What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the longstanding British new wave musical influences of the 1980s? The holy trinity of The Cure, Depeche Mode and The Smiths? You'd be remiss if you left out Howard Jones. A vocal presence since the early 1980s when his first hit single "New Song" was in rotation on the radio and on MTV, Jones lived up to the promise of that track with a series of unforgettable singles. "What Is Love?," "Things Can Only Get Better," "Life in One Day," "Everlasting Love," and his biggest hit, "No One Is To Blame," established his lasting legacy. Not one to sit on his laurels, Jones continues to make music to this day, including songs heard in the 2016 Hugh Jackman film Eddie the Eagle. I recently spoke with Jones, currently on a US concert tour, about his career.
Gregg Shapiro: In "New Song," your first single as a solo artist, you sang, "I don't want to be hip and cool." But in a way, that happened because of "New Song" and your music, which was very much of the 1980s new wave moment. Do you think that's a fair assessment?
Howard Jones: Yes. We were doing something different. We were using new technology. We were using video. It was new and, I guess, quite cool and hip! But it wasn't the intention to do that. It happened by accident.
"New Song" was heard in an episode of Breaking Bad. How do you feel about the way songs, old and new, are incorporated into TV shows and movies, usurping radio as a means of introducing listeners to music?
I think it's part of music being sidelined quite a bit, to be honest. Music is now co-opted into other art-forms, whereas it used to be its own thing. Now music is just associated with other things. I don't think there's anything that can be done about it. The focus has gone away from the audio side, from what music can do for you.
Echoes of 80s synth-pop and new wave continue to be felt today, especially with the popularity of electronic dance music. What does it mean to you to be a part of the musical legacy that launched that trend?
Obviously I had no conscious awareness of doing that. I just loved the new technology, and I wanted to make sounds that people hadn't used before in pop. Loads of young kids went out and bought synthesizers and drum machines and started making music in a different way. That evolved into electronic dance music. Right now that's a massive scene with its own momentum. I was trying to do something different, and it did contribute to people being interested in the new technology.
Are there any EDM artists with whom you might consider collaborating?
I really like an American artist called BT, I think he's super-talented and wonderful. Cerdri Gervais recently did a great remix of "Things Can Only Get Better" that I really like. I don't have many people remix my stuff because I'm not keen on a lot of it. I wait until there's somebody I really think is good, then I work with them. I very much like to do things myself. I work with a small team of people. I feel I've earned the right to be independent. Set the agenda and the direction, and go for it.
Some of your biggest hits could be considered "advice" songs. What's the best advice you were ever given?
In those songs I'm probably talking to myself just as much as to anyone else! There's a lot of self-therapy going on there. I always thought it was important to be yourself. It doesn't matter what other people do. I was always trying to be different from what other people were doing. You want to be striking out in a new direction.
As an artist who tours regularly, what do you like best about the live performance experience?
Live performing is dangerous! It's very much in the moment. You have to be on your game all the time. If it goes wrong, it's up to you. It's about risk-taking and enjoying that. Even though you may have done this for many years, you still get nervous. "Suddenly, tonight, it's all going to go wrong! I won't be able to sing! I won't be able to remember anything!" I enjoy that walking on the edge, it's exciting. It's a great way to live.
Have you been incorporating music from Engage in your sets?
Yes, when I get to do my own shows, there's new music from Engage . There's also brand-new music from the Eddie the Eagle film. I think it's important to be playing new things that you're doing. It would be wrong not to play all the big hits. People really want you to do that, I totally get that.
You did a tour with Andy Bell, Erasure's gay frontman, a few years ago. What was that like?
It was great! I love Andy. He's such a lovely man. We got on very well together. We did that tour together, and I see him at the English festivals. He also had a track on the Eddie the Eagle film. I think Andy's brilliant!
Are you aware of your own following in the LGBT community?
Yes, I am. I'm extremely honored!
Howard Jones performs at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga on July 19.