The scene was set for Robinson Ball, with the sun low in the sky and delicate lanterns dotted about the gardens when Rhys Jones, frontman and one of Good Shoes’ chief songwriters, ambled into view. Despite having just completed a fraught nine-hour journey, he was not so jaded as to let the spectacle pass unnoticed: “It’s amazing, like nothing I’ve ever seen before!” In actual fact, the band performed their first ever gig at Cambridge, at Fitzwilliam. “At the beginning, there were about 170 people, by the end five, including the sound guy”, he reminisced. But he was still excited to be playing at three Cambridge balls: “John’s is one of the top ten parties in the world and they’re letting us play it!”

Such endearing enthusiasm seems appropriate for a band whose output is dominated by sprightly indie-pop, complemented by equally colourful artwork and videos. This visual expressiveness is important for Jones, who was studying illustration in Brighton when the band took off. Besides controlling their artwork, Jones explains how one of his aims for Good Shoes is to create “something more interesting than just live shows by adding stage projections”.

In general though, Jones’ ambitions are refreshingly modest. He only wants to do three albums because “after the third, most bands become shit”. Good Shoes are steadily approaching this particular benchmark. With their charming debut, Think Before you Speak, released in March, work on the second album has already begun. This time, songwriting duties will belong not just to Jones and his brother but to all four members, and although the style will continue “in the same vein” as before, they intend to lean towards the jerkier sensibilities of album closer ‘Wait’.

Expect similar lyrics, too. “We’re just writing about what we know, really”. And frequently Jones seems little pleased with what he knows, as ‘Morden’, the disillusioned ode to the band’s hometown suggests. The front man, who would like to “live on an island” but would settle for somewhere in Europe, believes that “England’s not a very nice place to grow up in”. For all their music’s jingle-jangle and brightness, a certain gloominess pervades many of the tracks. “I only write about things in a really pessimistic way, like when I break up with girls.” Have there been any repercussions to his lyrics? “I’m friends with most of the girls I’ve been out with”. But when the subject of ‘Never Meant to Hurt You’ heard the lyrics “she wore too much Topshop”, she did complain. Such a minor reproach suggests an individual with a chronic inability to offend - Jones was unwilling to reveal the name of the only famous musician he’d met who was “an idiot”.

Then there’s the scandalous tour behaviour: “At Wireless our goal is to swap the toilet sign with the Rakes’ dressing room sign but only because they did that to us first.”

Jones’ restraint co-exists with an ambition to infuse Good Shoes with sharp sensibilities drawn from visual arts. But whether this is enough to set them apart from their peers remains to be seen.
www.goodshoes.co.uk

Rhiannon Easterbrook