Second to last interview of the day at Slam Dunk Festival Emma Bowdidge gathers up some of The Jellycats – Vocalist Emma, Bassist Rob and Drummer Stu to discuss some exciting news in The Jellycat camp including their thoughts on their first Slam Dunk Festival, how they came in first on the Redbull Bedroom Jam summer festival run and how they’ll be supporting Blink 182 at the Eden Project.

First Slam Dunk! What are your thoughts so far?

Stu: Great festival!
Emma: Yeah, we’ve had a good time so far. Perfect weather! Couldn’t ask for more, weather wise. We’ve had a good time, played and then we’ve just been knocking about really having a couple drinks.
Stu: Having a couple of burgers! A couple of beers.
Rob: Checking out other bands. The other bands are really cool.
Emma: Yeah we’ve got more bands to see later today.
Stu: It’s just cool to hang out where all the musicians are as well sometimes.

How do you think your set went down on the RBBJ stage earlyer?

Emma: We’re pretty different so we’re a bit of a gamble to chuck in there. I think people liked it and everyone that was out there were giving a bit of a jig about so I hope they liked it. They looked like they were enjoying it.

It is definitely nice to check out something new.

Emma: Yeah, you don’t want to go to a festival and see the same thing all day.
Rob: It’s definitely a good place for that to go check out all different stuff.
Emma: Yeah, that’s why these festivals are always good because you don’t have to listen to the same genre. You can have a bit of ska, a bit of punk, bit of emo, bit of screamo, bit of metal and a bit of everything!

You came top of the festival chart on RBBJ to get this place at Slam Dunk and will also be hitting up other top festivals this year including Download and Hevy – How does it feel?

Emma: Incredible, can’t believe it!
Rob: It was actually mind blowing when we got through. We didn’t know we were going to come through at the top, it was just amazing. We’re obviously doing something right I guess.
Emma: We uploaded our video and we just hoped the judges liked us. We were up there on the Sunday at number 1 and we were like, shit, we really need to milk this. We were just trying to rinse it as much as we could. We didn’t expect to be at the top at all.
Rob: No way, there was such a lot of support from everybody that likes us anyway so it was good.
Emma: I didn’t know that everyone was that into it. I knew we had people following us on Twitter that liked it but the fact that people would do all nighters for us.
Stu: They were tweeting and facebooking.
Emma: It was so sweet. They’d happily spam their friends but some of my family wouldn’t even do that! They were all like VOTE JELLYCATS, VOTE JELLYCATS, VOTE JELLYCATS. So it was really cool!

What bands are you most looking forward to checking out today?

Emma: Obviously Taking Back Sunday are headlining so looking forward to that.
Stu: Gallows will be good.

I just heard via Facebook you’re supporting Blink 182 at the Eden Project in July – How did that come about and how’ve you taken the news?

Emma: Friends of friends working, having words and trying to get us involved. They played our songs and they just liked it so there we are. Exciting!
Rob: Yeah I guess they liked it and they’re kind enough to put us on there. Again so stoked and it’s proper mind blowing news. They’re a huge influence to all of us.
Emma: We all really love it. We all love different things but pop/punk is probably the thing that draws us all together.
Rob: It’s a big one for me.
Emma: Yeah we’re all a bit worried for him. We’re going to bring the reigns, sort him out. Literally a lead, a harness and a muzzle just in case.
Stu: All of us are going to get like it!
Rob: It’s the weirdest thing for me growing up through high school listening to Blink my whole life, I love them and I never would of thought I’d be playing with them and supporting them.
Emma: It’s ridiculous.
Stu: Cannot wait!

You have a new video out entitled T.W.A.T – What was the inspriation behind the song?

Emma: I think it’s pretty self explanatory!

Who’s it about then, if anyone?!

Rob: I don’t think it’s genuinely about any one specific. It’s a general sort of person.
Emma: There’s so many people like when you go out on a night out and they’re like ‘Helloooo’ – ‘Want a sambucca!’. Not from you! Haha. You see so many people from a night out especially in Essex.
Rob: You should check out the video – The guy we’re portraying as the sed twat has a low cut top, fake tan and just looks like a dick.
Stu: Thinks he’s gods gift to woman and everything.
Emma: It was really funny filming it. We had one of Rob’s friends being the main boy on it. He had a fake stick on little goaty. I got the spray tan out giving him a good tan up!
Rob: It was weird – We started filming in this bar so Emma just took him downstairs in the toilet and just went at him with the spray tan, gave him a gay top. It was a fun day. I guess it came about as generality really, people always know who the twat is. Everyone sees one at some point!

There’s loads going on for The Jellycats right now, but what else can fans and new fans expect from the band this year?

Emma: Well we’re hoping to get an album out very soon. Not exaggerating we’ve got like a 100 songs written. So we’re going to get an album out hopefully in the next month or so. It’s all just about getting studio time. We’re just sorting that out and get that boshed out soon. We’ve got loads of gigs, loads of widespread festivals and some really good local ones. Supporting some bands that are just idols. It’s really exciting for us. The people going to see them, hopefully they’ll like us!

Thanks for your time – Any last words?

Emma: Cheeeeers.
Rob: Thanks for your time!
Stu: Any last words?
Emma: Ummm – Robs a dick!
Rob: I’m a dick.
Stu: Nah – If you have time check out The Jellycats and try and watch the video for T.W.A.T and see if you like it.
Emma: Take care.

Watch The Jellycats latest video for T.W.A.T right HERE and also find them on FACEBOOK to hear where they’ll be playing next. The Jellycats will be supporting Blink 182 at their Eden Sessions gig on 8th July.