Head of Culture Evelyn Shepphird interviews ‘Pastel’ frontmen Jack and James Yates and reflects on their incredible set from 13 March.
“They’re at the point where they either make it or they don’t,” remarked the stranger next to me about Pastel, a Swansea-Manchester five piece rock band. We were at their gig at Lower Third in London, 13th of March, a Friday, and the venue was packed. Mostly men of an impressive variety of ages, but a couple of girls had made their way to the front, parked in front of guitarist Joe Anderson’s set up. Lower Third is a lovely venue, new, clean, but low-lit and charmingly intimate. Catching snippets of conversation about music from Bob Dylan to Billie Eilish, I got the sense that people in the know about Pastel are serious about music. Pastel is relatively small, but a dedicated fanbase is a recommendation in and of itself.
The sea of people thickened as Pastel’s set time approached. I made sure to push to the front to ensure a good view, and managed to get the band’s history from a man next to me. This was his seventh time seeing Pastel: he told me about their start around 2020, their history with label ‘Spirit of Spike Island’, about the dynamic between frontman Jack Yates and his cousin, rhythm guitarist James Yates. Impressively, he told me about how they’d been personally picked by Oasis’ Liam Gallagher to open for him at Knebworth. Hell of a recommendation. “Just wait until ‘Isaiah’,” this fan, Jamie, promised, “It’s at the end of the set–it’s unbelievable.”
The lights dimmed. Under pink lights, ‘The Wonderous Boat Ride’ from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’, Gene Wilder’s version, filled the space. Psychedelic, beautiful, nostalgic, and very exciting, I couldn’t help the smile on my face. They play this before every set, apparently, and I understand why: the abrupt tone shift hikes up anticipation. Gene Wilder’s crazed ‘THE ROWERS / KEEP ON ROWING / AND THEY’RE CERTAINLY NOT SHOWING / ANY SIGNS THAT THEY ARE SLOWING’ breaks satisfyingly into the band’s walk-on. Screaming guitar feedback, drum fills, and frontman Jack Yates’ monkeyish pacing across the stage open the set with the energetic ‘Your Day’. It’s electric.
Simply, they’re a great band. ‘Your Day’ transitions into ‘Running on Empty’, another track from their January 2025 debut album ‘Souls in Motion’. Musically, they’re powerful, and the band looks cool. Jack hangs off the microphone as he sings, James, Liam, and Joe sway in time while playing. The energy keeps up through ‘IOU’, ‘Psycho Filler’, and ‘A Little Bit of Love’, the latter especially notable for the satisfying vocal duet between Jack and James. ‘Think About It’ closes out the first part of the set.
I was lucky enough to get an interview with Jack and James Yates the Tuesday after I’d seen them. They had spent the weekend playing in Bristol.
“We had our first stalker,” drawled Jack, about the gig. What? “Some guy turned up–said he worked for the venue.” Turns out he didn’t. I guess that means they’ve made it?
Halfway through their set on Friday, I got a better idea of Pastel’s identity as a band. They’re nostalgic without being unoriginal. Though clearly influenced by bands like Talking Heads, Verve, and the Stone Roses, most of the nostalgia isn’t in ripped off guitar solos or chord progressions. Pastel is a 21st century iteration of a style of music characterized by live musicianship and a rock-and-roll attitude, and are able to establish themselves as charismatic, funny, psychedelic, and creative actors.
Even the Willy Wonka walk-on: a stroke of genius from James, when he was “really really hungover from Newcastle to Manchester” is trippy, cinematic, and fun, much like the band. It “starts off lovely and then it’s mad,” much as the band, too, straddles feverish rock and lovely lyricism. It’s striking how ready Pastel seems for stadiums: they’ve certainly got the confidence and sound to fill them up. Importantly, they’re really fun to listen to. Their lyrics are positive and beautiful, and as a band, they take themselves seriously insofar as they’re talented musicians, but they spend breaks between songs trading looks, swilling cheap wine, and affectionately calling the audience bastards.
