UK's Pave The Jungle's killer debut single "Jelly" is a huge flash of light

Pave The Jungle

UK's Pave the Jungle's debut single Jelly at first might feel like your sort of standard heavy rocker, that timeless sound with tinges of post punk seeping through and then something happens. You hear Rachael Whittle’s vocals while the music eases back. Her low growl, register is instantly captivating. It is like a huge flash of light or explosion while you are walking down a city street. You must run to it and see what is happening. As soon as you hear her voice the song is elevated and, to be honest, at that point the music shifts more divergent as well around her vocal melodies that vacillates between a sort of stalking narcotic sound to passionate wails. The big guitars and lead breaks crank and kill as does the drum and bass work that, at one point snaps like a military drum core alternative rock style (of course). Whittle (whose Newcastle based grunge punk band of five years ILSER imploded) as songwriter might drive the charge but the band in total is making critical and creative choices that all work. What a debut single, what a fucking amazing debut single. 
-
Robb Donker




THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:

PAVE THE JUNGLE reveal first single JELLY - arriving January 31st, 2020 via self-release.

A rousing debut capturing bandleader Rachael Whittle’s full arrival as a poised, thoughtful songwriter unafraid to tackle the murkier aspects of life.

Let it be known­­­: the real turning point in Rachael’s approach arrived summer 2018. Reeling after the collapse of her band of five years (Newcastle’s fevered grunge-punks ILSER), she attended an all-female artist mentorship program coordinated by city creative hub Generator. This led to a week loose in the studio in some accomplished company. Among her collaborators during those sessions were Mercury Prize nominee Nadine Shah; and James Brown – guitarist with acclaimed rockers Pulled Apart by Horses.

“Collaborating with musicians of that calibre, without any pressure looming over me, started the entire process which has led to Pave The Jungle.

“For too long, I was rooted entirely in live performance. In that setting, it’s easy to skip thinking into things too deeply - in favour of just making it faster or louder! That goes for the structuring of songs as much as it does for exploring sensitive lyrical themes.

“Whatever the songs were at the time I scraped them off stage and into the studio, that’s how they remained – forever. Now, the intention is to deliberate more. Not just to view the studio as a place for exploring more daring ideas, but to make sure there’s real meaning and value attached to the end-result.”

The result of the changes to her process are evident. Jelly is a huge leap forward in every sense. A vitriolic declaration that’s at once both hard to ignore and tricky to pigeonhole from a stylistic standpoint. The venom and yearning of all her previous work still entirely present, only delivered with renewed articulation.

And there’s lots more to come: “We have our next four or five releases planned out already”. (A trio of local players and past-collaborators complete PAVE THE JUNGLE’s line-up).

“It feels great having all of this room to breathe, and to plan, and to write!”