JUNGLE VISION

After 10 years on the scene, Tom and McFarland Josh LloydWatson, the UK duo behind dance act Jungle, are displaying a newfound confidence. As they release Volcano their second record from their own label - it's clear that they are feeling free to experiment with collaborators and their creativity is pouring forth

- Fred Garratt-Stanley

INSIDE A STUDIO in an industrial park in west London, UK dance act Jungle are prepping for their headline show at London festival All Points East at the end of August - and the level of care being taken over it is a strong indication of their attitude towards making music.

While pacing the car park outside, Tom McFarland, who created Jungle in 2013 alongside childhood friend, fellow producer, vocalist and instrumentalist Josh Lloyd-Watson, is running through the creative journey behind their imminent fourth studio album, Volcano. It soon becomes clear that detail is important for the duo.

"We set ourselves big challenges, in the studio, on stage, during the visual process of realising everything, and I think it really pays dividends. If we were just like 'Go into a studio, make a song, let someone else make the video, turn up and play it live and then go home again,' that's just not the all-encompassing experience we want from being in the music industry."

This exhaustive approach has been the driving force behind Jungle's global success. Scan the comments below any of their videos on YouTube and you'll be struck by the passion and emotional attachment fans in every corner of the world feel towards the pair. The feverish sense of hype and intrigue that surrounded their early releases (when the fresh, powerful sound of tracks like 2013's 'Busy Earnin' and 'Time' was only intensified by the fact that the pair loosely obscured their own identities) has been gradually replaced by a firmer bond. And that's a reflection of how hard McFarland and Lloyd Watson work on every inch of their art.

As they've become more confident, Jungle have connected with people on a deeper level. 2021's 'Keep Moving' provided fans with an upbeat post-pandemic antidote, while last year's follow-up double-single 'Good Times/Problemz' strengthened the striking cinematic world that the duo have been developing.