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Jungle (band)

Jungle are a British dance music project founded in 2013 by London-based producers Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland. Jungle have released four studio albums: Jungle (2014), which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, For Ever (2018), Loving in Stereo (2021), and Volcano (2023). The first two albums were released through XL Recordings while the latter two via their independent label Caiola Records. In 2023, having worked as the main musical contributor on Loving In Stereo and Volcano, and a key performing member of the live group, Lydia Kitto joined as a permanent member.

Background

Jungle were founded in 2013 by Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland, who had been friends since they were nine years old and lived next door to each other in Shepherd's Bush, London. Originally the pair were part of the short-lived indie band Born Blonde, which released one album in 2012. They went on to form Jungle at the beginning of 2013, choosing to put an aesthetic emphasis on the music's surrounding artwork and videos, and not on the pair's own identity. Initially hiding their names and faces, Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland came to be known as J and T. Over the course of the following year, Jungle evolved into a collective by working with different artists across diverse disciplines. To perform the music live, Jungle expanded to a seven-piece band, fronted by J and T. The pair wished to challenge themselves, resisting the temptation to simply re-produce their music from their laptops, and instead translated their songs into a full and organic live experience. J and T have explained that Jungle stemmed from a desire for 'honesty… true connection and friendship. It's about being in a collective and collective energy… [a] team spirit.'

Musical career

2013–2018: Jungle

Jungle released their single "The Heat" on 21 October 2013 through Chess Club Records. In December 2013, Jungle were nominated for BBC's Sound of 2014 prize. That year, the group played at South by Southwest in Texas in March 2014. On 16 June 2014, the band played on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and played Glastonbury Festival later that month.

Their debut album Jungle was released through XL Recordings on 14 July 2014. To celebrate the release, the band played a special launch party on a Peckham rooftop. The show was filmed using drones. During the launch week, the band played live sessions on BBC Radio 1, 2 and 6 Music.

During August 2014, the band performed at Reading and Leeds Festivals. During September 2014, Jungle made appearances on Le Grand Journal (Canal+), at London's Roundhouse for the iTunes Festival, where they played with Pharrell Williams, and on Later... with Jools Holland.

The debut album was shortlisted for the 2014 Mercury Prize in September 2014. "Busy Earnin'" was also voted in at Number 67 in the 2014 Triple J Hottest 100 Countdown in Australia.

In early 2015, it was announced that the band would perform at the Boston Calling Music Festival in May 2015. On 26 June 2015, Jungle played on the Other Stage at the 2015 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. On 9 December 2017, they performed as part of the line up of Trópico, a 3-day-long music festival in Acapulco, Mexico.

Use of songs in media

Their song "Busy Earnin'" has been featured in many television shows and other media. It is present in the playlists of FIFA 15 and Forza Horizon 2. It has been featured in TV productions several times, for example, in the opening sequence and credits for the Tales from the Borderlands episode "Zer0 Sum," as a background music in a bar in season 2, episode 6 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as well as in a club scene in German television series Tatort (episode 916: "Der Wüstensohn"). Since the end of 2014, "Busy Earnin'" has been the title song of the German TV show Mein bester Feind. It was also featured in season 2, episode 10 of the American sitcom Superstore, as well as in the American TV show House of Lies. In 2022, iTV Sport's British Touring Car Championship TV broadcasts race results and championship standing screens featured instrumental "Happy Man" and "Smile" as background audio. Their song, "Drops" was used as the end-credits track in episode 6, season 2 of the HBO series, Looking.

2018–2019: For Ever

On 8 May 2018, Jungle released two new singles, "House in L.A." and "Happy Man," on a 7-inch record and on multiple digital music platforms.

On 22 September 2018, the band played their single "Heavy, California" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and, on 11 December 2018, the band played their single "Smile" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Use of songs in media

On 13 September 2018, "Heavy, California" was used to open the Apple September event. In December 2018, the band's first single "Platoon" was used for the Peloton Digital Commercial. Their single "Beat 54" was featured in football video game by EA Sports, FIFA 19. During the summer of 2019, Jungle's song, "The Heat " was played in Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew commercial, 'Whoa Nitro' Starbucks. Their single "Happy Man" was featured in a commercial by phone network O2 in 2019, in the first season of Spanish Netflix series Elite, and as the opening theme to the Apple TV+ show WeCrashed.

In April 2017, their track "Busy Earnin'" was used for the Toyota Yaris Hybrid TV advertisement.

2021–2022: Loving in Stereo

On 16 March 2021, Jungle premiered a trailer for "Loving in Stereo" featuring a vignette of the dancers regularly associated with the collective from previous videos, performing in some sort of abandoned compound or prison. As of the date of the trailer's release, it was initially unclear whether the title was in reference to their next album or just a single.

It was not until 22 March 2021 that Loving in Stereo was confirmed as the title of their third studio album, by way of the announcement of the album's first single, "Keep Moving" which premiered via Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1's Hottest Record on 23 March 2021.

2023–present: Volcano

On 27 March 2023, the band announced their fourth studio album, Volcano, would be released on 11 August 2023 via Caiola Records.

On 11 August 2023, the band released Volcano along with an accompanying film titled Volcano, The Motion Picture.

Music videos

Jungle are known for their one-shot dance videos co-directed by Josh Lloyd-Watson, one of the two members of the band. Lloyd-Watson frequently collaborates with the same dancers, choreographer, and cinematographer.

Music videos for all the singles from the second album – "Casio," "Heavy California," "Cherry " and "Happy Man" – were directed by Lloyd-Watson and Charlie Di Placido, with Oliver Hadlee Pearch co-directing on "Happy Man." Choreography was overseen by Nat Zangi and Kane Klendjian (KZ Creatives), who also stars in "Happy Man." Olly Wiggins was the director of photography on all four videos.

Members

Jungle

Josh Lloyd-Watson – lead vocals, guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, synthesizers, sampler (2013–present)
Tom McFarland – lead vocals, bass, keyboards, synths, samplers (2013–present)

Lydia Kitto – lead vocals, keyboards, flute, guitar, bass (2021–present)

Touring

Current

George Day – drums, samplers (2013–present), percussion (2021–present)

Geo Jordan – percussion, guitar, keyboards, bass, backing vocals (2021–present)
Will Fry - percussion (2024)

Former

Andro Cowperthwaite – backing vocals (2013–2018; 2019–2021)
Jordan "PHANTOMjjjjj" Hadfield – bass, drums, percussion, backing vocals (2021–2022)
Fraser MacColl – guitar, bass, backing vocals (2013–2021)
Rudi Salmon – backing vocals (2013–2021)
Nat Zangi – backing vocals (2018–2019)
Andreya Triana – backing vocals (2021–2022)
Dominic Whalley – percussion, synthesizers, backing vocals (2013–2021; 2022–2023)