Feature by Ellie Garno
Jack Moore and Ben Hawthorne met on the underground in the summer of 2014; above ground, they became Juke Jaxon. Last Friday, after a sold-out show in their hometown London, the soulful indie duo released their debut single, “Memory Man.” Named for the Electro Harmonix Memory Man Pedal with which it was produced, the boys say “Memory Man” is about a person who inspired them from a young age. Lyrics like “You made me who I am today/Now I won’t lose my way” will have you wondering, who is this mystery man?
“Memory Man” opens with a simple, yet strong, bass guitar melody, like something from Arctic Monkeys compatriots. However, most of its influences—the raw guitar sounds of the 90s and Motown horns and vocal—are from another place and time. ClashMusic.com best calls Juke Jaxon “a means to indie with soul.” The chorus is cool, too: melodically aggressive, lyrically sensitive. (Also, I like the way he sings “memory.” No?) A bridge at 1:59 bares the tune to its bones, but then they’re back at it. While we wait for whatever is next for Juke Jaxon, you can like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram and Twitter
Filed under: feature friday, Features Tagged: feature friday, indie, juke jaxon, london, memory man
