Shawn Jones releases his new album ‘Struggle Makes You Stronger’on February 11th. Here he gives us the lowdown on the new album and a few tales from the road…
1. What are you currently up to?
I am always working on new music and gigging away. Running an independent music business takes up a lot of my time and as a wise music business person once said to me, “Music is what you get to do, business is what you have to do!” The creative part is my favourite bit and I wish I had more time to spend on it these days, but it comes in waves and cycles…
2. Could you take us through the new album ‘Struggle Makes You Stronger’? (e.g. ideas behind the songs etc)
This album was the biggest learning curve for me out of the five albums I’ve made. I spent more “hands on” time in regard to the recording and editing process than in the past. I’ve had others doing that work for me before, but I wanted to take on that job myself this time and as a result I learned loads from it! My two main co-writers on this album were Jeff Carter (country singer Deana Carter’s brother) and Jeff Silbar (Multi-platinum hit songwriter responsible for “Wind Beneath My Wings”, amongst others). I wrote with both of them at different times. I’ve got a few solely written songs on here as well.
This album is a collection of songs that kind of married together as a body of work over and above the other song choices. There isn’t much regret in the sentiments of these songs. Mainly positive affirmations, reflective thoughts on love and experience, and a little barn-burning guitars in your face!
A really fun yet challenging project to make.
3. On you new album you use Robert Cray’s drummer amongst other musicians. Do you prefer to make an album with a core set of musicians/band or does it add to the music involving guest musicians?
I guess it depends on the kind of project you are trying to make. It worked for me this way because these were the people I was working with at the time the songs needed to be recorded over different periods of time. I work with all of the musicians on this album in my own project at different times and the combinations of musicians turned out to be a real tapestry of elements that worked famously. I want my next record to be a throw-down “what you hear is what you get” project with very little production – kind of a live album in the confines of the studio…”old school” style. That would be a fun way to use the same musicians all at once. There are so many different approaches to recording and I am interested in them all.
4. Unlike some musicians with a blues background, you quite happily add little bits of soul and country. Do you prefer to be seen a multi-genre musician rather than pigeonholed into a blues rock only musician? How important an influence was being taken under the wing of Waylon Jennings in helping shape your sound and musical ambitions?
I don’t like being pigeon-holed as an artist/writer/musician, but I realise that the industry’s need to do it in order to funnel the product to the consumer. The AAA, AC, Americana format works best for me I think because it seems to be the place where country, blues, rock, soul, traditional folk, and even jazz can meld together and find a home. I have never been a real pop guy, but I love a great hook and a compelling story. You can put any kind of slant on the production you want, but without a great song none of it really matters.
In regard to working with Waylon, it was an amazing time in my life after being disenchanted with LA and Nashville.
I moved back from Nashville to my home town of San Bernardino with my sister and started landscaping with my brother-in-law for a short time to figure out what to do next and re-group. This was before the wide use of cell phones and the Internet. My sister got the call from Waylon’s office saying that Waylon wanted to talk to me about managing me. The rest is history. It really changed my life and helped me figure out who I was and believe in myself as an artist.
5. Who made you first want to start playing the guitar and why?
My dad always had a guitar around the house and would sing and play those old Hank Williams and Ray Price songs. He moved out when I was five and bought a bar that had a juke box in it with 45s. He would give me the old 45s and let me rock out on the little stage in the bar. I had several little cheap guitars to beat up until he gave me his Lyle acoustic and bought himself a new Martin guitar. I still have the Martin to this day now that my dad is gone. It’s my prize possession and is probably the best sounding acoustic guitar I’ve ever heard. My mom loved lighting candles at night and playing the piano. I thought that was really cool as a kid and I find myself doing the same thing sometimes…
6. You have strong, soul tinged vocal. What did you discover and hone in on first, your guitar playing ability or your singing voice?
