Having already displayed a huge amount of talents on his previously shared offerings over the last year, London-based singer and producer Bonze has now returned with his latest spellbinding release 'Jenny (Can You Hear Me)'.
After already finding support from BBC Introducing London, 'Jenny (Can You Hear Me)' makes for an incredibly warm and inviting listen. With his sweet and soulful vocals layered over a bed of smooth and soaring production throughout, it certainly feel like he is heading for greatness on this new delight.
So with the new single available now, we sat down with him to find out more about his background and what has inspired him most over the last few years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The first instrument I fell in love with was the drums, I tried to learn when I was a kid but didn’t have the patience to follow through technically, so I eventually ended up singing and now; here we are. Drums are also what drive a song forward a lot of the time (production-wise). I am very particular about what drums/electronic drum loops I use in my songs even now because of that reason.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
As a twelve-year-old, I used to walk to the school bus listening to Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chilis and Blue Monday by New Order. The Blue Monday-80’s vibe really stuck with me and I now integrate that into my own music production. I also had an older brother who forced me to listen to drum and bass, Nirvana, Faithless, The Prodigy, The Chemical Bros. and other similar artists at a young age. The 90’s and 80’s had a huge impact on my music taste for sure.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik – Red Hot Chilis.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Wonderwall.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
For sure, I tend to come up with choruses when I’m outside the studio, in real-life situations. Sometimes they just come to me and other times I’ll come up with them to mark a certain feeling or experience I’m having. I then bring the chorus to my producer and we flesh out a song to that chorus. I usually then turn to poetry I’ve written to pad out the rest of the song. It’s very rare that I write a (decent) song in one session. The keepers happen piece by piece. I would say that’s the usual ritual I go through when writing.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
The 1975 and LANY are a staple in what I listen to day to day. I usually listen to a lot more techno like Daniel Avery or Giant Swan than pop or alt-pop music. Alt-pop-wise, I do love a duo called San Scout too, their Single ‘Get Me By’ was part of the reason I decided to start writing music and I listen to that all the time.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
The 1975. For sure.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
For me, there is no feeling more rewarding than writing and producing a new song. There is one main part of writing a song that I love almost more than any other aspect of music-making. This part is the therapeutic nature of being able to transfer my personal experience and transform that into a song that others connect with too.
And what is the most frustrating part?
I wouldn’t say much frustrates me about the music world, other than how much music has changed over the years. I personally feel an artist from, say the 90’s, could get away with just gigging and get exposure through word of mouth that way/through their artistry. Now things are very different with Spotify being a key aspect of one’s success/that and having a good PR team. Of course, the music needs to be of a certain level for the plays to follow. But what is frustrating is; I feel there was more substance in the old-school bands and artists from the past as the spread of their popularity seemed more organic (as opposed to having a paid ad spread the word of a band through an algorithm on social media). I personally enjoy the ‘being an artist’ side of music much more than the admin-side. I find the admin frustrating but some people love the business and admin side too. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
“You can do anything, but you can’t do everything” – I got this advice in reply to when I wanted to be a DJ as well as a singer-songwriter. It meant that to be able to give my all to something, I couldn’t fill my time with loads of other things at the same time. Sometimes, it’s better to pick one thing you have the deepest passion for; and give that your all, instead of being a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. Doing those other things (for me it was DJing and producing) can use up time that could otherwise be put into your main artform.
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Bonze's new single 'Jenny (Can You Hear Me)' is available to stream and download now. Have a listen to it in the player below.