Pentire: “Live is everything, it always has been.”
Gateways and grassroots venues, Jack Morgan reflects on the state of the music industry.
Photo: Colin Hawkins
“Everybody wants to be a rockstar when they’re a kid,” Pentire’s frontman and principal songwriter Jack Morgan said when asked if he’s always wanted to be on stage. “Football player or rockstar, and I wanted to be a rockstar. I knew I wanted to work in music and knew I wanted to make this into my career, but didn’t think that I’d be in a band.”
Growing up in the small town of Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, music has always been a huge part of Jack’s life. With a grandad who played drums in The Wurzels and a dad who listened to Paolo Nutini’s Caustic Love CD on repeat in his Volvo, being in a band feels like the only right career for someone whose entire childhood seems to have been soundtracked.
“I first picked up a guitar when I was nine years old,” Jack said. “I remember my dad was learning – my dad can roughly play guitar – and he was watching one of those ‘3 chords, 50 songs’ videos on YouTube and trying to play along, and I just took an interest in it and picked up the guitar alongside him. Slowly I started to overtake him and then started to write songs and put it all together really.”
But it wasn’t until the fated moment when Jack’s old band broke up on the same day as guitarist Owen Seymours’ that the bright sparks of Pentire first flashed into existence. Having met when Owen’s band supported Jack’s at a local gig, this strange coincidence led the pair to get in touch and start playing together, laying the initial foundations of what would one day become Pentire.
Later joining forces with bassist Jacob Beswetherick and drummer Jake Weaver, the indie pop outfit now seem set in stone and have built up a very loyal fanbase since these pre-uni days, having relentlessly toured the UK in support of breakout acts like milk. and LARKINS, as well as pulled off their own sold-out headline shows.
“As a band we are totally obsessed with our live shows. We love playing live more than I think people like watching us play live (in the sense that we love it so much, not that people don’t like watching us),” Jack laughs. “Doing the live show and getting out there and connecting to people is literally where we thrive.
“We’ve been out on support tours up and down the UK many times, and we’ve seen so much growth and benefit from that in terms of creating real fans and having real connections, rather than just having numbers on a screen. So live is everything, it always has been.”
Pentire have always been keen to create a community with their music. To live beyond the digital world, have a physical presence in the industry, and help others appreciate music in all three dimensions. As a result, it should be no surprise that the quartet encouraged fans to go to their latest headline tour even if they didn’t have someone to go with.
Speaking on this decision, Jack said: “I feel like so many people miss out on such valuable experiences and making memories that they could’ve made because they don’t find anyone to go with. I think it’s just one of those social constructs that shouldn’t be a thing, cause who cares? Nobody’s looking at you when you’re at the gig, they’re all focused on the music. Nobody cares that you’re stood on your own, and they don’t even notice because you’re surrounded by people. It’s one of those things that our generation has made a thing when it shouldn’t be.”
But as well as making sure their fans don’t miss out on live experiences, these encouragements have an added benefit. Acutely aware of the industry landscape they are currently a part of, Pentire have recently sought to advocate for live music, and more importantly the grassroots venues that are constantly facing closure due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Talking about the current state of the music industry, Jack said: “The initial step of being a young artist is getting out there and playing live, and if there’s no outlet for you to do that then who’s going to headline the O2 next week? Who’s gonna do it in ten or fifteen years?
“The biggest problem in this industry at the moment is the fact that all the grassroots venues are closing, and it is a real problem. I live in Bath at the moment, and Moles closed a year ago and I’m still heartbroken. I used to go there pretty much every week to watch a young band or to see the new music coming through.
“We’re very lucky that we’re now starting to push on and play slightly bigger venues. We just got in in the nick of time before the economy basically forces them all to close, so I feel heartbroken for all the Pentire’s of five years on and all the new bands coming through now, it must be so much harder.”
In line with this mindset, Pentire have just announced their longest UK tour to date in support of grassroots venues. Aptly named the Have You Had Enough Tour, November will see the band bring their Love On TV EP to all the small venues that they couldn’t take it to earlier in February:
“We’re going all the places you’d never see a band go to. We’re doing Preston, we’re doing Cheltenham which is near to Ross-on-Wye where we all grew up, which is very exciting. We just kind of want to go round and support the small venues, keep them flowing with bands through. Our impact of going and playing one night in each city is minimal but I hope that it sets a precedent for other bands that are our size to maybe take a step back for once and try and support the grassroots venues that we all need so much.”
“It’s so exciting to be doing intimate venues and getting up and close and personal with all the fans. It’s just the best thing in the world.”
It couldn’t be clearer that Pentire have both a deep love for their craft and a desire to bring hope to the indie scene so, no matter what happens, it feels like these four boys have become the rockstars they always wanted to be.
Tickets for Pentire’s Have You Had Enough Tour go on sale this Friday 21st March.