JOE LEAN AND THE JING JANG JONG
Interview by Josh Jones
Image by Tom Oldham

Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, eh? Talk about blowing up. This interview you’re about to read happened way back when. So far back it was when Joe was still touring as drummer for those saccharine popsicles The Pipettes. Now they’re everywhere – including being handpicked by Kate Moss’s ex to support Babyshambles on their nationwide stadium tour around Britain. See, we were shouting about them way before everyone else.

'SUP: Joe Lean – how, what and where are your Jing, Jang and Jong?
Fine thanks, being a band in east and southeast London.

What are you up to right now?
Traveling through Oklahoma in the USA on a big silver tour bus with The Pipettes. This is my final tour with them.

What do you sound like?
Well, the aspiration was Smokey Robinson doing New Order up the arse but I guess we ended up sounding like The Strokes having sex with The Drifters.

There’s five of you in the band. Is there a constant fight to be the alpha male, or is Joe Lean the king of you all?
We all respect and crave the input of each other. But when the ball has to stop rolling, I guess I’m the one to stop it.

Who writes the songs?
All of us. Sometimes one person will write just a riff, or a whole song. It always turns out better when everyone has put their mark on it.

You drum for The Pipettes. Have you got a bit of a phobia of polka dots now?
Oh God, I’m terrified.

Where did bassists Panda and, dare I ask, drummer Bummer get their nicknames from?
That’s just their names. I mean, Tommy and I just called him Panda one day and it suits him so... And Bummer? Well, he ain’t gay but he ain’t a homophobe either.

Tell us something real interesting that you’ve done.
We’ve been a guitar band that has had the opportunity to support Wiley and Oxide & Neutrino. That was pretty interesting. It was a great night. I hope the grime scene revives itself.