Today, we are pleased to announce a new Maddox Jones single being released – titled ‘My House’! It is a laidback single, that is filled with honest intentions, and sets the tone for his new EP Headspace, chronicling the trials and joys of adulthood. ‘My House’ will feature on the EP, which is set for release next month. We had the pleasure of finding out more about the rising musician in this interview and discovered that he has a witty and charming personality.
Maddox Jones gives further details on the EP below.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Emotive, honest, epic, catchy
How does a song come together for you? What is the songwriting process?
I don’t really have one set way of starting a song, to be honest. I’ve got a real piano at home so sometimes I’ll start with a chord sequence and get the melody and lyrics together before collaborating with a producer to finish it. Other times I’ll write a song from scratch in the studio just catching a vibe. I’ve got a few different writers and producers that I like to work with. Special shout outs to Dave Crawford, Harry Tarlton & Louis Souyave who have worked on this EP with me!
What was the first album/CD you ever bought?
Ok so the first CD I brought was Spaceman by Babylon Zoo, anyone remember that one-hit wonder? God knows why I brought that, it hasn’t really stood the test of time that. I think the first album I brought was Pulp – A Different Class; great record and still sounds great to this day.
What album do you know every word to?
Killers-Hot Fuss, that album is epic. Hit after hit crossing the seedy glamour of LA with the quintessential Britishness of The Smiths et al. Vintage album for sure, but a classic. Nowadays I’m more of a song kinda guy, so I will get obsessed with singles rather than albums. The Weeknd ‘Blinding Lights’ is a current great one and Sarpa Salpa (a band local to me in Northampton) have just released a banger called ‘Forwards Backwards’.
Share some advice for other bands/artists creating original music?
Make the music you want to make, don’t compromise. Honesty, passion and authenticity shine through and win the race in the end.
What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?
NME once described an old band of mines single as a ‘Shit Centred Malteser’ – burn!
If you could create your own radio show, what kind of music would you feature and why?
I’d feature a lot of new unheard music but also loads of the 80s feel-good classics like Duran Duran and Human League crossed with 90s R & B. I’d want to make my listeners feel good. I’d also have a lot of guests on show for some interesting conversations in between songs.
Tell us about your upcoming releases?
Well, I’ve just released the second single ‘My House’ from my forthcoming Debut Solo EP Headspace. This is a collection of some of the most honest and open songs I’ve ever written in my musical career so far. ‘My House’ is a story about inviting strangers over for an afterparty, metaphorically and literally exploring the hedonistic joy found in reckless habits”.
The EP consists of 5 tracks and they each tell a story. ‘Headspace’ is about being there for someone when they are going through something hard. ‘More Than This’
is a collaboration with good friend and fellow artist, Adal. It’s about taking stock of where you are and how you might have strayed from the path you dreamed of. Jones says of the track “They say it takes 10,000 hours to truly master a skill, I wonder how many of us have attained master status at wasting time on Netflix instead of chasing what we really want.”
‘Dancing Feels Good’ is the first of two tracks produced and co-written with London based producer & multi-instrumentalist, Harry Tarlton. This is the last track to make it onto the EP and, like ‘Headspace’, most of it came together in a day. Built around Tarlton’s infectious & funky bassline this track is about how sometimes you just want to feel good and forget everything else.
‘No More Ghosts is’, I feel, the showpiece of the EP. It’s a song I am immensely proud of. I was inspired by a line in the Netflix series ‘YOU’ and at the time it was just expanding on a feeling and exploring the line ‘No more ghosts in my head’ as a vibe. Now in the context of the EP, it makes total sense as a breakup song. It feels like it’s about letting go of demons that haunt you and moving on to a new era of your life.
The Headspace EP as a whole, documents where I am at in my life right now; ready to do the work and fulfil my life’s purpose!”
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