Neon Jungle: ‘What other band has salad in their songs?’

Neon Jungle are the hottest new girlband on the block. Last September Amira, Asami, Jess and Shereen stormed the charts with their spunky debut single Trouble – and then in December they performed on the same stage as Taylor Swift at the prestigious Veronica’s Secret Fashion Show in New York. Now they’re heading for the top ten with follow-up single Braveheart, a massive club banger whose lyrics feature the words “lettuce”, “cheddar” and “feta”. Erm, what? Obviously Attitude had to meet up with the girls to find out more.

When did you all get together?
All: February 10th.

Wow. That date is obviously etched on your brains. Did you all click straight away?
Jess: “We clicked, like, instantly. You know when you meet someone for the first time and you’re kind of extra polite? It was never like that with us. Literally from day one we were we were kind of like sisters. It didn’t feel weird to argue, if you know what I mean?”
Amira: “Our first conversation was so deep – like ‘Oh my gaaaaaahd’ stuff.”
Jess: “It was basically like: we’re all going to be at each others’ weddings and funerals, so we might as well get it all out there now!”

Do you all live together?
Asami: “Yeah, we’ve lived together since about August time. Do you know what, I was quite scared moving in – I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to start hating them now’. But as soon as we get back to the house, we just do our own thing and maybe regroup later in the night to watch TV or something. But it’s never like we’re together 24/7.”
Amira: “There’s this saying that you don’t really know someone until you live with them, but I feel like we already poured our hearts out before we moved in together and everything was already on the table. So there was nothing shocking left to find out.”

How are you going to celebrate your one-year anniversary next month?
Jess: “Well, it’ll be the second or third week Braveheart’s in the charts so hopefully we’ll be really really busy!”

So hopefully you’ll be celebrating a top ten single.
Amira: “Top five!”
Shereen: “Um, top three.”

Obviously the single is a massive club banger, but actually two of you are too young to get into clubs, aren’t you?
Jess: “Yeah, only me and Asami are over 18, which is a bit of a shame.”
Asami: “We got asked to do a DJ set a little while ago but only me and Jess could go.”
Shereen: “So we had to sit in watching TV. Feel sorry for us!”
Amari: “I turn 18 on February 2 though, so I don’t have too long to wait.”
Shereen: “Which means I’m going to be left all by myself. I don’t turn 18 until December. I’m not gonna lie though, I’m quite happy with a cup of tea and nice digestive biscuit.”
Amira: “I don’t believe that! Not for a second.”

Growing up, I think lots of us kind of wished we were in a girlband – I know I did. What’s it actually like though? Is it really hard work?
Jess: “Do you know what, it’s hard work but it’s fun because we have each other. We’re going through all the same shit at the same time with each other for support. In the bad times, we’re there for each other which makes it, like, a bit less bad. And in the good times, we’ve got someone to laugh with which makes it even better.”

Which girlbands did you all listen to growing up?
Jess: “Spice Girls.”
Shereen: “Spice Girls.”
Amira: “I can’t lie, I used to listen to Spice Girls, All Saints and TLC, but my first memory of listening to a girlband is probably Destiny’s Child.”
Asami: “For me it was All Saints, TLC and Spice Girls. My mum was a really big All Saints fan so I got into them through her.”

What do you think about All Saints getting back together to tour with Backstreet Boys in March?
Jess: “Yeah, I saw that in Grazia and WhatsApped the girls the picture.”
Asami: “I reckon it’ll be well good actually.”
Amira: “I loved All Saints and the music they made. And their vibe was really good, really cool.”

This year is the 20th anniversary of the Spice Girls forming. Should do another reunion tour?
Jess: “20 years? No way – they formed when I was, like, one?!”
Asami: “I’d like to see them tour again. I’d like to experience it being older as well as being younger.”
Amira: “I know a lot of people feel like it’s done with the Spice Girls, but even though they’re all a bit older, it would be nice to see them together one more time. I think there’s still life in the Spice Girls.”
Shereen: “We’d definitely go if they toured again. It would be so much fun.”
Jess: “To be honest, he amount we talk about the Spice Girls, it would be so wrong if we didn’t go.”

Both your singles so far have been uptempo and pretty feisty. Can we expect a Neon Jungle ballad at some point?
Amira: “Of course!”
Jess: “We’ve actually done an acoustic version of Braveheart which sounds like a completely different song.”
Shereen: “We’ve got some ballads on the album – songs that get you right in the heart. Sometimes it gets a bit emotional in the studio. You’re in the box with your headphones on singing this song, the lights are down, and the words just really hit you. ”
Amira: “Um, in the box? The cardboard box?! You’re making us sound like we’re homeless!

Singing in a box: this is starting to sound a bit cruel.
Shereen: I mean the recording booth!
Amira: “Hahahaha! I’m sorry, I was just picturing Shereen singing in total darkness in a big cardboard box.”

Finally, have to ask about the unusual lyrics in Braveheart. What’s all this stuff about feta and cheddar – does someone in the band really like cheese?
Amira: “The reason we’ve used cheese in the song, like, twice is because on the street ‘cheese’ means money.”
Jess: “We do really like cheese though.”
Amira: “And we talk about lettuce because it’s fresh. The lyric is: ‘We talkin’ bout fresh / Talkin’ bout lettuce’.”

I think it’s the first time I’ve heard the word ‘lettuce’ in a pop song.
Amira: “No one has salad in their songs except Neon Jungle. What other band has salad in their songs?”

Can we expect any more of these unusual food references in your songs in the future?
Shereen: “Maybe mushrooms?”
Asami: “Parma ham?”
Amira: “What about sun-dried tomatoes?”

I challenge you to slip in ‘chorizo’.
Jess: “Yeah, I bloody love chorizo.”
Asami: “Eating chorizo, dancing to calypso…”
Amira: “Licking my lips-o?”

Braveheart by Neon Jungle is out now. Their debut album will follow later this year.