When you picture life on the road, you probably imagine wild nights, chaos, and whatever's left of the minibar. But for Split Chain’s Jake and Oli, it turns out tour life is more about skincare, FaceTime calls, and hunting for good breakfast.
We caught up with the boys backstage at Slam Dunk 2025 to talk about staying grounded while travelling, rituals that make hotel rooms feel like home, and what their home would sound like if it were a playlist.
Spoiler: one of them has blocked themselves off from social media and the other blasts Motown while doing the dishes.
🏠 How do you stay connected to home when you're on tour?
Jake:
Honestly, I’m not great at it - I mostly rely on my phone. I FaceTime or call home quite a bit. I hate texting, it’s just nice to hear a voice! Don’t even get me started on memes… there’s just so much more emotion in a proper call.
Oli:
I’m kind of the opposite. I’ve actually got blocks on my phone to stop me going on all that stuff. I try to stay really present and in the moment when we’re out. I don’t really take anything with me.
Jake:
If anything, we just make sure we bring stuff back for people - especially if we’ve toured America. Snacks are a big one.
Oli:
Yeah, I think because we’re still pretty new to it, we’re more about getting away from home and seeing new places.
🛏️ Do you have any rituals that make hotels or tour buses feel like home?
Jake:
If we get a day off and we’re staying in an Airbnb or something, we try and get out and walk around. I’ll call home, speak to my girlfriend, just try to be in the real world before we get into show mode.
Even skincare - that’s part of the routine. It helps keep your head right.
Oli:
Yeah, having some kind of home routine really helps. Even just finding a proper breakfast can be a challenge when you’re on tour. But it’s one of my priorities.
🎶 If your home was a soundtrack, what would be on it?
Jake:
Empty Walls by Serj Tankian - mostly because I’m never actually there!
I’m into a lot of Hip Hop and Rap - Childish Gambino, Elton Aura… stuff to chill to.
But what I really love is sticking on a Motown playlist on a Sunday morning when the house is a mess. Doing the washing up with that on takes me right back to my childhood. It just feels good.
Oli:
My all-time favourite band is Thrice. I had Artist in the Ambulance on in the car earlier - I know every single word. That album feels like home to me.
Also, when I used to drink, my go-to hangover music was the Twin Peaks soundtrack. Just lying in bed listening to that main theme - absolute bliss.
🎬 Watch the Interview + Keep Up With Split Chain
You can watch the full video interview below, where we chat more about touring, rituals, and what actually keeps you sane in the madness of gig life.
We’ve dropped all the relevant links so you can follow Split Chain, check out their music, and catch them on the road.
More interviews dropping soon from the backstage mayhem of Slam Dunk 2025 - keep your eyes on THIS IS MY HAUS by Punk Haus.
