Alt-pop artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Minhee Jones has taken an evolutionary musical journey from her classical piano training at the age of four, through her punk-rock bass playing days at high school, and her songwriting explorations at university. Originally from Los Angeles and now based in London, the singer, initially set out to succeed as an instrumentalist, stating she felt duty-bound to be a female instrumentalist first and challenge stereotypes in a very male-dominated field. In 2019, the singer teamed up with Fender, Ford, and Co-op Food and broke three Guinness World Records by playing concerts in 51 cities in 7 days to raise money and awareness for Music Venue Trust, without any booking agent, manager or record label. Described as a healthy dose of feel-good bitterness, Jones’s debut EP is set for release 2020.
Jones’s upcoming debut EP showcases the magnitude of her talents on the drums, bass, analog synths, piano, and even a vintage harmonium. The leading single “6 Feet” originated as an ode to self-medication, addressing ways we distract ourselves from life’s realities. This has become more poignant since the coronavirus pandemic. Jones explains, “I feel like we’re all in a place where our brains don’t want to deal with the full scope of this terrible thing that has taken over the world and we are also – more than ever – surrounded with means to medicate ourselves into avoiding it, be it actual medication, booze, chocolate, Netflix, or social media. So we’re stuck at home and suddenly we’re drinking more and eating more and binging more tv and online ALL THE TIME in an effort to not deal with just how destructive this virus has been to humanity.”
‘6 feet’ is both dreamy and soothing track. The thought-provoking and contemplative lyrics are delivered with yearning and sensuality, completely at ease with shifting chords and sweet falsetto peaks. With influences ranging from Beethoven and Debussy to Aretha Franklin and Janelle Monae, and everything in between, Jones has successfully created her distinctive sound.
Jones describes the creation of the music video, “Amidst all the chaos, what I found so intriguing about the pandemic is just how universal it all is. Everyone on earth is fighting this common enemy and for the first time truly united in a purpose. I wanted to put together a video time capsule showing what lockdown was like all around the world and see what bound us together. So I put out a call on social media asking for people to send me short video clips of what lockdown was like where they were and what was helping them cope with the pandemic.”
Growing up, Jones found herself struggling with her bi-racial identity, spending much of her life trying to either fit into a box that people kept saying wasn’t made for her, or rebelling against the box they thought she belonged in. Now, finally finding the courage to do what she wants both musically and in life, Jones hopes she can also help others feel comfortable with just being themselves. “If one of my weird songs or videos makes someone think ‘that girl does not give a fuck. Maybe I should give fewer fucks’ then that would be great.”, shares Jones.
We wish her well with her new track. Minhee Jones is performing a live steam session on Wednesday 6th at 7 pm (UK time) raising funds for War Child UK. For further information, please visit her website.
https://www.minheejones.com/follow
Image- Courtesy of LPR Agency
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