‘The variety of Malta’s music scene is incredible’ | Jack’s Fusion

When did you first decide to take music seriously? How did this passion develop into something more long-term?

As individuals, we all had a passion for music from a young age, and we all started playing at a young age. In the summer of 2013 while rehearsing for a musical live show hosted by the Salesian Oratory Sliema, two of us decided to start a band. After a short while we formed what is now Jack’s Fusion. Immediately we clicked – there was great chemistry between us, fuelled by a common love for rock music and our friendship.

On December 8, 2013 we played our first gig in a talent show, which was very well received by the audience, and led to the decision of making the band more of a long-term thing. We simply love playing music together, and the energy we have while performing live is second to none. Our ages span from 17 -21 and we are all University students with the exception of one of who attends the Junior College. Although we are very busy we manage to balance studying and working part time jobs with our music.

How did Jack’s Fusion come about, and what were some of your initial aims?

We began to take making music seriously in the summer of 2014. We had spent time before experimenting with rock music, our style as a band, and the sound which we wanted to produce. After countless rehearsals, and in early stages moving from a six-piece band with a keyboardist to a five piece, we began to truly form our true musical identity. Our initial aims were to focus on rock music, to have fun, and to bring a unique energy to audiences watching us play live. Furthermore, we all agreed that we wanted to write our own music – it was something that all of us, as musicians, aspired to do.

How would you say your sound evolve over time?

We all listen to a lot of different kinds of music, and are influenced by various artists (the list is never ending), however, we all have a common love for energetic rock music, which is reflected in the musical style of our originals. At first we started playing lots of covers reflecting our classic rock roots, as time passed through our we began forming our sound, kind of modernizing that Blues Rock we all love, adding a classic twist to an alternative rock sound, influenced by post-grunge music.

Basically we aren’t fans of labels because we love being as versatile as possible (hence the ‘Fusion’). Obviously, we focus mainly on originals but we add some covers that best fit with our style and give them our own touch. The best way to understand us is to experience us.

How would you describe the local musical scene? What would you change about it?

Malta’s musical talent is rich, diverse and quite frankly, underestimated. There are hundreds of bands, all with different aims and styles. One change which we’d all like to see is more bands showcased in large-scale local events, instead of a small number of artists which usually possess most of the attention. The variety of Malta’s music scene is incredible and we should really take advantage of that and provide a platform for up-and-coming bands, too.

What’s next for you?

We’re organising our own gig, Amplified, on April 30 at Stardust, Sliema. But before that we’ll be playing at Razzett l-Ahmar on April 17 with Eversity, WaterWings, and For Strings Inn. We’ll also be playing a Youth 4 the Environment festival taking place at the University of Malta Quad on April 28. We have exciting plans for summer, too – we intend to record and release our first single, and in the future, to record an album or EP.

We were invited to play in a youth week festival in Sardinia, Italy which takes place in August by some organizers of the event who were at gig of ours and loved our performance. We’d love to perform at local events such as Farsons’ Annual Beer Fest, Rockestra, Notte Bianca, Sliema Street Art Festival, Beland Music Festival and so on... In essence, we have one main aim as a band for the future: to rock as much as possible.

Jack’s Fusion are: Emma Grech (vocals), Jean-Luc Camilleri (drums), Jacob Spiteri (guitars), Luke Deguara (guitars) and Kurt Bezzina (bass). For more information on the band, log on to: https://www.facebook.com/JacksFusion