Each member has a strong personality: singer Jack Yates is messy, sweetly irreverent, playful, and powerful under his mop of dark curls. James Yates, the rhythm guitarist and occasional bongo player, is funny and sharp, purely joyful, shooting affectionate glances through the set at other members of the band. Bassist Liam O’Shea is effortlessly cool, and lead guitarist Joe Anderson is impressively competent and almost cartoonish in appearance: a head of dark hair playing guitar with clear skill. I don’t think I saw his face turned up once through the set. Keeping time was drummer Rhys Wheeler, excitable, joyful, and very indulgent of Jack’s bits throughout the set. Jack, James, and Joe form the “threesome”–Jack’s word–of songwriting within the band.
Other than the name-calling, James seems to do the majority of the talking, something I also noticed in the interview. He and Jack play off of each other well: James’ dry delivery and willingness to tell a story sets Jack up for a well-timed wisecracks. While this lightly derails the interview, it’s fun to watch the two fall into banter.
“We looked at each other and thought ‘there’s no turning back’” reminisced James about the Stone Roses gig that inspired them. The road to the Stone Roses was apparently one of many mishaps: broken down cars and missed trains left the cousins inspired, but together, in Wales. They fell into their roles in the band pretty naturally, but they weren’t prescribed: apparently before becoming the singer, Jack wanted to play the bass: “Jack’s got a nice voice, and his haircut’s too nice not to be the singer,” protested James, “but even with the stuff behind the scenes, we’ve all found our sort of pockets.”
How did they find the rest of their bandmates?
“Orphanages.”
Actually, mutual friends, especially with drummer Rhys. Joe was recommended to them from a guitar teacher they knew, and he’s “the best player in the band”.
“We wanted to know if he was a good player, but we also wanted to know if he was a good lad,” says James. “You’ve got to be mates.” It’s a philosophy that makes sense for a band who apparently goes on whole-group nights out “after every gig”, and it pays off on stage. Part of why they’re so fun to watch is because they interact with each other: James and Liam have their moments, while Jack and Rhys flip each other off, grinning, over the drum set.
Bassist Liam O’Shea was nicked from a different band and found in an alley, literally. “We heard this big commotion outside–Liam’s passed out–he’s been run over by a taxi.” explained James.
“Taxi should’ve reversed back over him.” Chimed in Jack. Is this evidence of animosity within the band? No. The cousins emphasize how important it is for them all to get on. “There’s no sort of fighting. We’re all mates.” That doesn’t inhibit a bit of friendly banter.
“Liam gets the worst of it.” reminisces James.
“Yeah, but he deserves it.”
“He deserves it.”
Though Jack and James are the only set of family members in the band, the family ethos is strong. “My sister–she’s our photographer” notes James. “The boys are a part of the family too,” he explains that the whole band got invited to a Yates family wedding recently. “We’re really blessed in a sense that everybody knows what they bring to the table–there’s no sort of fighting.”
Back to Lower Third: James informed us that some of the songs they were playing on this tour are new ones, which are sonically more relaxed than the cuts from ‘Souls In Motion,’ but no less engaging. ‘Gone Too Fast’ and ‘Escape’ are great, and ‘Heroes Blood’, the opening track from the album, is performed under dim red light, Jack and James trading glances. With an irreverent attitude I’ve not seen in musicians in this era, James blows a bubble while hammering out his guitar part on the song.
Curiously, Pastel never mentions Oasis as an influence, though it seems that that’s the most obvious parallel. Much of their narrative is reflective of Oasis: both inspired by a Stone Roses gig, both guitar music featuring two family members as the faces of the band, both including a monkeyish, playful frontman. Furthermore, their opening for Liam Gallagher at Knebworth, and the younger Gallagher’s comparison of guitarist James to Noel Gallagher suggests a stronger link. “All our favorite bands stole from other people,” James explains in the interview. He doesn’t mention which bands in particular he ‘steals’ from, but he doesn’t really have to. Either way, it’s not hugely relevant when Pastel does have a distinct, “unapologetic” identity.
