For episode 92 of the podcast, during Country Music Week, we interview Willie Jones on his UK debut, his forthcoming debut album, ‘Bachelorettes on Broadway’ and diversity in country music.
First trip over to the UK?
No, I was actually here like three or four years ago…
But it’s all changed since then, the UK country scene is now alive and kicking!
Heck yeah.
You’re carving your own original path in the genre, it must be nice coming over here to represent that different aspect of the industry and introduce yourself to the UK. It all started back in Shreveport, Louisiana…
Yeah, 318 Ratchet City.
What was it like growing up there, it’s such a melting pot of genres?
Yeah, growing up there, people listen to everything from hip hop to gospel was really an influence growing up. I was always there, for three services a day sometimes. Yeah the music scene out there, people listen to a lot of different stuff.
I know your mum was kind of surprised you ended up doing country, is she still surprised you stuck in that lane?
I don’t know if she’s surprised that I stuck with it, but I know my mom is very very happy and excited for me. She’s my number one fan, literally every time I get on Instagram live my mom just hops on there. She commented ‘hey’ and I told her earlier ‘just relax mom.’ It’s a blessing.
You came to the X Factor when you were 17 – clearly Josh Turner was a big influence because you’ve managed to get far in two talent shows with his music…
Yeah, because I have a deep voice and not many artists show off their deep side.
Was that something you’d wanted to do for a while?
Yeah for sure, I got into country when I was a teenager and I knew then that I wanted to sing country, to see representation of people like me singing it and also to do something a little different. I was always a fan of different kinds of music and cool sounds and that’s what I always wanted to do.
There must be a degree of responsibility, because country music has always historically lacked any diversity, even in terms of the sound. Do you feel that responsibility?
Yeah, I definitely feel that responsibility to just be that for other people and for younger people and to be there for myself as well. To see the genre change and just open up, it’s a really beautiful thing to see and I can’t wait to see what it’s like in ten years.
Your first full-length project was released last year. What did you want people to take away from that as the main first introduction people had to you?
Roadwaves was the first six-song EP I put out. I just wanted people to take away the good vibes. Most of the EP is that, I was in a good place. I do have a song called ‘Where Were You’ which was kind of a like damn you played me kind of vibe. I just wanted people to take away from it whatever they wanted to take away.
Where did the name come from?
So I had moved from Shreveport, Louisiana to Los Angeles and it kind of was a representation of being from the streets (the road) and the road leading me out to the beach of Los Angeles with the waves, and also mixing genres, two different mediums.
You’re working with 4 Sounds, what has working with them done for you?
So 4 Sounds came into the picture about two years ago, which was when I started really getting the ball rolling. Before 4 Sounds and working with my manager Johnny, I was really just doing my social media thing, doing what I thought I should be doing and I’d meet people who would try and change my sound or throw a huge contract in my face. I linked up with Johnny at 4 Sound and since then we’ve just been partnering up on this project and we’ve been doing our thing.
It’s been doing pretty well so far… ‘Bachelorettes on Broadway’ I feel has just pushed you into this brand new stratosphere and been the major introduction to you. Did you get an automatic inspiration from that song stepping off the plane in Nashville?
Yeah that was literally the introduction to this, what is going on, what is happening, why are all these girls matching? Me and my boys were just walking down broadway and just thought ‘yo, we’ve got to write a song about this.’ I’m sure it’s something that people were probably scared to write about, because it’s such a niche thing.
The music video looked like so much fun to record.
Yeah and we had a lot of real bachelorettes come through, like ‘woo, we want to be in a video’ all tanked up, but yeah it was a fun time.
The latest single is ‘Whole Lotta Love,’ can you talk a bit about that one?
Yeah that one just came from an honest place. It’s cool to have somebody who’s down with you in the thick and thin and shows you unconditional love. I’m a fan of that and I’m a fan of love. I was in the studio with Sean and I had the chorus chords in my head and he played it and from there I think I just freestyled a little something and we just wrote it that night. It came out very good.
You lead a lot more beats rather than lyrics…
Yeah, we usually get a progression going and then start a beat, and then I freestyle on top of that and then go back and sort the lyrics out.
That probably enables you to have that fresher sound…
Yeah it’s fun man, melody is so important in songs. I’m kind of getting better at sitting down to write, but yeah I just like going in and feeling the vibe.
So is there a debut album in the works?
Yeah it is, the album will be out, i just recently was driving in Los Angeles and the title popped into my head… I’m really excited about it and ‘my debut’ that’s crazy to say, but it’s something that I’ve always wanted, so it’s cool. We’ve got some different type vibes on there, we’ve got a few ballads, couple little party ones. Everything I’m playing tonight is original.
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Final Few
Beer or whiskey? Whiskey.
Record you’re listening to on repeat at the moment? Whole Lotta Love by Willie Jones (laughs)
Record you couldn’t live without if you were stuck on a desert island? I’d have to say Kanye West’s Graduation
Do you have a pre-show ritual? I pray before every show, get the band together and get the vibe right and just speak peace over the show, make sure my heart is right.
Would you rather give up songwriting or performing? Neither man, but performing came first for me because I was so into musical theatre, so I would say neither.
Complete the sentence…
Music is… love.
Country music is… love.
Willie Jones is... love.
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