"Moody classical dark rock, raw and thrillingly bombastic in an embryonic Led Zeppelin meets All About Eve dark wave (gothy) way - Dramatically Girl fronted and violin flavoured" - Organ Zine
"Jacks Family, very doom laden gothic ethereal kinda like Nightwish but a bit more Cradle music wise, they could go all the way" - iAntiChrist - DJ at Camden's legendary Electric Ballroom
The beginning
Jack’s Family formed in the summer of 2002 when songwriters Kelly Jones and Jean-Paul De-Havilland returned to Colchester from the West Country. Kelly was a classically trained violinist who had studied at London’s prestigious Trinity College of Music, while Jean-Paul had honed his guitar skills playing in a variety of rock bands since the age of 15.
Kelly had become tired of the restrictions of classical music and needed to break out. With a mutual interest in heavy rock they became inspired to collaborate on a project that would blend superb musicianship with a harder more sinister edge.
Finding other musicians to realise such a project however was to prove more difficult, spanning 18 months and many hundreds of miles of travel. They lived in various parts of Essex, London and the West Country before finally discovering the extraordinarily talented rhythm section of Nicholas J. Spall (drums) and Cary Marchal (bass). These two friends had been working together musically for some time and understood each other’s playing to an almost telepathic degree, something that would be tested very quickly.
Poetry and a car crash
After just 8 weeks of intensive rehearsal, the four piece took themselves into the recording studio to lay down tracks for the self financed "Poetry of Souls" album. This was fitted into a schedule of live ‘warm-up’ gigs in the area, to enable the band to perfect songs that had by now been in existence for two years.They soon started to gain a live reputation far outweighing their initial status as support artists to established bands. The quality and originality of the music combined with the trademark twin violin and guitar solo’s set them aside from others in the genre and enraptured audiences and promoters alike. People were turning up for the Jack’s Family support then leaving before the main band.
It was 27th December 2002 that Kelly and Jean-Paul were involved in a multiple car pile-up near Huntingdon. Close friend Darren Tansley went to pick them up from Cambridgeshire and was stunned that they'd escaped from the mangled remains of the car they'd only bought 5 days before. That evening he was asked to join the band. The next day he was at Colchester General Hospital with Kelly in absolute agony from the crash which left the violinist in a neck brace for weeks and with months of painful physiotherapy ahead of her.
Jack's Family interview 2003 » L-R Jean-Paul, Kelly, Darren, Cary, Nicholas
But the Family was now complete. Darren had played all over the world with punk folk outfit Blyth Power and then toured extensively with Kelly in The Wickermen a few years earlier. His outstanding piano playing and complete understanding of keyboards added a fuller sound to the live set and freed up guitarist Jean-Paul’s creative playing on stage.
Within two weeks of sending demos out to record companies, Jack’s Family were contacted by Madrigal Music and asked if they would like to be represented at the world's leading music market Midem (Cannes, France). The band was also approached by The Talent Scout in London and several record companies, large and small, interested to hear their powerful live sound.
Jack’s Family continued gigging across the UK and set up the website and online shop. They were continually rebooked by promoters thriving on word-of-mouth to break into new towns and venues. For example after playing a gig at Gossips in Soho, the sound engineer was so impressed that the band were phoned on their way home and booked to play The Borderline three days later. Many more bookings in London followed at venues such as The Metro in Oxford Street, Sound in Leicester Square and The Purple Turtle in Camden. Jack’s Family were also invited to take part in an digital TV interview and play 4 live tracks during the course of the winter tour.
Farewell Cary, hello Rich
At the start of 2005 after a lengthy trip to the States, Cary decided that his heart lay the other side of the Atlantic. He had been spending increasing amounts of time stateside, often away for weeks at a time. One gig which couldn't be cancelled featured Chelmsford bass player Paul stepping in at short notice to help out. It was becoming difficult for both the band and Cary, so in February he decided to leave.
Richard Potter in soundcheck mode at RoxFest 2005
It was the end of an era and an amicable departure from the band (Cary still keeps in touch) but the search had to begin for a replacement. At the start of April 2005 JF met several bassists and auditioned two, including Braintree based Rich Potter, at Stag Studios in Witham. They got on so well they decided to offer him a probationary slot in the band. It soon became clear that he was the man for the job and gigging stepped up a pace.
All bands go through turbulent times but with some of these now firmly behind them Jack's Family are ready to get back out on tour, new songs, new bassist and determined to succeed.