Simon Jones, best known for his musical work as one-third of the acclaimed experimental folk song and storytelling trio Harp & a Monkey, is working on his second solo album of reworked traditional folk standards and self-penned songs. His debut album, How Things Work, was inspired by vintage Ladybird books, but for his follow-up, he has immersed himself in far darker waters – an exploration of mortality and death.
Superstition, fear of the devil, a broken heart and collecting the beards of slain kings to make into cloaks are just some of the ways that you can bring on death in folk song and folklore. No wonder it’s a subject that has caught the imagination of musician and visual artist Simon Jones.
An international award-winning animator and art photographer, whose work adorns record sleeves and book covers, Jones has been working on a series of animations to accompany the releases related to the project – and Folk Radio is delighted to have an exclusive preview for this first one, Call Off The Dawn, in which he explores how those experiencing loss struggle to cope with the unbearable sense of pain that each fresh day brings.
Jones explains: “Even though it is lyrics that provide the most obvious narrative for a song like this, you only really connect with such huge themes on a personal level via internal emotions and imagery – the kind of things that words cannot really begin to express. I’m just trying to tap into my own internal imagery and hoping that the results resonate for others.”
Using the sparse musical backdrop of guitar, cello and organ, Jones manages to create a poignant soundscape to compliment his fragile and affecting vocal performance on Call Off The Dawn.
Jones explains: “It’s such a joy when I bring all aspects of my creative work to one project – the musical and visual. There is such a rich seam of imagery tied to representations of death: sometimes it can be fearful and macabre, and at other times optimistic and evangelical. Totally contrasting aesthetics.”
We look forward to sharing some of those contrasting aesthetics in the coming months.
The single is available on streaming services and Bandcamp now-
https://simonjohnjones.bandcamp.com/track/call-off-the-dawn