Jet City Sports Club's Green Thumb
Photos by: Ruby Boland
The Sydney 4-piece Jet City Sports Club have just released their new indie-pop tune ‘Green Thumb’’ while also bringing their music to audiences along the East Coast. The band is not only completing their own headline shows but they are also supporting The Vanns on their NSW FNC tour. We caught up with Lilla from the band where we asked her about the new song, where that name came from, and her genius idea to encourage more Australian music to be played on our radio stations.
For those that haven’t heard your music before, how do you describe your sound?
Our latest release is indie pop where we have previously geared more towards indie rock. We love catchy melodies and riffs played on bright guitars and shimmering vocals. with beats that make you want to dance along.
You have just released your new track 'Green Thumb'. Tell us about your new song. What does the song mean to you?
I started writing ‘Green Thumb’ when I looked around my apartment and realised I was terrible at looking after my houseplants. I love gardening and pottering around with my houseplants but I'm not very good at knowing how to care for them. The song then became about love and how if you really love someone and you want to hold on to them, you have to put all the love and care you can into your relationship for it to flourish.
What do you hope fans take from the song?
We just want to bring a little joy, I suppose, a little zing of happiness. Maybe to think about their loved ones and appreciate them a little more, to make sure they are looking after themselves first and foremost. But most importantly we just want to bring a little spark of happiness and fun into their day.
“we just ate hot chips and laughed the whole way through, it was a lot of fun”
'Green Thumb' is accompanied by a video shot at Guitarist Jack's Grandfather's house. Who came up with the concept for the visual release? Were there any memorable moments during the making of it?
Jack directed the music video and he has a strong vision for it straight away. We filmed in Jack’s Poppa’s backyard which holds a lot of nostalgia for him. He basically wanted to capture those feelings of nostalgia, childlike fun in the backyard, sunny days and rolling around in the grass. It was such a perfect feeling to capture for the song. We had our friend Hannah helping us film too and we just ate hot chips and laughed the whole way through, it was a lot of fun.
Single Art by: Andrina Manon
Can fans expect another EP or a full-length release, out soon?
I don’t want to give too much away, but we have some really great plans that will be announced on our socials soon including our next single release and potentially another EP shortly after…to be seen!
You're on an East Coast tour now, are you enjoying being on the road and being in front of live audiences again?
We are having so much fun being on Tour! We are meeting so many lovely and amazing people like the guys from The Vanns and The Moving Stills who we played with in Yamba and Coffs Harbour. The crowds have been super receptive and keen to get up for a dance and have wholesome chats after. Very excited for our Brisbane, Adelaide, Syd and Melbourne Shows to come!
What's your Favourite thing about touring and being on the road?
First and foremost it’s just hanging out with the guys. We have so much fun together and it’s really enjoyable. But I think the most rewarding thing would be finally being able to play to some new crowds around the country and meeting amazing people in other bands.
What's the worst part about touring and being on the road?
So far it’s all positive touring. We have some decent breaks between shows so we get to have some downtime too.
“We all wanted the same things and so everything fell into place really quickly.”
How did Jet City Sports Club come to be? What's the band's history?
Jack brought the band together, he knew Dom through school and met Seb and I through mutual friends. We all wanted the same things and so everything fell into place really quickly.
And you're probably sick of this question but where did the name 'Jet City Sports Club' come from?
The name really doesn’t have some awesome story behind it unfortunately aha. Jack loved the idea of using Sports Club ironically as a band name and so we just went through a bunch of different words we could put in front. We tried some random town names and then finally settled on Jet City. At the end of the day, I think we just liked the way it sounded!
Where was the band's first gig? Was it a success or flop?
Our first show was just after the first Sydney Covid lockdown and so it was a live-streamed show at Moshpit on King Street where we could only have 20 people seated in the venue and all other viewers were at home! It was super rewarding though and I love it as our first-ever show nonetheless.
Is collaborating something you would consider? If so, who would the ultimate Collab Partner be?
Yes! I think we would do a collaboration! My ultimate collab partner might be Phoebe Bridgers because I love her songwriting and would love to just be in that process alongside her to see how she works!
You have received a lot of support from Triple J, support some artists would kill for, were you surprised by how much love they have given you? How big a difference do you think it's made to the band's journey?
We are super grateful for the support we’ve been given by Triple J, especially Declan Byrne. I think young Australians rely heavily on Triple J when looking for new music and what’s hot and we definitely know that too and so hope to continue getting the love that we have been from them. At the end of the day, you just have to keep pushing and making music you love and hope that you’re recognised in return.
“There are some awesome radio stations which need a little shout-out here that play lots of great Australian music at the moment like 2ser and FBI”
Do you think the 25% minimum quota of Australian music on our radio stations is a fair number given the ever-expanding talent pool we have in this country? Would you like to see that number increased or even a dedicated Aussie station?
I definitely think that there should be more Australian Music played on commercial radio stations in prime times. Whether that's solved by increasing the minimum or just regulating when the music should be played. I think a dedicated Australian Music Station with some good government funding would be incredibly amazing. There are some awesome radio stations which need a little shout-out here that play lots of great Australian music at the moment like 2ser and FBI. Just a thought here: What if there was a scheme where radio stations could get some money from the gov when they play more Aussie music in Prime Radio hours?! Just an Idea?!
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout out but never gets one? And what is it they do that keeps your world turning?
We’d like to shout out to Sophie Brown from Pias who has whole-heartedly backed this recent release and helped us get a little foot up in the industry.
What's next for Jet City Sports Club? What's in the works?
We’ve got more music releases planned for later this year, bigger shows organised and just overall we’re just keep on keepin’ on!
JET CITY SPORTS CLUB TOUR DATES
Friday, August 19, Hoey Moey Coffs Harbour, NSW* tickets *Supporting The Vanns
Saturday August 20, Yamba Bowlo, Yamba, NSW*tickets *Supporting The Vanns
Saturday, August 27 Bonny Hills Tavern, Port Macquarie, NSW free entry
Saturday, September 17, Oxford Arts Gallery Bar, Sydney, tickets
Green Thumb Single Launch (Supports by Organs + Euterpe)
Saturday September 24, Dicey Rileys Wollongong, NSW free entry
Saturday, October 22, Last Chance Rock n Roll Bar, Melbourne, VIC free entry
Interview by Michelle Symes
September 2022