Jinja Safari Release “So Much” Ahead of Final Two-Part Album
One of Australia’s most loved indie-pop groups Jinja Safari have finally confirmed they’ll be giving fans a bitter-sweet parting gift. Even though the band announced their breakup back in January, they’ve (thankfully) kept to their word of promising to release one more album, which has now been revealed as a two-part studio album.
The first part ‘Crescent Sun’ will be released Wednesday, 17th of August followed a week later by ‘Crescent Moon’ on the 24th of August. Their latest single So Much serves as an enticing teaser for the two-part album, delivering an epic twist on their signature sound we’ve come to love over the last six years.
So Much is the ultimate escapism track, an ethereal number which combines their always super-catchy vocals, booming percussion, and a plethora of traditional and unorthodox instrumentation. Frontman Marcus Azon’s vocals are as charming as ever, while the eclectic layering of sitar, glockenspiel, and strings compliment the song’s swirling vocal harmonies.
Its slower pace and almost wall-of-sound feel sees the new song naturally differentiate itself from songs on the band’s 2011 debut album ‘Locked By Land’ and 2013 self-titled sophomore album. There’s less tribal percussion and more emphasis on the song’s sonic journey, meaning you won’t be dancing like a lunatic but you’ll definitely be swaying along.
The band’s founding members frontman Marcus Azon and multi-instrumentalist Pepa Knight formed Jinja Safari in 2010 after meeting in Crescent Head. Months later they played their first show to family and friends in a forest on the NSW Central Coast. Shortly afterwards they took out the prize for triple j Unearthed’s Splendour In The Grass competition, and the rest is history…
The quintet went on to sell out numerous headline national tours and performed at several mainstay local and international festivals including The Great Escape, Big Day Out, Falls Festival, Splendour In The Grass, and Bestival in the UK.
Azon says the reason for releasing the final album was to give something back to their loyal fan. “There was creative freedom in this process, as the main incentive for writing and releasing the songs was simply to give a little bit more music to the fans who had supported us for six odd years.”
As both founding members met, wrote, and recorded a lot of the 21 tracks from their final records at Crescent Head, they felt it was only fitting to name the album after the small beachside town.
On the 11th of January Jinja Safari announced their breakup as a band via their Facebook page:
“To all our amazing fans, friends and family,
Thank you so much for all your love and support over the years. Jinja Safari has been a big part of our lives ever since our first gig in a forest on the Central Coast of NSW almost six years ago. We were extremely fortunate to be backed by triple j in our early days as a band and as a result, have forged amazing careers as professional musicians that we are all extremely proud of.
While we’ve loved every minute of creating new music and performing on stage, we have reached a cross roads in the career and as a result we have decided to call it a day. It has been an extremely difficult decision to make but feel that ultimately, it’s the best thing for all members of the group. Everything we have achieved since our formation has been a result of your unwavering support, so again, THANK YOU! We could not have done it without you.”
Jinja Safari’s two-part album will be release in August, with ‘Crescent Sun’ released on Wednesday, 17th of August and ‘Crescent Moon’ on Wednesday, 24th of August.
There’s no news of any live reunion, with a contact close to the band saying Jinja Safari won’t play any shows in support of the final album’s release.
