JONES -- The Girl Can Sing

There’s a special place in my heart for JONES, the alt-pop musician hailing from the UK. Even though she’s only publicly released music for about two years, she’s hit the masses to cultural and critical acclaim. Every time I hear her music in a public space, which serendipitously turns out to be often, I have a bit of a “proud dad” moment. I knew ever since she dropped her first track that she was special, and with time she has repeatedly proven that to be true. Her debut EP “Indulge” and follow up album “New Skin” have put this girl in the ring in a big way, and we’re not expecting her to slow down anytime soon.We had the immense luxury of sitting down with JONES and learning more about the humble soul behind the music.***Deep was your first release in 2015 and you made quite the splash with that. It’s such a mature and intriguing track, and one that clicked with people right out of the gate. What was the journey like to making and releasing that initial track?  Thinking back to that first ever release I was pretty nervous and protective about everything. I wanted to push back the release date not completely feeling like things -- or I -- was completely ready. It felt like I was jumping off of a very high cliff. But then I remember reading all the reviews from the blogs and seeing the song climb up Hype Machine and all of my fears were alleviated. Writing the song was a much easier and more comfortable process than the releasing of it. I wrote it in a relaxed studio session with two friends (aka: Brunelle) and thought it was a cool vibe. We later reproduced it with producer, Rodaidh McDonald and re-recorded all the vocals.You’re touring the world and making critically acclaimed music and it seems like it’s just going to keep growing and getting bigger. Have you experienced a definitive “I made it” feeling or moment, or does it seem like a continuation?  Thank you. I'm pretty chuffed with how everything has grown since I started. I've shared some wonderful experiences with some great people, met so many faces and hopefully picked up a bit of wisdom along the way. I haven't had that moment yet. To me, there's still so much I want to do.Do you have to work at being grateful?  Gratitude is one of the most important things in my life, ever since reading the book, The Magic. It's seen me through some very difficult times and is the only thing that can really make me feel happy. Otherwise, everything is so temporary and fleeting. Gratitude, unfortunately is not something that comes naturally to everyone -- nor is the importance of it fully understood or recognized, so I have to constantly remind myself to be thankful and to look at what I have in front of me. It is the choice to look at your glass as being half-full and feeling good about it.How did your collaboration with Tom Chaplin come about? What was that experience like?  A friend of mine had shown Tom some of my music and after that he had me in mind to feature and collaborate with him on the duet, Solid Gold. I was honored to have been asked and so we got to work on the song straight away. Tom has been lovely since the first day we met and is someone I have a huge amount of respect for.I’m curious to know what your favorite tracks are that you've released? And why? This is so difficult to answer, as I am quite indecisive with choosing such things (choosing the track listing for the album was a nightmare!). I really love them all as they all represent different parts of me. It would be like asking 'Out of all of your children, who is your favorite?' But for now, the songs that resonate with me the most are some of the newer songs I've written which haven't been released yet.What songs are replay for you at the moment?Almost anything by Mac Demarco -- particularly “On The Level” and “Another One.”What are the important questions in life?Who am I? How can I be better? How am I responsible for this? What is the truth?Who are your dream collaborators?  I'd love to collaborate with Little Dragon, Jeff Bhasker, Tame Impala and Mark Ronson.What are dreams?I think dreams are the calling of the soul, if you follow your dreams you are on soul-journey and you are creating magic by bringing to life things born in your heart and mind.Can we expect any more new music this year?Yes, there will be another single before the end of the year.I’d just like to say that I’m foreseeing you and Dev Hynes making some music together and it’s going to be really good.  This is a great shout. I would be totally open and excited for this. “You’re Not Good Enough” is one of my favorite songs -- it’s way up there.When do you feel the most safe?  When I am wrapped up like a caterpillar in my blanket.Are you hopeful for the future?Yes, both for myself and the planet. I've always been an optimist.