Their very positive lyrics are intrinsic to this identity. “We don’t wanna write songs to make people feel shit.” explained James. “We were working on a song a few weeks ago, just scrapping all the lyrics because it started to sound…” Though he trails off, I get what he means: aside from being fun, Pastel’s sound is very self confident. Relying too hard on a heartbroken muse might make the band contradict itself.
Their lyrics are interestingly juxtaposed with their psychedelic rock sound. Lovely metaphors, historical and biblical allusions, and surreal imagery are characteristic, but “melody is more important than lyrics” asserts Jack. “We just say words that sound good, and it’s people who make their own meaning of it.” The cousins cite a half-remembered quote from either John Lennon or Bob Dylan to support this philosophy, though I have a hard time believing they’re quoting correctly. Bob Dylan’s opinion is generally “it ain’t the melodies that’re important man, it’s the words,” and David Bowie recalls John Lennon’s songwriting advice: “say what you mean, make it rhyme, and put a backbeat to it”, which suggests a greater intentional poeticism. They’re referencing, without saying it, Oasis again: Noel Gallagher famously prioritizes melody over his surreal lyrics.
Intentional surreality defines Pastel, too: “We’ve scrapped songs in the past where it’s too direct or to-the-point.” they explain. “Can’t make the lyrics too obvious–we’d just fuck it off.”
“We want people to make their own meaning of it.” Jack asserts.
With such lovely lyricism, surely the cousins were good at English in school?
“I failed English.” Offers Jack. “School’s a load of nonsense. Plenty of people good at English in school who couldn’t write a fucking birthday card.”James. “School doesn’t let creativity flourish!”
So where do they get their writing inspiration? “One thing that me and Jack have said is we don’t just use other songs as inspiration.” James explains. Inspired by films, by overheard conversations in cafes, the cousins think “if your only influence is music, there’s something wrong.”
I was curious about ‘Leave a Light On’, a piano-driven track on ‘Souls in Motion.’
“Joe just wanted to pick up a piano–he went a bit weird and soft.” Jack explains.
“No one cares about albums anymore, but we do,” says James, before explaining. “The thing about an album is it’s got to have a sonic lane that it’s in. The album has to take you on a journey. If everything’s on a certain level, it just becomes a bit numb.” ‘Leave a Light On’ is the third to last track on ‘Souls In Motion’ and builds up from a stripped-back piano-and-vocal track to a belter like the others. “It’s a little bit of a flex.”
What’s inspiring them now? Gangster stuff, apparently: films like ‘Apocalypse Now’ and shows like ‘Sopranos’ and ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’. “British cult classics” as well as “a lot more psychedelic stuff–less space-y, more Californian.” Happily, that means we can expect “sort of a West Coast feel” from upcoming new music. The stuff they’re working on now is “sonically not a million miles away, but it’s slightly different.” The words “Cooler” “Lazier” and “West Coast” are the most referenced when discussing this new music.
Crowd favorites dominate the last half: ‘Dancing on a Pin’ ‘Deeper Than Holy’ and ‘SOHO’ are sung right back at the band from the crowd. ‘Deeper Than Holy’ in particular is a favorite, it was the first that Jack and James ever wrote. Religious, slightly surreal lyrics, a stadium-rock feel, and Pastel’s characteristic confidence define the song. Hearing it in an intimate central London venue felt like an unbelievable stroke of luck. “Me and Jack locked ourselves in a room and didn’t leave until we’d got ‘Deeper Than Holy,” James explained.
Second to last was ‘Blu’, a great newer one with the ‘West Coast feel’ they’d been talking about.
