Cape Town based musician, Jonathan Simons, the lead singer of the Jono Simons band, alongside Hannah Beckingham the resident female touch and surfer on bass, and Ray Adam Morgan the Durbanite that makes those drums swing have just released their debut album, ‘Resonate’.
The band only formed in 2016 and are already making waves.
You guys are quite a young band, lets talk about how the band came together?
Jono:
“I have been in the music industry for 3 years now. Straight out of High School I won a competition and got involved at a record label. That didn’t work out the way I wanted it to. I really felt the songs weren’t being done justice so eventually after watching one of my favourite touring artists perform, I remembered what I was trying to accomplish from the start. So I abandoned that project and left the label. I was about to give up music as I didn’t think I was progressing at all. Then I met Hannah at a music video shoot for one of my solo songs. Hannah, who plays the bass told me how she loved the message behind the song that I was making the video for. We started jamming and then it just happened, that she had met Ray at one of his old gigs with his old band called Early Hours. He had just stopped playing for them, the day before he spoke to Hannah actually. So we phoned him to get involved with him. The three of us jammed together and we all just clicked.”
What is the general message in your music?
Jono:
“For me it is a fascination with the fascination of love. In my lifetime, I have seen many relationships fall apart. I am fascinated that it can be so fickle with some people and so strong for others. On the album, there is one song, which starts off sad and a slow tempo, and then progresses to a happier yet still slow tempo. The point is not to notice that the song changes. It reflects how quickly love can change from good to bad or bad to good, without you realizing it. So for me, I have this full fascination with the concept of love, marriage and trying to understand it and help people get through tough times.”
Does this draw from personal experience?
Jono:
“Yes there is a lot of personal experience. Both my parents have been married a few times. I observed a lot and never Quite understood nor do I quite understand it.”
Out of all the songs, if you had to pick one, which defines you and the band?
Jono:
“Diamonds. It is a song that got me the most excited when I first shared it with Ray and Hannah, and they first played it. It is a concept song. The song is about music and the fact that I want to perform and connect with people. That song makes me the happiest. It feels like raw expression. Also when we perform it live, it feels like the best band song that we have all connected with on.”
Most of the songs are sensitive, romantic, heartfelt songs – what else inspires your song writing?
Jono:
“My songs are also supposed to be motivational. I never gave up and things are really moving. I believe that in this life you can achieve anything you put your mind to, considering you apply yourself to it within the right circumstances. I kept pushing and persevering, and I am in such a complete place of happiness doing what I love. A lot of people are also quite negative and the last song is a message to those people, showing them that I wasn’t crazy to pursue this career.”
What are your plans going forward?
Jono:
“In 2017 we are going to be gigging everywhere. Our first show is at Café Roux on the 28th of January 2017. We are playing at an inaugural event with top names in the industry. I am aiming to organise a UK trip at the end of the year. A lot of my friends travelled straight out of school, so I am hoping that music will take me to places around the world.”
If you were on a desert island and could only take one album with you, what would it be?
Jono:
“An album to keep me sane. Ben Howard’s ‘I forget where we were’.”
