We sat down with Pentire before their London show, the final stop on their Love on TV UK tour. The four-piece band—Jack Morgan (vocals), Owen Seymour (guitar), Jake Weaver (drums), and Jacob Beswetherick (bass)—originated in Herefordshire and formed at university, producing music together ever since. They opened up about their journey so far, their writing process, and life on the road.
A Million Streams and Counting
Pentire recently hit a major milestone, with their song Fading Out surpassing one million streams. Jack described the moment as “pretty incredible.” Owen added, “We never thought we would get to that point, right? Now to a billion.” Jack reminisced about the song’s origins: “We wrote it in my uni room in like 2020, thinking it would never go anywhere, thinking it wouldn’t even leave the room. It was meant to be a B-side to Watch Time With Me. So God knows what would happen if we hadn’t done that.” Jacob pointed out that the song’s popularity fluctuated: “It wasn’t always the most popular song.” Owen reflected on its unexpected success, saying, “It’s funny how it resonates with people. It’s by far our biggest streamed song, weirdly.” Jacob agreed, adding, “It’s probably one of the last songs we expected to blow up.” Owen jokingly concluded, “But now we’re a one-hit wonder.”
The Making of Love on TV
The band’s second EP, Love on TV, was a more intentional project compared to their previous work. Jake explained, “It’s been definitely a lot more sort of collaborative. It’s been really nice, and I feel like it’s the best stuff we’ve ever written.” Owen described the difference in approach: “This was written as more of a project, whereas the last EP became an EP. The first song we wrote for it was just originally going to be singles, but we knew every song on this would make the EP.”
When asked how they approach songwriting, Jake explained, “So it would start with Jack. Jack will write something on acoustic and then he’ll bring it to us, and then we’ll make it into a Pentire song.”
As for influences, Owen joked, “Mainly Fading Out over and over.” Jack quipped, “We were listening to us.” But on a more serious note, he credited Del Water Gap as a key influence. “It’s a long time ago we wrote for this EP, but his—well, it’s not new anymore—but his most recent album, I listened to a lot whilst writing a lot of the core stuff on acoustic, like Jake said.” Owen also mentioned Holly Humberstone and Inhaler as inspirations. Jake added, “There’s like reoccurring influences with all of us. So like, we’ll all bring our own bits and stuff.” Jacob highlighted Kelly Jones for his storytelling influence.
Favourite Venues and Dream Lineups
Jake quickly named Thekla as one of his favourite venues, with Jack agreeing, “Thekla is up there.” Jacob highlighted Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, saying, “It’s a nice venue. The way it’s shaped, the stage.” Jack added, “Rescue Rooms is gonna be mine. We played that two nights ago.” Owen, however, chose King Tut’s in Glasgow as his top pick.
As for their dream tour lineup, Jack immediately named Stereophonics, while Owen picked The 1975. Jake chose Bloc Party, and Jacob had a bold dream: “I’d love to go on tour with Foo Fighters just because I’d just ask questions.” Jack agreed, saying, “I’m going to say Foo Fighters as well. That’s one of my favorite bands of all time.” Owen threw in Nirvana, while Jack quipped, “That would be quite tricky.”
The Most Unexpected Songs on Their Playlists
When it comes to what Pentire listens to on the road, don’t expect just indie hits. Jack admitted, “We listen to a lot of rogue stuff in the van, to be fair. We had a soul session the other day.” Jake added, “It’s hard, considering that maybe people would expect that we just listen to Indie music, then there’s probably quite a lot”
The band members each have their own guilty pleasures. Jack shared, “I love Chappell Roan, but that’s not really out of the ordinary at the moment.” Owen mentioned, “I’m a big Role Model fan at the minute.” Jacob, on the other hand, confessed, “I’m a massive sucker for grunge, and right now, I’m stuck on Alice In Chains.” Jack chimed in again, revealing, “I’m really into Blondie. We covered one of their songs for the BBC Introducing session, and it just pulled me right back into Parallel Lines.” Jake wrapped it up, saying, “I’d say all the neo-soul stuff, but I really love it. As musicians, it’s important to listen to everything.”
