Jungle (band)
Jungle are a British dance music project founded in 2013 by London-based producers Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland. Jungle have released four studio albums: Jungle (2014), which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize,[1] For Ever (2018), Loving in Stereo (2021), and Volcano (2023). The first two albums were released through XL Recordings while the latter two via their independent label Caiola Records. In 2023, having worked as the main musical contributor on Loving in Stereo and Volcano, and a key performing member of the live group, Lydia Kitto joined Jungle as a permanent member.
For other uses, see Jungle (disambiguation).Background[edit]
Jungle were founded in 2013 by Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland, who had been friends since they were nine years old and lived next door to each other in Shepherd's Bush, London.[2] Originally the pair were part of the short-lived indie band Born Blonde, which released one album in 2012.[3] They went on to form Jungle at the beginning of 2013, choosing to put an aesthetic emphasis on the music's surrounding artwork and videos, and not on the pair's own identity. Initially hiding their names and faces, Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland came to be known as J and T.[4][5] Over the course of the following year, Jungle evolved into a collective by working with different artists across diverse disciplines. To perform the music live, Jungle expanded to a seven-piece band, fronted by J and T. The pair wished to challenge themselves, resisting the temptation to simply re-produce their music from their laptops, and instead translated their songs into a full and organic live experience. J and T have explained that Jungle stemmed from a desire for 'honesty… true connection and friendship. It's about being in a collective and collective energy… [a] team spirit.'[6]
