Lucy Jones is a wonderful burst of fresh air in the competitive rising scene with her kindness, enthusiasm and authenticity shining through her debut single ‘Too Good’, a song set to be the sound track of our hazy summer days. I sat down for a coffee and a chatter with Pembrokeshire’s bubbly emerging talent to find out how it all happened.
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| Lucy Jones, Singer/Songwriter, 19 |
It’s about a month after your release of ‘Too Good’, how have you found the response?
It’s honestly been such a surprise! I didn’t expect people to jump on it, I was convinced it would only be my mum and dad listening but the support behind ‘Too Good' has been great and it’s so nice to see people sharing it. You never know how well a song is going to do online and streaming is new to me so it’s lovely to see that people are actually listening!
It’s such a bop! ‘Too Good’ was one of the first songs on my holiday playlist, were you going for a summer vibe with this single?
Ahh thank you that’s amazing, yeah definitely! It’s all about being stuck in winter and looking forward to that summer period of happiness and being completely yourself so I thought it was a good song to start with.
What made ‘Too Good’ your first single?
I’ve been making a collection of songs on my own for the past four years and then last year I started working in collaboration with a guy called Matt Wills, I sat down with him and basically drowned him in all my material and we began to work through the best of the bunch. Matt really helped me tweak my sound and put my ideas together and ‘Too Good’ was born from that. We both thought it was the best track to start with and I know Matt would’ve told me if he thought one of my other songs was better, so I felt releasing ‘Too Good’ was the best first move.
How did you find the writing and producing process?
Normally I’d just be sat writing songs in my bedroom, and to take my inspiration for ‘Too Good’ to Matt was so helpful, being able to bounce ideas off each other and find out what works. Writing with Matt flowed smoothly and wasn’t like other collaborations I’ve had where the process feels forced. Matt was someone I looked up to and he’s since become one of my peers and a great friend! To be sat in his living-room in North London writing songs was super chill and lovely. I think that helped the writing process massively, it felt organic and relaxed which helped give ‘Too Good’ that uplifting feeling.
Do you feel that ‘Too Good’ reflects you as an artist and how would you describe your personal style?
Yes and no; in my live gigs, I play acoustically with a couple of pedals so obviously, the sound is a little different to the full track of ‘Too Good’ as this is more produced with added percussion, but the style is still mine! I think for future releases it’s too early on to say that this is or isn’t the exact sound I want to create, I’m so chilled with it, whatever the next song feels like it needs it’ll have. Thankfully I’m not in a position where I have to box myself off so I’m going to try everything out and see what works best for my sound.
It’s a very empowering song, do you think ‘Too Good’ is a song that speaks to a female audience?
It’s definitely a female empowerment song and all about knowing your worth which is a message for anyone! For guys and girls, it’s important to be confident and knowing what you want, and to find that relationship where you’re both in it for the same reasons; that balance is key! So yeah, from a female perspective it is a bit of an uplifting anthem which I hope is felt in the music!
"Too Good is all about knowing your worth."
How have you found being a young female breaking into the music scene?
I think there is a lot of pressure on young women to act or present themselves in certain ways, there are so many amazing female writers and producers who just don’t get enough credit! As a young female, I’m just proud to be giving it a go and putting myself out there, no matter how my career spans out I’m proud of that, I love working with other females too and seeing women like Lorde and Dua Lipa doing so well is super encouraging.
You’ve played some really impressive crowds, how are you finding the jump up to preforming for larger audiences?
I’m still doing the local pubs and clubs, but I’m up for grabbing any opportunity for bigger stages with both hands. I’m just excited to see where it all goes!
Does it ever feel daunting performing as a solo artist, as you’re always the sole focus?
Before every gig for the first year or so I’d be riddled with nerves, but now it’s more of an excitement. I’ve always performed on my own so don’t really know any different, so it’s not so much daunting but often hard to get a reference point for what works or what doesn’t as I don’t have performers to consult with. That’s why it’s really nice to collaborate with other artists and get second opinions. For now, I enjoy the solo life, but I would maybe like to explore working with sessions or a band to make a fuller live sound.
Coming from your guitar led background, do you think being a guitarist prior to a singer gives your sound a different edge?
I’ve been playing guitar ever since I was nine and only started singing in GCSE music when I wrote a song that really needed lyrics rather than being an instrumental, being a guitarist first gives a nice base to work my songs onto but it was never my intention as a guitarist that I’d end up as a singer, it was a natural progression which I love! It was all a bit of a nice surprise!
Your live performances have gone from strength to strength! Do you have any favourite gig memories?
Last year I supported Lucy Spraggan in Swansea and it was an all-female bill which was lovely and gave a little bit of the female empowerment vibe. It was a ticketed event so everyone was there to listen to and appreciate the music; playing in pubs it’s not so often that I get that sort of crowd.
A bit of a moment for me was the first time doing the school talent show, that was unbelievably nerve-racking to get up and play in front of all my peers and it was a massive turning point for me. I had to see these people every day, unlike playing down the pub where 99% of the audience I’d never see again, so getting up and performing in front of everyone who knew me was huge. I don’t really remember the actual performance, just the relief of getting off the stage and apparently, it went well!
What are your plans for future releases?
Next week I’m hoping to decide what song to release next from my four-year collection, hoping to drop a track in the next month or two and get my material out there. I’m happy that I’ve taken the time to make sure these are the songs I want to go into the world with the right message and vibe. In the future, I’d love to try and work with as many people as possible and just keep learning! My ultimate aim for now is to keep releasing tracks and build up to creating an EP.
Are you planning on making any visuals or a music video for ‘Too Good’?
I’m not currently planning on; I’d like to do an acoustic version of ‘Too Good’ but right now nothing is set in stone. But who knows, you might see me dancing around in a music video soon! Going to see what happens with it all.
What’s next in the diary for upcoming gigs and shows?
Always keep on gigging! I’ve got a couple of dates lined up and I’m especially excited for a couple of festivals in the summer.
You can catch Lucy Jones on: 21st April @ Torch Theatre, Milford
14th July @ Rudry Music Festival, Caerphilly
1st September @ The Big Cwtch, Carmarthenshire
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| ^Click to hear 'Too Good' now^ |
Laura x
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