An interview with Ross Jarman, 2017

This interview was produced for a past exhibition at Wakefield Museum in 2017. Please note this exhibition has now closed.

Ross Anthony Jarman

Location: Wakefield

A display case containing a photo of Ross Jarman, his drums and memorabilia

Ross Jarman's display case from an exhibition at Wakefield One in 2017

What was the first song that changed your life and where did you hear it?

I feel that a pivotal time for me in my life was when The Cribs first started. I was only 16 or 17 and had played in a bunch of school bands. Around this time I had acquired a copy of the movie ‘A Hard Days Night’ and subsequently got hooked on the soundtrack. I became really into the drumming style of Ringo Starr on that record, as it was simple yet hooky. I also liked the aesthetic / sound of all the instruments from that era. This was somewhat a blue print for what we wanted The Cribs to be in the early days. If you listen to the first record, I feel we definitely achieved that kind of vibe. For the reasons above and the path it set me on from the past 10 years plus, this record changed my life.

Where did you buy your first drums?

For many years I wanted a drum kit, but as they aren’t cheap to buy, they weren’t the type of thing my parents could afford on a whim. I asked for drums one Christmas so ended up with a set of Roland drum pads from Argos to satisfy me. They were ok, but the following year I asked again.

I also asked for drum lessons at school but too many kids wanted drum lessons and there weren’t enough places, so again I was knocked back. Eventually as I’d been so persistent and the nagging hadn’t gone away, I got a real kit when I was about 12. It was called a “Thunder” drum kit. Unfortunately, again it was from Argos!, but this time a real acoustic one.

What's the strangest fan experience you have had?

I think the first time we went to Japan and I was about 17, seeing kids tracking down your hotel / sleeping outside / in the hotel lobby just to say hi, or waiting all day at the airport was a strange experience to first witness as a teenager. It’s so nice, and overwhelming how they do that when we visit there to this day. Experiencing that as a kid seemed very surreal.

What careers advice did you get at school? / what did you want to be when you were growing up?

To be honest, I never knew what I wanted to do as a career. I started at Ossett sixth form to buy me more time, I had such a broad range of subjects I was studying at A level, I still had no direction. I was studying Art / Computing / Business Studies / Design Tech which are a random bunch. After the first year, I got really behind with the work due to the band getting busy and felt I had a mountain to climb to catch up. It was around the same time we got offered a publishing deal, so I decided to put all my energy into the Band. I was told if I wanted to leave I had to go see the Head Teacher. I was pretty nervous, but weirdly he actually told me to pursue the opportunity I’d been given, as I could study at any time throughout my life. I thought that was really great advice, but in hindsight, maybe he was just glad to see the back of me!

Who was the first band you saw and where?

There was a battle of the bands type thing that Ossett town hall used to organise once a year. It was great for new school bands to get a taste of playing on a stage to all their friends and other bands' friends. I was in attendance at this ‘all day’ event as Gary and Ryan’s school band “Wrinkle” were on the bill.

A few years ago in 2012, we actually had the privilege of working with a video director called Andy Knowles, who actually incorporated old footage of one of these shows into a music video we did. It has footage of us as kids in that video, titled - Leather Jacket Love Song.

Where is/was the best place to go out in Wakefield? / what was the best band you saw in Wakefield (if any)?

I usually end up in the usual spots for someone who feels a bit of an outsider on the typical Westgate run. Places like Inns of Court on Kings Street has a great music community, as well as Crux - that happens once a month now. In Wakefield all the bands seem to help each other out. The two ‘God fathers’ in my opinion, are probably Rob Dee at Philophobia and Jamie Lockhart. Even to this day if I’m ever in need of a mic to borrow or something, I’ve got Jamie on speed dial!

What's the best bit about being on stage?

Sitting at the back, hidden behind a drum kit!

Just kidding, I once said that (as cheesy as it sounds), being onstage playing a show to a room full of people can sometimes feel like some kind of drug high, that cannot be replicated anywhere else. It is addictive too!

What do you miss most about home when you are on the road?

Just the usual stuff really, family / going out with friends. I also like going out for fish and chips (Kingfisher and Wetherby Whaler) to be a total cliché, or going out for a curry on a weekend. Kashmiri Aroma, is a current favourite of mine.

When did you realise you had 'made it' as a band?

This is a hard question to answer, as I don’t think we ever take a step back and think that way. Its not really the type of people we are, as we are always thinking about what’s next. Two milestones for me though were when we won the Spirit of Independence Q award and the NME Outstanding Contribution to Music award. I’d much rather have them than an award for best video or something like that.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone gave you and who gave it you?

“Don’t let the record label take you out to dinner” Jeffery Lewis.

How do you relax?

I’ve started to get into astronomy a little bit recently. Last time I was in Portland at Gary’s, we took a drive up to Olympia to pick up a second hand telescope. Since then I will sometimes take a drive out to somewhere more rural in Wakefield, e.g., Denby Dale, or Horbury lagoon - and set up. It gets things in perspective how insignificant even the biggest of my worries are!