{"id":57298,"date":"2019-11-20T19:16:14","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T19:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=57298"},"modified":"2019-12-11T21:02:40","modified_gmt":"2019-12-11T21:02:40","slug":"babybirds-stephenjonesinterview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2019\/11\/babybirds-stephenjonesinterview\/","title":{"rendered":"BEAST OF STEPHEN – Babybird’s Stephen Jones On Being Drawn To The Dark Side, Johnny Depp and New LP ‘Photosynthesis’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Heard of Trucker, The Arthritis Kid<\/strong>, Outsider<\/strong>, Deluder<\/strong>? How about Black Reindeer<\/strong>, The Great Sadness<\/strong>, or Death of the Neighbourhood<\/strong>?<\/h4>\n

Nope? Well it might be worth your while checking them out – seeing as they\u2019re all incarnations of the mercurial Stephen Jones <\/strong>– the bedroom composer who as Babybird<\/strong>\u00a0took You\u2019re Gorgeous <\/em><\/strong>into the UK\u2019s Top Three in 1996.<\/h4>\n

Despite being chronically unsuited to pop stardom, he rode the wave for a while, becoming pals with one Johnny Depp <\/strong>along the way, before jumping off the bandwagon.<\/p>\n

Not that he ever went away. Far from it, Jones has been stolidly composing and releasing music by the bucketload to a small but devoted coterie of fans ever since.<\/p>\n

Despite suffering from an inner ear problem and a recent heart scare, Jones this week to plays The 100 Club<\/strong>, among a series of shows to promote his latest Babybird release Photosynthesis<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Lovingly compiled by friend Ben Scott <\/strong>of RW\/FF Recordings <\/strong>– \u201che wanted to show me something new\u201d – it\u2019s Jones\u2019 first \u2018proper\u2019 vinyl album in 21 years.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a typically wry look at society and relationships, with shards of light and optimism occasionally penetrating the prevailing dark beats and subversive lyrics.<\/p>\n

EP\u2019s Matt Catchpole <\/strong>caught up with Jones shortly before his performance at London’s\u00a0100 Club<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and found him in typically uncompromising mood.<\/p>\n

\"Babybird
The Vinyl Countdown – ‘Photosynthesis’ is Babybird’s first vinyl offering in 21 years<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Asked about his late \u201890s flirtation with fame, Jones seems equivocal, grateful for the artistic freedom success afforded him, but resentful at being expected to play the game in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cHit singles are stupid,\u201d he says. \u201cYou do kids\u2019 shows, Top of the Pops<\/em><\/strong>, Later<\/em><\/strong>, and they all blend in. Whoring yourself for money, most of which goes to the record label.\u201d<\/p>\n

While conceding he\u2019s not immune to craving more attention, he\u2019s content to operate completely outside record company influence.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously I\u2019d love for more people to hear my music these days. But I had my very lucky star into success, to have it again is greedy, so I lie at the bottom of my pond, under the radar, brooding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Central to that flush of fame was You\u2019re Gorgeous<\/em>, a song about coercive control, masquerading as a love song, with a chorus seemingly bespoke tailored for daytime radio.<\/p>\n

With surprising equanimity Jones refuses to rebuke the masses who failed to pick up on the song\u2019s double meaning.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople should never be told how to interpret a song,\u201d he says with real feeling. \u201cSo, if they thought it was romantic then fine.<\/p>\n

\u201cSadly, very few people got the true meaning, which is about male predatory behaviour, but in popular music most critics are a little blind to correct interpretation. Look at Born To Run<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n