Introducing: Straight Jacket Legends

By Chris Marshman

FFO Yellowcard, MXPX, Zebrahead

FACEBOOKhttp://www.facebook.com/straightjacketlegend
TWITTER http://www.twitter.com/straightjacketlegends

Straight Jacket Legends are a band that employ the sort of Pop Punk you would hear in the early ‘noughties’ and you know what, that’s brilliant. How many bands can you say that you know of right now that sound like a mix between Good Charlottes “The Young and The Hopeless” and old school Simple Plan? It’s positive, incredibly catchy and while essentially Pop Punk at its heart, it’s a form of the genre you don’t hear all to much these days, and we urge you to check Straight Jacket Legends out, you’ll be reliving your youth in no time.

Below is a stream of their song “Paul Shakes” taken from their debut EP “Lemon Party” along with an interview with the band.

Hey Guys, first of all, can we get a brief overview of who Straight Jacket Legends are and what type of music you play?
We are a 4 piece orchestral pop punk band from Wales, we are like your melodic pop punk with piano and orchestra! We feel orchestral backing is missing from pop punk so we try to do something a bit different.

Talk to me a bit behind the history of the band
Well the band came about in the winter of 2010, as Tommy, Jake and Caine are all brothers and we had been playing music together in other forms beforehand, we wanted to try out something new, so we fused orchestral music with pop punk and added all 4 singers as parts to the songs and then SJL was born. We played local shows to try out different ways playing our music live and to build a fan base, from this we started hitting some interest and people were liking our stuff.

I think your brand of music is very reminiscent of early “modern” Pop Punk, is that something that you guys grew up on and have incorporated into your music?
Definitely! We all grew up listening to MxPx , Sum 41, Mest, Guttermouth that sorta thing so we use these as big influences in what we do with our songs, but at the same time we are fans of like classic rock and other music so we try to just add bits from everywhere but try and keep it pop punky.

You released an EP “Lemon Party” back in January, how have you found the reaction to that?
Releasing Lemon Party was awesome it’s our first ever release and the reaction has been awesome, our download sales are looking good and our radio feedback from Kerrang, BBC, Amazing Radio and Idobi Radio not to mention our video for ‘Sofia’ is on Kerrang!TV and Scuzz, it has been amazing, the support we are getting is so flattering!

Going into the rest of the year, what do you guys have planned?
We are currently touring up and down the country promoting our music and networking with people, we have just recorded a song with indie punk rapper MC Lars, we are talking to labels and promoters and just trying to promote and gain more fans before the year is out!

If you could name one, what has been the single highlight of being in the band so far?
I think seeing our video on Kerrang and having people see that and recognise us in the street is the craziest but most awesome thing ever!

Do you have anything else you’d like to add?
If you like us please visit and spread the word at www.ianbeale.com thank you !!

Chris Marshman