Photo credit: Colette Slater Barrass
JONES’ previous singles ‘Around’ and ‘Read My Mind’ reaffirmed her growing reputation as a bright new hope in the soul / pop / R&B space, while also infusing her sound with elements of London’s underground jazz scene. JONES is now set to attract another surge of acclaim as she releases the new EP ‘Blue Sunshine’. The EP features both recent tracks as well as its title track and new single, plus two other brand new songs.
What inspired you to begin a career in music?
I just don’t remember a time when music wasn’t what I wanted to pursue…it’s been a lifelong dream since childhood that has stayed alive through my teens into adulthood where I find myself now. I think subconsciously music was just my happiest, “free-ist” place and I gravitated towards it and tried to spend as much time in that world as I could. I used to obsess about my favourite singers or bands as a child I would play their music over and over again driving my mum crazy. I feel that’s really how I learnt to sing – just through repetition through or imitating my favourite artists until I found my own style.
What differs you and your sound from other upcoming artists in the music industry?
I really don’t know…I think if anything were to differentiate me from other artists it would just be my voice, I think everyone’s voice is unique and I really honed in on that. I don’t try to sound like anyone else, I feel I’m in my own lane in that respect. Other than that I really don’t know I try not to compare. I appreciate music but I kind of try to keep my mind pure of comparison and it’s not something I actively work on to try and sound different I just try to come from a place that’s really true to me. One of my favourite quotes is “be yourself everybody else is taken” and that’s my philosophy when it comes to making music.
Your new EP ‘Blue Sunshine’ is out now. Can you please describe the creative process and inspiration behind the project?
Well it was made during lockdown its birthplace was in my bedroom in the beginning of the first extreme lockdown. There were some days that I felt so creatively blocked and got angry with myself for not being more productive – and other days where ideas are melodies just flew out of my head or my heart. So when I had those moments I just locked myself in my room and wrote as much as I could to just try and jump on that feeling.
Inspiration is fleeting and it’s one of the most frustrating things trying to curate your environment so that you are always in a state of inspiration…it’s really in my experience impossible because being human means that things happen and your mood fluctuates. Life events affect you, relationships affect you. So yes, I started off with a bunch of demos that I made in my room and then I got in touch with a producer called Oli Barton Wood and we really connected, we began to flesh out these ideas and also create some new ones together with some really incredible musicians and it was all very smooth process – everything felt so organic.
Everyone experiences good days and bad days, as an artist. When you have a bad day, what motivates you to keep moving and look ahead to the future?
How true! Sometimes I can definitely get stuck in negative emotions which is why I try and speak about positivity so much. Half of the time it’s just to remind myself! I would say just an internal drive to be happy and to progress and evolve and to keep experiencing life – I’d say that’s what motivates me to look to the future. Even in the darkest moments I always have hope and that definitely pushes me forward.
In your own opinion, what is the most meaningful song you wrote? What makes you say that one?
That’s really hard to say…maybe the title track of this EP: Blue Sunshine. I came up with the title quite a few months before the song came to life, I remember I was just daydreaming, I think I was in the shower and the title “blue sunshine” landed in my head and I thought oh I want to do something with that. It represents a feeling and a lifelong state that I can definitely identify with. The song itself is very meaningful to me, a very personal story. But perhaps on a different day I would talk about a different song.
What personal advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue this career?
To anyone out there wanting to pursue music I would say the fundamental rules are that you have to believe in yourself, you have to push through your fears on a regular basis, you have to be able to handle rejection and other people’s opinions, you have to have a strong sense of your own identity and what is right for you, and you have to be able to trust in your intuition and gut feelings to guide you through what is a difficult career path. I would say also remember to keep the magic of music alive in your heart regardless of what happens. It’s important to stay authentic and remember to actually enjoy what you’re doing.
And I’d lastly say you have to be very resilient and determined.
What does the foreseeable future hold for you as an artist?
I don’t have a crystal ball so that’s impossible for me to know 🙂 the only things I know is that there is going to be a lot of music coming in the next 18 months. I’ll be returning to playing live shows again and there are some really really cool collaborations coming very soon. My aim is to keep evolving and hopefully just write truer and truer songs.
Anything else you would like to add?
Well I’d just like to say thank you for your questions and your time – and thank you to everyone that has supported my musical journey thus far. I appreciate everything you do and just hope everyone is staying well and happy and sending love!
‘Blue Sunshine’ is available now via all major platforms.
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