An incisive look at the dark underbelly of the Hollywood film industry. “Star-Strangled Hanna” is of course a warped pun on the US national anthem, and the song’s lyrics explore the nastier side of glitzy Hollywood. The ‘casting couch’ and the perverse actions of predators like Harvey Weinstein, plus the manipulation of so many aspiring stars who have been ‘used and abused’ by the Hollywood system, were the inspiration for this brash and bold track. While the rest of the “Late Night Triple Bill” EP shares the US influence in its country and Americana-inspired guitar work, atmosphere, and vocals, the music in ‘Star-Strangled Hanna’ itself feels intensely British, evoking the post-punk revival and indie music of The Housemartins, Franz Ferdinand, and Arctic Monkeys. Cinema has always been a huge source of inspiration for Ali In The Jungle’s music -- the band thinks it’s important to give a song about Hollywood its roots in British music, since the UK can’t ignore the prejudices of its own film industry. “Star-Strangled Hanna” took inspiration too from The Beatles’ “Honey Pie”, in which McCartney laments a talented British woman leaving England and sailing across the Atlantic to Hollywood. 

The band recognise that the themes of violence and abuse explored in the new EP are severe issues which need addressing, and would like to promote White Ribbon UK as a charity which engages with men and boys to end violence against women - https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/

All songs by Ali In The Jungle (Allen/Eelbeck/Holmwood/Kelk). All rights reserved.
Produced by Ru Cook at www.lostboysstudio.com

Ali Eelbeck - Drums & Incidental Vox
Chris Allen - Lead Guitar
Sam Kelk - Bass
Timothy Holmwood - Vox & Rhythm Guitar

Artwork by: Joseph Howard & Movement Films
Artwork concept by: Shane Merkli & Ali In The Jungle

Star-Strangled Hanna

I Don’t Even Know You is an honest acoustic ballad that builds in a surprising direction. Intimate vocals weave with and betray beautiful guitar parts, as the relationship between the two is explored in a moment of melancholy from an otherwise upbeat band.

Produced by Ali In The Jungle. Recorded at MCA Studio 2.

I Don't Even Know You

Drunk Generation

People Change

An honest acoustic ballad, with intimate vocals that weave with and betray beautiful guitar parts, as the relationship between the two is explored in a moment of melancholy from an otherwise upbeat band

Combining so many elements of blues with classical styles, You Make Me Feel So Alive is a crazed mob film epic

You Make Me Feel So Alive

This song has its origins in a fragment of a song by Tim’s uncle from around 20 years ago. Tim was awed by its simple yet effortless cool, so he and uncle Jon worked on the demo into the wee small hours until it became “Fuel on the Fire”, with its semantics of violence and cars inspired by the Jake Gyllenhaal movie 'Nightcrawler'. Lyrically, the song takes inspiration from 'At Folsom Prison' by Johnny Cash, in which the tracks detail the crimes and interior feelings of American criminals; “Fuel On The Fire” deals with the violent murder of a man and his lover, commited out of jealousy. Musically, we're all employing some left-field techniques: Chris sprinkles his lead guitar parts with slide guitar, Ali plays the brushes and uses sidestick hits, Sam injects the choruses with some disco-esque basslines, and Tim plays the acoustic guitar as if he’s in a Western!

Acoustic & Vocals - Timothy Holmwood
Bass - Samuel Kelk
Drums - Alastair Eelbeck
Lead Guitar - Christopher Allen

Fuel on the Fire by Allen/Eelbeck/Holmwood/Holmwood/Kelk
Produced by Ru Cook at www.lostboysstudio.com

Fuel on the Fire

Indie innovators Ali In The Jungle have been swapping instruments and mixing genres since 2012. Over the years Tim, Chris, Sam and Ali have been pushing themselves toward writing and performing exciting, catchy, and meaningful indie music, each with a bit of extra awesome. Their music combines sharp wit with raw supercharged piano, post-punk, Britpop, glam, and jazz.

Check out or socials.

Ali In The Jungle

Popular tracks