get to know: applaud the jellyfish

This is the final part of our series covering the groups participating in Music Fund’s Battle of the Bands. You can find our interview with the previous band, Raincheck, here.

Made up of (mostly) first-years, Applaud the Jellyfish are our youngest band. Their music squeezes the universe into a ball and rolls it into a single command. And what is it? To applaud the jellyfish.

How did you all meet, and how did you decide to start playing together?

Applaud the Jellyfish: We met at the STAR band mixer event in September (shoutout to STAR!). It was a really small event but somehow we found a group of people with all the instruments we needed, who shared the same passion for rock and punk. We scheduled a jam session after the mixer, and to be honest we only expected to play once or twice and then never again. Amazingly though, the moment we started playing we knew we had something special!

What is everyone’s most memorable performance so far?

ATJ: We’ve only played four gigs so far, and all of them have been fun and memorable in their own way, but the first one stands out. We had planned to just have a private gig in Lukas’ living room, but the day before, we were offered a spot at Sound of Sandy’s for the exact same time. We were super nervous because we had never performed together before (and Ian had never even performed at all!), but we decided to take them up on the offer. It turned out to be so much fun, and we had a brilliant audience.

What are your thoughts on the music scene here in St Andrews overall?

ATJ: It’s wonderful that there’s so many student bands in such a small town. But the problem is, there’s not enough places for everyone to play!

Do you have any pre-performance rituals and if so, can you tell us more about them?

ATJ: We gather around the jellyfish to applaud.

What are your hopes and plans for the future for Applaud The Jellyfish? 

ATJ: World domination.

 Finally, what part of Battle of The Bands are you most looking forward to?

ATJ: We’ve got the last performance of the night, so we’re looking forward to a high energy finale! It’s also gonna be class seeing all the other bands perform before us. It’s gonna be an amazing night!