Allen’s favourite part of being part of a band. “It’s the best thing, I love it. I wish we could to do it all of the time, but you’ve got to get back to real life at some point. Hopefully we will be able to do it full time soon, that’s the dream.”
Since December’s tour the band have had some time off whilst they have been recording.
Over the past year the band have also had some pretty good support slots, with the likes of The Bluetones and The Sherlocks, stating “it’s mad getting on the same stage as some of these people, it’s not something you expect.”
On The Sherlocks he says, “I’ve known them for a long time, I supported them on their first gig in Manchester where they played to like ten people.”
“It’s nice because you get to play with bands who are now conquering. In the past we have played with the likes of Blossoms, it’s nice seeing them progress.”
Living in the North West is something Allen values and ‘appreciates’ how great Liverpool and Manchester are.
Jordan Allen
The band recently played Liverpool Sound City, which the singer described as ‘class,’ with their next Liverpool show being at the Zanzibar. Meanwhile he’s hoping to do a big Manchester show, “we want to go back after festival season and make it a really special gig.”
“Living in Bolton is a pretty hard and tough position because the only real music venue has closed down, so we play Manchester quite a lot.”
Allen has had a number of musical influences throughout his life. Growing up his dad listened a lot of James, The Smiths and U2; since university he has found himself getting into garage and hip hop as well.
“I’m into a vast range of things, even down to Jazz. I like a bit of everything, so it is nicely balanced with a good mix of influences.”
Meanwhile his band mates have a taste of their own. Lead guitarist Danny Quin is into more ‘poppy’ stuff, whilst drummer Nathan Howard and bassist Kieran Loughran like ‘’heavy stuff,” with Allen finding himself somewhere in the middle.
The front man is pleased that they are now ‘lucky’ enough to be in a position where they are a band who can influence. Allen decided he wanted to be in a band when he was 16 and started writing songs about girls in college; “a few of them then got played and I thought maybe we should carry on.”
“Me and Danny originally formed the band, I found him doing Ed Sheeran covers at an open mic night in Bolton and I thought he was great. Then Kieran came in on bass, and our drummer had recently left another band in Manchester, so it worked out quite well. From there it skyrocketed.”
The singer jokes the band name has left him looking like “an absolute dickhead who has named a band after myself. By the time we started getting a reputation we asked our management could we change our name and they said no because the reputation was too big already. Not much chance of it being copied, I write the tunes, so I suppose I have to stake some claim. If I leave the band they’re screwed.”
One of Allen’s hopes for the next 12 months is for the band to get the chance to play Glastonbury. He also believes “we should be able to tour pretty consistently on our own full time, so then it can start paying the bills.”
They already have their next single ‘Naked’ ready for August, with Allen saying “we are really exited about it, it was a tough decision which to release first. It is quite a party anthem with a little rave break down in the middle.”
There’s plenty to look forward to for the Bolton four piece, with more tours and more music, the future is bright.
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