Interview with US Sensation Jon Bellion

VIVA caught up with US sensation and ‘All Time Low’ singer Jon Bellion about his time in the UK , touring with Twenty One Pilots and that Stormzy remix. We chatted about his debut album ‘The Human Condition’ and how he loves what he is doing.
VIVA SASHA: Hey Jon , how are you and how are you enjoying the UK?

JON BELLION: I’m great thanks , and the UK has been life changing. I mean to travel so far from your home country and to kill it with the crowd who are having a blast , it’s so much fun.

VIVA Sasha : Who inspired you when you were younger ?

Jon: When I was younger I used to listen to a lot of Death Cab for Cutie , Kanye , Andre 3000. I listened to music genre’s from all over the place. But yes like a whole bunch of inspirations.

VIVA Sasha: If you didn’t go down the route to be a singer what would you like to be doing ?

Jon: I would have loved to have been an Oceanographer , you know taking photographs deep down underwater . Something cool like that.

VIVA Sasha: Your newest single ‘All Time Low’ can be considered as your breakthrough song , was that written from personal experience or a general perspective ?

Jon: No just one day I was making a beat and was mumbling low , low ,low ,low. Later I started writing lyrics and thought I can somehow add this low into it. It’s hard to believe [Laughs]

VIVA Sasha : How did you feel when ‘All Time Low’ was released and got so much attention?

Jon: Wow, it felt amazing the fact that I produced and I wrote it . Building it from scratch is like sending your kid to college , like your mad nervous but glad when something becomes successful. It just went double platinum and reached over 2 million in the US , so it’s nice to know people have accepted it.

VIVA Sasha: So when ‘All Time Low’ was released did you see any change in your lifestyle or changes to your social media?

Jon: No not really , I mean we have been putting out free music for a super long time , and the fan base has always been real. Even if I didn’t get it on to the radio , we’d still be selling out shows because the fan base have been following me for a very long time. I take this as the cherry on the top that the song started working on an international level .

VIVA Sasha: I’m aware that there is a version of ‘All Time Low’ featuring Stormzy , how did that happen ?

Jon: Yes , this was actually crazy. He reached out to me on Twitter one day and wrote a lot of nice tweets about my music saying he was really into it. This was before ‘Gang Signs and Prayer’(Stormzy’s debut album) come out and we started talking to each other and become friends.

VIVA Sasha: Did you and Stormzy meet for the remix ?

Jon: No , not yet . I sent him over the record saying I would love for him to add something for the UK remixed version and he was cool with it , so we sent it over and cut it to that version. It just so happens when he dropped his GSAP album he become one of the greatest UK grime artists. But yes the All Time Low remix worked out well and Stormzy’s a great guy. He deserves all the support. We have talked over Facetime before but hopefully we can meet face to face real soon.

VIVA Sasha: So Jon , you have been doing a few shows in the UK and Ireland , how have they been?

Jon: Absolutely mad. The fans they bring so much energy that is just ridiculous. We have mosh pits back in the states every once in a while but the UK has been crazy for that. It’s a lot of fun.

VIVA Sasha: Do you find your UK fans different to your American fans?

Jon: I wouldn’t say ‘that’ different. I mean each place you go to have different cultures and different vibes so I’d say that’s the only thing that differs. The energy is very similar though.

VIVA Sasha: How did you feel when you released your album ‘ The Human Condition’?

Jon: I felt real good about it but it was the first time fans would have to pay for an album. It was through the label and that’s when we got on radio and All Time Low was the single. I think it peaked at number 4 , now its climbing more because of the success of the singles.

VIVA Sasha: I know you’re in the line up for the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago this summer , how excited are you for this ?

Jon: My manager called me and said Jon were doing Lollapalozza [Laughs]. About as intricate as it gets. But yes I am super excited and it’s going to be a lot of fun.

VIVA Sasha: Have you got any other festivals you will be playing at?

Jon: Yes me and the band have about ten festivals this year. I’m not sure which ones  just that we have a bunch coming up. It’s like wake up on a bus , play a show , hit the next place , get on a plane , radio and TV interviews. It’s non stop , just like wake me up when you need me you know. [Laughs].

VIVA Sasha: So you toured with Twenty One Pilots , how did they approach you and has your fan base grown?

Jon: I mean my fan base multiplied in a short amount of time. There probably the number one touring band in the world right now , so playing to 18,000 people a night with people not really knowing who I was , I am super gracious for them letting us jump on tour with them. It’s a blessing all round and it has been really cool.

VIVA Sasha: How was it performing on the Today Show and The Jimmy Fallon Show ?

Jon: Yeh it was really fun to play in front of the roots , I’ve been with the same band my buddies since college. So for the 8 of us to play together in New York was a huge accomplishment for us. It literally was a dream come true.

VIVA Sasha: Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?

Jon: I’d love to work with anyone who enjoys my music and anyone who wants to work with me. I don’t want to go back to being a waiter anymore. I just want to do what I love which is making music and hoping my fans and audiences continue to enjoy it.

Hear more of Jon Bellion’s music on Youtube , and follow him on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.

Also visit , www.jonbellion.com for more info and updates.