“On this tour, certain songs are being sung more–the audience has had twelve months more to listen to them,” James reflects. They reference the fact that their debut album, Souls in Motion, had been released January 2025. I wondered if they think any songs from ‘Souls In Motion’ are underappreciated:
“I think everything falls into its rightful place,” James reflects. “We like the songs we put off, but know subconsciously some will do better than others.”
“Like ‘Deeper Than Holy’,” Jack mentions. That said, “Some songs are growers,” he mentions. Cheeky, unsurprisingly: “I like when we’re writing a song and something starts to sound naughty.” Jack said earlier. The cousins say it’s been great to see people know their songs better this tour.
Pastel’s treatment of ‘Isaiah’, their closing track, was starkly professional. It’s a brilliant song, and a clear favorite of their audience. Bright white light contrasted with the deep shadows on stage, and the whole song was sung word-for-word by both Jack and every member of the audience. The cousins recall with fondness the first time they heard ‘Isaiah’ sung back at them. “The first time, the song was in the middle of the set. We thought: “This has to be the closer.”
Why was it in the middle? “We’d had to take it out of the set for a while,” they explain: the song requires James to play a 12-string guitar that was apparently difficult to tune. The guitar was “knackered” and kept breaking, and there came a point where James had to get rid of it. Without another expensive guitar, ‘Isaiah’ had to be taken out: it was impossible to play.
Finally, the guitar got replaced. Playing the 100 Club off Tottenham Court Road in London, they brought ‘Isaiah’ back in the set. “It was the first time we’d played it in about six months,” recalls James. “I love the fact that the gig will end with the crowd singing it.”
For Jack, reaching into a sea of outstretched hands, grasping them back, and seeing his voice reflected back to him from every member of the audience must have been nothing short of surreal. I was impressed by how practiced the band was in handling the outpouring of support for this song. Though clearly delighted, they took the love in stride, and the energy from the audience was refracted in the band through more stage antics and affection among each other.
They look great on stage, and command the venue. I was curious what the best gig they’ve ever played is.
“One recently–Bunkhouse?” Jack offers. He’s referencing ‘Bunkhouse’ in Swansea, if he remembers correctly, which Pastel is booked to play the 11th of April.
“Probably Knebworth,” says James.
How often do you think of that?
“Only every day.” James laughs. “It’s a nice thing to be able to think about.”
Ultimately, the set feels in many ways like I’ve stepped back in time. I’ll sound like a luddite if I praise Pastel for being ‘real music’, but there’s something very satisfying about music played live, and a band composed of real, talented musicians. Clearly, the band draws inspiration from the English guitar music from the 80s and 90s, and in the audience, I felt a strong nostalgia for an era of music I wasn’t alive to see. The band clearly plays into it: the way they dress recalls football fashion of the 70s, meaning they recall the ‘Britpop’ athleticwear of some of Pastel’s influences.
Clearly inspired by music of the past, what do Pastel think of the state of music today?
“It’s a state.” That was Jack.
“We don’t follow trends,” explains James. “We try to stay out of all of that.”
What are they up to for the rest of the year?
“Once we finish the UK, we’re going over to France, then we’ve got a busy summer with festivals.” James explains. They’re playing Kendal Calling, Splendour in Nottingham, Lazy Days, Rock Oyster, and Block Party. “We’re looking at signing a new record deal: we’ve got a couple of offers on the table.” Exciting!
“And then hopefully an album out next year!” They’re writing a lot: new songs are “coming easier”, and they’re going for a more natural feel.
“I think we probably overthought some of the things in the sense of–the production was overcooking the egg a bit.” James reflects on ‘Souls in Motion’.
I didn’t think so–I’d go so far as to call myself a fan of the band after the great gig on Friday, and after all the time I’ve since spent listening to ‘Souls in Motion’. Without any dates booked to be back in London, King’s Students will have to tide themselves over with only the album. We’ll have to keep an eye on their socials (@pastelbanduk on instagram) to find out when they’re back in London.
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