Q&A w/We Were promised Jetpacks
Narrow Q&A with... Adam Thompson of We Were Promised Jetpacks
by Karli Marshall
We Were Promised Jetpacks has garnered a loyal and impassioned fan base since releasing their debut, These Four Walls, in 2009. Last year, the Glasgow-based band celebrated their debut’s 10-year anniversary with a tour where they performed the album front to back. The tour commemorated the album while also serving as a sentimental send-off of their guitarist, Michael Palmer, who announced his retirement in July of last year. Now the band is about to take on a new batch of U.S. dates, including one at Gainesville’s very own High Dive on Feb. 13. I had a chance to talk to the lead singer Adam Thompson, where he reflected on the anniversary shows and broke down some of the facets of life on tour.
What have you been up to since the last tour ended? I’ve heard you’ve been recording.
We’re just working on a few demos and practicing when we can. Usually we’ll have a practice place in Edinburgh; we go in there a few times a week. We like to go to a nice cottage in the west of Scotland [too].
One of your original members retired last year. What has the adjustment been like?
It’s the first time playing without Michael, so it’s all kind of new. It’s kind of different because all the guys contribute.
Last year, you celebrated the 10th anniversary of your debut album with a tour. You got an amazing response from fans. How did you feel about the response and what was it like walking away?
It was really special for us because it was a really exciting time. It was our first band and exciting things were happening. We’re always incredibly grateful and happy during those times. Once we decided we were going to do it [the anniversary tour], we did it and I absolutely loved it. I’m really glad we did it. Seeing that an album you wrote has really helped people...I love hearing that. It became really good fun.
I’ve noticed how you interact with your fans through social media. What’s that online dynamic like?
It’s part of being in a band. It’s a bit of a stress because we have a super small team and we do the social media ourselves. We don’t use it much personally, so it’s a bit of a weird thing. But it helps to read nice things on tour, it’s definitely something we love to do.
What is life on tour like? What do you do to prepare?
Absolutely nothing [laughs]. We don’t ever really go to a place early and do a rehearsal. We kind of relish in not having a lot of time. We try and make sure we have a relaxed time, some alone time. It’s a lot to ask people to spend their time with you 24 hours a day. Life [on tour] is really simple; someone else tells you what time to get up, you go to soundcheck, hang out and talk to people. Sometimes you get bored. If you’re in a good place mentally then it’s great.
Can you tell me anything about what you’ve been recording?
The demos we just did sound a bit different from what we normally do. It doesn’t sound quite as epic, and we’re finding more grooves. Maybe it would have been different with Michael, I honestly don’t know quite yet.
How do you combat exhaustion during studio time?
I don’t get particularly obsessed with recording; the song is me playing with the other guys. I’m not a super studio guy and into making sure everything is perfect. Though sometimes, you’re doing 14 hours a day and you’re in this rabbit hole, so that can be exhausting.
What plans do you have for the future?I think we’re gonna do another tour in the states before the summer, hitting places we’ve never been. Trying to fill our year with some festivals, trying to reach eastern Europe. Our plan is to get out and hit more places and do more music.