Memorable Tour Moments and Struggles
Jack recalled a standout moment: “Walking out in Thekla for the first time because it was like our biggest ever hometown show and also, like, I’d never been in front of that many people before. It was like a wow sort of factor. My whole family was there as well.”
Jacob shared a similar experience, saying, “Playing Rescue Rooms the other day, I had to just kind of stop and soak it in because it’s such a great feeling.”
On the flip side, the band noted the challenges of touring. Jacob admitted, “Depending on how long the stint is, you’re away from family.” Owen added, “And lack of sleep.” Jack lamented, “And lack of good food as well. Why do they not have a restaurant that does home-cooked meals?” Jake jokingly proposed, “Why don’t we just go to a kitchen?”
Touring is never without its challenges, and the band recounted some of their most unusual experiences on the road. One of the most memorable moments was when their accommodation was broken into in Manchester. Owen shared, “We got broken into once at a friend’s place.” Jacob added, recalling the tense moment, “We were touring in Jack’s car, brought all our stuff inside, but someone’s bike got stolen. It must’ve been his housemate’s.”
Of course, life on the road isn’t all about break-ins and worrying about stolen bikes. The band also shared the more lighthearted side of touring, including their photographer’s legendary snoring. “We love him dearly, but when it comes to the Travelodge at the end of the night, it’s like carnage,” Jacob laughed. “It’s a fight for all to not sleep next to Josh.”
When it comes to essentials on the road, the band’s must-haves include some unexpected items. Jack, for instance, has found a new best friend in his nebulizer. “It’s been unbelievable for my voice. It makes me sound like an old man,” he chuckled. “But honestly, it’s helped so much. Lots of water all the time.” Jacob added with his usual humor, “I demand instruments,” while Jake joked, “I mean, shampoo helps. General hygiene.”
Reflecting on their earlier tours, Jacob said, “We used to crash at mates’ houses, and you might not have a bed or a shower. Just knowing you’ve got those things now is essential.”
Growth on Tour
Jack reflected on the band’s recent tour growth, saying, “We were saying before we went on this tour, we supported a band called Larkins on pretty much the same tour about a year and a half ago, and it felt proper. But this time, it really has felt really proper. We walk out on stage every night and there’s between 250 and 400 people in front of us, and it just makes everything better. The venues have better sound systems, they sound better. The dressing rooms are there. We’ve done our fair share of small shows and getting changed in a car park and stuff like that. So it’s really nice to have those luxuries now.”
Jacob added, “We’ve also had a team with us as well, which has been very handy.” Jack emphasized, “The first time ever.” Jacob continued, “Our photographer does all our merch and also a lot of our teching. Our sound guy does a lot of the driving and lots more teching.”
Advice for New Artists
Jacob had one key piece of advice: “Play as many gigs as possible. The more gigs you play, the more you’re going to get noticed by someone or something.” Jack emphasised the financial reality: “Be prepared to spend money to make money. Buying merch and stuff is so expensive, but it’s how bands survive. Try and merchandise as quickly as you can.” Jacob joked, “Get some merch. Someone will buy some sunglasses or socks.”
The Most Important Question: Favourite Crisps
When it came to their ultimate snack choices, Jacob proudly declared Scampi and Lemon Nik Naks as his top pick. Jack leaned towards a more upscale choice with M&S Truffle Crisps. Owen opted for Salt and Pepper Crisps, while Jake preferred Kettle Ready Salted or Sea Salt and Black Pepper. A band of refined tastes, indeed.
With a packed festival season ahead and hints at another tour in late autumn, Pentire’s momentum is only growing. “Love on TV isn’t over,” Jack teased. “That’s just what we’ll say.” The band also promised more music, more shows, and even bigger things to come. If you haven’t already, check out our review of their London gig to see how they brought their electrifying live energy to the stage!
You can watch the full interview here: