Fresh Air

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Wednesday 21 April 1999 (Michael Bugeja - The Malta Independent)

As the days draw nearer to the release date of Beangrowers' milestone album release, a closer look at the local music scene will reveal a thriving community of bands, nearly all of which pack an impressive repertoire of original songs that marks a distinct move away from the misleading festival blueprint usually attributed to Maltese music. Of these bands, one of the most promising line-ups must be Jane Air, who were formed some four or five years back by singer/guitarist Adam Eyre. Back then the band was deeply immersed in a mixture of indie and grunge, but over the years and everchanging line-ups, their style has evolved with every new addition to the band. The current line-up is something of an international pot-pourri, considering that Adam is half-English, bassist Michael Scicluna is part-Chinese, drummer Ivan Cezek is half-Czech, half-Yugoslav, while recent addition Veronique Zammit, who plays keyboards, is the only full-blooded Maltese element in the band.

Quoting bands such as REM, Sonic Youth, The Doors, Suede, Bowie, Beatles, Pixies, The Who, Joy Division and Rolling Stones among their several combined influences, it is relatively difficult to pinpoint what Jane Air exactly sound like. Listening to their songs, I thought they would fit somewhere in between Radiohead and the alternative bands of the of the post-punk era, before the likes of the Gallaghers came along and turned the real indie scene into a mainstream market. But, while maintaining an indie streak in their music, Jane Air songs, namely Naked, Human Stench, Take Control and the excellent Forever Young, amongst several others, also pack a subliminal hook that would accommodate the requisites of radio airplay. With this knowledge in hand, Jane Air plan to record some demos during the summer, which along with the hectic schedule of gigs they have lined up should earn them quite a following, perhaps even some foreign recognition. And, as the band strives to promote its music, they also hope that the efforts and work put in by local bands can be appreciated by Maltese audiences as it is by their foreign counterparts. Jane Air will be playing at Duke's Nightclub in St Julian's this week. If you want to show your support for local talent - be there!!

Jane Air at MySpace