”What sets aside The Jade Assembly from the plethora of indie-rock try hards that litter the music scene of the modern day is that the band are not merely going through the motions of a tired genre but reinventing it, giving it new life and allowing it to rise from its own ashes”
Ian Critchley , Louder Than War”Best Guitar band since Kasabian”
Clint Boom, XFM/Inspiral Carpets
It’d be easy to dismiss Bolton indie-rock band, “The Jade Assembly” as just another in the fine tradition of bands from the Manchester area, but they stress that they are keen to stand apart from their contemporaries – they’re in it for the long haul, and for the right reasons. Nothing is fabricated or posed, and their attitude is one which can only come from an inescapable force of conviction in their music.
Formed of John Foster (Foz) on Vox and Guitar, Gareth “Smedz” Smedley on Lead Guitar, Danny Hayes on Bass and Andy Watson keeping it all together on Drums, each member of The Jade Assembly has a clear sense of purpose which means nothing is contrived. Foz is a true northern poet – his songwriting places honesty above favour – he’s a frontman who possesses an imposing sense of belief – arrogance is there, yes – but he’s definitely full of commitment.
Foz says,
“Every word counts. Some people can’t see the wood for the trees, but if you don’t see The Jade Assembly – you’re missing the best bit of the forest…”
New single, “One Last Time”, released on 4 May, is a rock song with a heart, strong and powerful. It’s a lyrically challenging piece sung from the POV of an observer at a table of friends late at night – “sat round my table late at night, everyone talking lies, talking free, and no-one can remember half the things we said, but I know they’re true, you know I’m true. Something changed, for the good, for everyone”. It’s pure poetry, with the guitar and drums holding it all together. Foz’s vocals are sung both sweetly and snarled – so much emotion and passion, you can feel he’s put his all into both the composition and the execution.
Speaking about the song, which was launched in Bolton on Sunday, Foz said,
“We’re really excited.
“It’s got a lot of airplay this song, we’ve had a plugger involved.
“It’s made quite a big difference, they’ve got the connections with the different radio stations.
“It’s getting played on XFM, it’s going to be played on BBC 6 Music.
“We’re just looking for a big record label really. We want to be able to do the band full-time.
“This is the best line-up now. We have been doing it for four or five years and we’ve had a few changes.”
“One Last Time” is available now on iTunes. The Jade Assembly are on tour around the UK at the moment – you can catch them at the following venues:
Saturday 9th May – Midland, Rochdale (Acoustic)
Saturday 16th May – Sound Control, Manchester with Danny Mahon & Friends
Friday 22nd May – Maida Vale, Sheffield
23rd/24th May – Liverpool Sound City
Saturday 20th June – Cadence Festival, Tyldesley
Saturday 1st August – Kendal Calling
Saturday 29th August – Red Lion four lane ends, Bolton (Acoustic)
18th/19th/20th September – Ramsbottom Festival
Friday 16th October – Kings Arms, Ashton
Check out The Jade Assembly online on Facebook, Twitter, Reverbnation, SoundCloud, Instagram, YouTube, and their Official Website.
[youtube https://youtu.be/yU3EcXkCCcQ]
