New and exciting UK based post-punk band JOOLS release their new single ‘Cross-Dressing In A Freudian Slip’ on 27th November 2020. Jools’ last single ‘How Can Some Experience What Pride Is Without Liberation For All?’ saw the band cherry-picked as Daniel P Carter’s ‘Rockest Record of the Week’ on his BBC Radio 1 Rock Show. It was also picked as Alex Baker’s ‘Track of the week’ on Kerrang Radio and had further spins with Idobi Radio, Endeavour FM, Radio Plus, Amazing Radio and many other respected radio stations in the build up to release. Latest single CDIAFS has also already landed spins with BBC Radio 1, Kerrang Radio, Karma Radio, Total Rock Radio, and many other stations.
Named after Jools Holland and being inspired to do so after watching a performance by guests of the show – Shame, Jools take shape in the formation of a sextet and proudly demonstrate their stance on socialism, public figures and the importance of well-being. The band naturally exhibit a raw wave of well-layered and harmonised noise, drawing influences from artists such as The Cure, Ramones and Pixies.
Jools have upcoming shows with the likes of Rae, Rosa Parks, Gen And The Degenerates, and Immerse and play Farm Fest and Furnace Fest in 2021 with more festival confirmations looking likely. Furthermore, the band already have plans in place to tour the UK and mainland Europe extensively throughout 2021 and recently sold out 2 hometown shows in under 8 hours too!
True to form, the band continue to tackle and challenge important political and social issues in their music, and lyrically this is another Jools song which proves incredibly potent and relevant in 2020.
Singer Mitchell Gordon explains – ‘Our latest single, ‘Cross-Dressing in a Freudian Slip’ is a toast to the importance of the arts. The title, is a nod towards the art of drag – with a ‘Freudian Slip’ being an unintentional projection of subconscious feelings, and a ‘slip’ typically being known as a women’s undergarment. Drag is my favourite art form, and an art form I’m hoping to explore once the live sector returns.
Lyrically, what truly lit the fire under the arse of this song, is the government’s continuous underfunding of the arts. This is nothing new either. What is it about creativity that terrifies
politicians? Which is a rhetorical question by the way, I know exactly what it fucking is, art is a safe space to challenge political and social issues, it’s a safe space to explore self-expression, to bend societal norms. Of course it’s a right wing politicians worst nightmare, they’re all absolute fucking stiffs. Ultimately, it seemed appropriate now more than to ever, to highlight the importance of the arts, and express my gratitude towards them. This record for me was cathartic. I needed to write these words, and share them.
“Art shaped my childhood” is a lyric within the song, which I’d like to discuss further – because it’s also shaping my adulthood. I recently enrolled for my final year of university,
where I’m studying Expressive Arts & Well-being. The course has clarified my beliefs on the cruciality of expressing ourselves as human beings, playfully and artistically. At the moment, I’m studying Augusto Boal – who I reference in the song. He created the theatrical style known as the Theatre of The Oppressed, which cross-references our previous work.
I’ve worked in education for the past two years, and it’s evident that the arts aren’t deemed a necessity in the curriculum – which is complete bollocks. Once I’ve graduated, it’s my ambition to implement the arts in special education, which is the sector I work in currently. The lyric “Art has zero limitations” relates to this ambition, it’s inclusive – art is opinion based, a perception, it’s beautiful. I hope this single resonates with those who love the arts as much as me, and I hope it encourages those who are yet to explore it, to do so – even if it’s a one time thing.
