Five hundred years ago not many people could read and the few letters sent were delivered by the King’s Messenger – dressed in Royal red with trimmed hat and feathers.
Not your standard thematic material for a song, but then multi-instrumentalist and award-winning visual artist Simon Jones does not draw on your standard kind of inspirations.
Better known for his musical work as one-third of the acclaimed experimental folk song and storytelling trio Harp & a Monkey, Jones has now finished recording his debut solo album (‘How Things Work’).
The album is born out of the artist’s love of vintage Ladybird Books – a classic publishing imprint with a distinctive visual aesthetic, and one that has been enjoyed by many generations of families.
As a result, listeners can expect to be taken on a voyage of discovery that covers such varied themes as the aforementioned birth of the postal service as well as the characteristics of the seasons and achievements of key historical figures.
A harp, guitar, viola and harmonium player, Jones’s songs are hypnotic, quirky and understated delights that draw musically on his love of the theme tunes of old children’s TV shows from the Seventies and Eighties and the more fragile offerings of the likes of Vashti Bunyon, Peter Bellamy and Nick Drake.
Followers of Harp & a Monkey may recognise some of the sound-beds but will be intrigued to hear Jones’s distinctive tones as he takes a previously unheard foray into lead vocal duties.
Jones said: “It has been a labour of love that drew on all elements of the books, from the words to the images. I was determined to capture a certain dark-edged, introspective feel that linked all of the songs regardless of their very different themes.”
Jones has created a series of short animations to accompany a number of the songs and we are delighted to have an exclusive preview of the first – ‘Royal Mail’.
Jones explained: “It has been really enjoyable to marry all aspects of my creative work in one project – the musical and visual – and people who pre-order the album will also get a collection of art cards that I have put together that provide more creative backgrounds to the songs.”
This song and animation is inspired by the vintage Ladybird book ‘The Postman And The Postal Service’.
‘How Things Work’ by Simon J Jones will be released on March 7th and can be pre-ordered now via https://simonjohnjones.bandcamp.com/.