Bruce Mendes is the lead guitarist for One Eyed Jacks, who have made a name for themselves on the Brighton scene. He tells Chris Middleton about how the band came together and their plans for the near future.

Hi Bruce, how’s it going?

Yeah things are cool thank you, just back from an amazing time in Wales working at the Green Man festival. Very beautiful part of the world.

How’s festival season been treating you? Any highlights so far?

It has been a great season. I’ve been lucky to have played a few with the band, worked at a couple and been a punter for some too. It’s been great to experience festivals from different angles this year. I think the Green Man has a special place in my heart though; I met lots of really nice people behind the scenes, so next year I might be able to play at it.

There seems to be a hell of a lot of influences in One Eyed Jacks – how did the band come together?

Everyone in the band has their own thing going on musically; we all have high standards and are lucky to meet on a nice level when writing together. The original concept came when Jon (drums) and Karl (lead vocals) got together. Jon contacted me about playing with them after the original bassist had his arm broken in an arm wrestle with the original guitarist.

I’ve been playing and writing with the band since then. We have had a few line-up changes but have made good progress over the last nine months with the current seven-piece line up.

Tell Me I’m Wrong is a very guitar-driven song, almost like the guitar steals the show. Did you always intend for it to be this way?

I think the song really developed from playing it live. We were getting good responses from audiences with the shift in dynamics that take place. I really enjoyed the back and forth with Karl’s vocal and the power that comes in from Jason (guitar), Jon and Fred (bass). I’m not sure about my guitar stealing the show but thank you for the compliment! It is definitely one of my favourite songs to play live.

What advantages do you feel Brighton brings for an emerging band?

Brighton has always been known as a breeding ground for new music; it’s one of the main reasons we all moved here. It’s got a rich history of good bands passing through and is full of young creatives. There’s a lot of support for new bands down here, people always make the effort to come out and see you.

What’s next for you and the band, any releases or shows anytime soon?

We’re headlining a late night show at the Rialto Theatre on the 2nd of September and have Fresh Like Dexie and The Rocking Horse Club playing with us. We’re also playing at Together the People on the Sunday about 5.30 on the BIMM stage thanks to Suzi Ireland; she has given us a lot of help in terms of focusing our energies.

And finally, why should people listen to One Eyed Jacks?

We want to make music that appeals to musicians and music lovers alike. What we are creating is very organic and we are very much enjoying the process. OEJ are definitely a live band. I guess you’d have to come down to one of our shows and see for yourself.

Visit: facebook.com/OEJmusic