New lockdown release from Albert Jones
The recent weeks and months have been stressful and disorientating for us all. For many, the prospect of being shut in their homes and stripped of their freedom of movement has meant days of groundhog day style boredom and frustration.
For some though, this period has been a blessing in disguise; an opportunity to get around to doing the things they’d been putting off while leading their busy lives. Speaking as a full time musician, this has been the case for me and many of my colleagues. It has presented some with a chance to step away from the immediate bustle of travel and promotion that takes up so much time and refocus on what really matters to them – the music itself.
Making Time
Albert Jones resides in the beautiful snowy mountains of the French Alps; a lifestyle afforded by a heavy winter performance schedule in the many bars and restaurants dotted around the ski resorts. For 5 months of the year he is performing up to 11 shows a week, with the beautiful mountain pistes on his doorstep.
When the Covid-19 lockdown was put in place in early March, all of the resorts closed, bringing a very abrupt end to his performance schedule. All of a sudden he was free of work constraints, and immediately took the chance to put pen to paper. He began putting together ideas for a new EP, which will be released in the summer. See You When You Get There is the first single from it.
This track had a laid back country feel that leant itself to a simple and tight rhythm section. I wanted something the listener could sink into, somewhere safe in which to exist while they absorb the vocal delivery. It was important to not intrude too much on the vocal, but support it where necessary.
The arrangement and production of See You When You Get There was all done remotely. The initial idea of remote production had not been fully realised for me until a global crisis such as Covid-19 meant it was the only way for musicians to work together while being housebound. It is a wonderful collaborative way of working, reaching out over sometimes vast distances to help shape a song.
The immediate future is unclear in terms of live music, but Albert Jones is proving you don’t need physical freedom to create music, just the time.
See You When You Get There is out today, and you can listen below.
For more info on remote production and recording services, click here.