Interview: VIVA talks to Grammy nominated artist Jax Jones
| 14th July 2017
Viva caught up with Jax Jones to talk about his trip to Manchester, as his tour took to the Gorilla Stage on the 12th May put together by Jam presents.
VIVA Chaise: With your recent success on the single “You Don’t Know Me” do you plan on making your success global?
JAX Jones: Definitely. The reaction to You Don’t Know Me in the UK and Europe has been amazing, so I definitely want to see that happen all around the world. We’re here to take over, not take part.
VIVA Chaise: Have you always wanted to be a house DJ?
JAX Jones: I actually started out in Grime. I was massively influenced in my beat making by The Neptunes, Timbaland and Rodney Jerkins so when I eventually came into House things just really clicked and took off from there.
VIVA Chaise: At the moment, there are quite a lot of house DJ’s around – would you say it’s a competitive industry to be in?
JAX Jones: Yeah for sure, Dance music is the biggest genre in music at the moment and everyone wants to be a DJ, but you’ve got to put in the time and really grind at it to make it happen.
VIVA Chaise: Do you think living in London has influenced your sound?
JAX Jones: Musically, I think the world looks to London for what’s next, so being immersed in that definitely influences me and pushes me to keep creating.
VIVA Chaise: Who do you look up to in the industry?
JAX Jones: Martin Solveig & Calvin Harris. Those guys are on point in what they’re doing at the moment.
VIVA Chaise: Where has been your favourite place to perform so far on the tour?
JAX Jones: Both shows have been amazing. Bristol, the crowd was nuts, but Brighton was the first show with all the production, so it was great to see it all come together.
VIVA Chaise: Where would be your dream place to tour?
JAX Jones: I would love to do a tour of my homeland, Asia.
VIVA Chaise: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
JAX Jones: “You Don’t Know Me” has definitely been a highlight, but everything I’ve put out so far has helped me get to this point.
VIVA Chaise: When making tracks like “You Don’t Know Me” where do you find your inspiration?
JAX Jones: “You Don’t Know Me” came about purely because the vibes we’re right in the studio that day. But I guess coming from a Grime and R’n’B background and listening to a lot of music definitely helps with creativity in terms of the musical knowledge I can call on.
VIVA Chaise: What artists/Djs are you listening to at the moment?
JAX Jones: J Hus, Stefflon Don, Solardo, Martin Solveig.
VIVA Chaise: When you visit Manchester what type of things do you like to do?
JAX Jones: Eat that fine northern cuisine and see family.
VIVA Chaise: In one word, how would you describe ‘tour life’?
JAX Jones: Bless.
VIVA Chaise: What artists would like to work with in future?
JAX Jones: Pharell, Timbaland, Kaytranada. The beats those guys create are insane.
For more information about up coming tour’s visit http://www.jaxjones.co.uk Facebook Twitter Instagram