Playing and singing were always hand in hand for me. I never really considered one without the other. I always gravitated to the ones that played and sang, Hank Williams, Glen Campbell, BB King, Robert Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Roy Clark, Jerry Reed, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, James Taylor etc… In a perfect world there are no lines between these different types of artists. At home I put my itunes on “random shuffle”. One minute it’s Imogen Heap, the next it’s Tedeschi Trucks Band!
7. How healthy is the touring circuit for a musician like yourself in the US and the UK? Can you string enough dates together to make a decent set of your dates? You’ve toured with may blues greats. Who did you enjoy touring with the most and why?
It’s a very difficult task keeping yourself booked and I unfortunately spend more time doing that and planning tours than doing anything else. I prefer putting that into the hands of the professionals and letting me make as much good music and performing as many great shows as possible. I have done it myself for years with the help of a few non-exclusive agents and have done a pretty good job of it I think, but I need to keep my head in the music as much as possible.
Most of my touring as support to other artists have been many and brief. I would have to say hands down that Robert Cray was the biggest gentleman of them all to me. Very complimentary to the audience about me, asking them to put their hands together for me several times in the middle of his set! That is very rare thing for a headliner to do. He took the time to hang and have a laugh or two after the show as well. I look forward to more shows like that!
8. What have been the live highlights for you and why?
Well let’s see…playing for the troops in Iraq & Bosnia was a real honour. I am thankful for their service and it was the least I could do as a “thank you” to the them for my freedom. Then I would have to say touring with Waylon and playing massive stages at Lollapalooza in front of 40,000 plus screaming fans was a huge rush to say the least. Last but not least would be all of the cool gigs I’ve done in Ireland, UK, EU, and USA where there were people just digging the music and really paying attention. The smallest gigs are the hardest I think because there is no separation between you and the audience. They see every sweat ball falling off your nose! You just have to shine and be for real…
9. Any good rock ‘n’ roll tales to tell…
Just off the top of my head, I remember riding with Waylon & Jessie in their bus from Nashville to Luckenbach, TX, to play with Willie (and the boys!) We were all on stage together for 30 minutes of pure bliss in my eyes! I remember Willie looking over at me to take a solo on “Good ‘ole Boys” and I remember thinking, “Shit! Willie wants me to take a solo!” I took that damn solo too, boy! Then we got back to Nashville in the middle of the night during a frost and my car wouldn’t start, so I slept in the guard shack at the front of Waylon’s gate all night. I remember watching a special on John Coltrane on the little TV in that freezing shack and thinking how surreal it was. I felt really stupid in the morning when I answered the phone in the guard shack and heard Waylon’s voice, (Waylon) “Shawn, what are you doing, son?” (me) “Um, well my car wouldn’t start so I slept out here in the shack and didn’t want to bother you!” (Waylon) “Well, come on in here, son, and get you some eggs!” I will always remember that as simple and real as it was. He was such a legend and I know I acted like a total nerd half the time because I was in awe of him. And the only time I wished I wasn’t left-handed was at a Highwayman rehearsal, when I was asked to attend and Waylon handing me his leather bound Telecaster in front of Johnny, Kris, and Willie (Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson) saying “Play us something!” I had to decline because Waylon’s guitar was right handed, of course – and I’m a lefty. Bummer!
10. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from music?
I live in a beautiful part of the world above LA and the mess in a little agricultural town by the sea called Ventura. It’s the best kept secret of SoCal I think. Everybody passes it to go north either to Santa Barbara or above. They pass right by this little place where there is killer hiking, biking, surfing, motorcycle riding, fishing, etc…
I like all those things, but I would have to say I am in bliss out on my dad’s old fishing boat in the middle of a beautiful lake by myself or with my gal just doing nothing and completely out of reach from the world!
Anything else to add and a message for your fans…
I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for diggin’ my music and letting me be an artist for a living! It’s all I ever want to do and it’s because of the fans that I get to keep doing it! I am blessed!
www.shawnjonesmusic.com
Shawn Jones Facebook Fan Page
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www.myspace.com/shawnjonesmusic
www.reverbnation.com/shawnjonesmusic
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