An Interview with Canadian Singer and Songwriter Sean Jones

Singer and songwriter Sean Jones

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Sean Jones, an R&B singer and songwriter based in Toronto. His single “Stoplight” is a delightful song, and I urge you all to listen to it and get it on your favorite playlist. Among his musical achievements are a Juno Award, a series of concerts that he is giving every Monday night at Casa Loma this summer, and one of his songs being featured in the “Sons 2 The Grave” film. We talked about his career, his ups and downs in music, his dreams, his disappointments, his current and future musical projects.

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Victoria West: Please tell us more about yourself, what is your story? 

Sean Jones: I was born in Etobicoke and moved to Montreal for a couple of years. At the age of 5 my dad got a job overseas in Saudi Arabia and moved the entire family over there. For 5 1/2 years I lived over there and experienced a lot of cool stuff. It’s only now I realize how fortunate I was to have had that kind of experience at such a young age. I also got to take some really cool vacations. I’ve seen much of the world and it’s definitely opened my eyes in so many ways.

I grew up listening to all kinds of music. The band Whitesnake was the first album I ever bought. Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Michael Jackson, Motley Crue, Guns And Roses, Kool Moe Dee, Big Daddy Kane, Levert, Heavy D and The Boyz, Prince... nothing was off limits. No boundaries.

My parents are both Jamaican and I have a sister. The amount of support I have received from them over the years is nothing short of phenomenal. Through the ups and downs, of which there have been many, they have always been there cheering me on. Family is everything to me.

I have a degree from York University in Kinesiology. Hopefully I'll never have to use it!

Victoria West: How did you start your music career and what made you choose this path? 

Sean Jones: Here’s the short version of a long story: Basically I was a shy kid that wanted attention from the ladies but didn’t know how to get it. I was humming in French class one day and my teacher asked me to come to the front of the class and sing. With great hesitation I did it and every girl was in awe! After that I was hooked!

Victoria West: Can you tell us about obstacles that you had to overcome in order to get where you are today? 

Sean Jones: For me I think the biggest battle that I’ve faced, and still continue to is “doubt”. Not just from people but from myself. Believing in yourself and the art you’re creating and trying to share with the world can be trying at times to say the least. Could be the emptiness in your wallet that has you pondering if you should just give up and find a “real job”. Might be that executive gate keeper who holds the key to your art being heard or seen by the masses BUT refuses to let your dreams pass through because they THINK they know what the world needs to hear. Could be the voice in your head telling you that your time has passed. Time to pack it in and move on. I have personally experienced all of these and more. But I’m a dreamer. For some crazy reason I believe that if I work hard enough, long enough, my time will come. That I will share what I was meant to share with the world at large. It’s a constant struggle but my belief in my destiny is greater than the doubt that surfaces from time to time. I will win... and that’s that.

Victoria West: Please tell us more about your song “Stoplight” (which by the way is an amazing song), what is the inspiration behind it? 

Sean Jones: So here is an interesting story about this tune. I performed last year in Dallas at a fundraising gala for an organization called Best Buddies which pairs people with kids who have intellectual disabilities. It was there I met a wonderful young lady named Lisa Smith who cannot sing because she has Down Syndrome. However, her desire to perform and love for music is so strong that Lisa actually signs the words to any song while someone else sings it. I remember meeting her at sound check. She was so excited ad maybe a little shy. But when she came back for the performance... wow! She had on a tight fitting tiger print dress and she was ready to rock the stage. And she nailed it. And as the crowd was applauding and she was taking it all in I just thought to myself: “She deserves the spotlight tonight. She deserves to shine! Tonight she is the star!” Michael Shand, Miku Graham and myself finished that song months later, and while I can’t say that the song is completely about Lisa, I can with 100% honesty say that I drew inspiration from that experience in Dallas to create it. Will be sending her the finished version shortly. Maybe I can get her to sign on it! 

Victoria West: You are giving the “Soul in the City” concert series at the historic Casa Loma in Toronto every Monday night through the entire summer, please tell us more about this project, how did it start, how did you make it a reality, who helped you along the way? 

Sean Jones: To play at the castle every Monday is truly amazing. It really is one of, if not the, best venue in the city. I’ve got an 8-piece band that kills and every week I invite 3 special guests to perform a couple tunes for the audience. The whole show takes place outside in the beautiful Casa Loma gardens. There is a glass pavilion that seats about 300. However, because we are now experiencing numbers of 900+ per Monday, the castle has added seating in the gardens themselves. And to make sure that those seated in the garden get to see the same show as the people in the pavilion, a jumbo screen was erected to make sure all can enjoy the show.

I have to thank Nick Di Donato, President and CEO of Liberty Group, as well as my manager Jeffrey Latimer for putting the idea together and then handing it over to me to work out the show itself. Nick was simply looking for another event to compliment his “Symphony in the Gardens” event he throws every Tuesday night in the summer. He had seen me perform on numerous occasions and believed that together we could make a night like this successful. He chatted with Jeffrey and viola! “Soul in the City” was born. It is hands down the best showcase for soul/R&B in this country.

Victoria West: You are a Juno Award winner, please tell us all you can share about this experience. 

Sean Jones: It was a magical night. We not only got to perform on the show but we won Best R&B Soul Recording for our album “The Master Plan”. We had worked for 10 years to get to that level and when our name was announced as the winner I teared up a bit. We were on top of the world. I remember my phone ringing non stop for the rest of the night. People just calling to say congrats and that they’d seen us on TV. Definitely something I’ll always remember.

Victoria West: Please tell us more about your work on the feature film “Sons 2 The Grave”, how did this project become a reality for you? 

Sean Jones: I met Sasha and Lynn Stoltz over 8 years ago when Sasha was doing Public Relations for the label I happened to be signed to. I heard about the film and one night was inspired to write a song for the movie. I recorded a very rough demo and gave it to them.

Movies can take a long time to finally get filmed but, when the movie was in its final stages they reached out to me about the song I wrote for them years ago. They also wanted to know if I had anything else that might be appropriate. I sent them “When I'm Gone” and they liked it even better than the tune I had originally given them for the movie. The rest is history I suppose.

Victoria West: And the song from the movie, “When I’m Gone”, what is the story of this song, what’s the inspiration behind it? 

Sean Jones: “When I’m Gone” was not originally written for the movie. It was just an idea I came up with while playing guitar one night. I ended up sending it to Sasha when she asked if I had any other material suitable for the film.

Sounds kind of morbid but I’ve often wondered to myself “What will people say about me when I'm dead and gone?” If the only thing they remember about me is that I had some good songs and a nice voice, then I think I’ve failed on some level. When I was younger I really didn’t care. It was all about clubs, drinks, girls, and the spotlight of the stage. Nowadays I’m doing my best to mentor youth and give aspiring artists a chance to shine on a stage that I’ve helped build. I was completely blindsided the other night when a young man named Matte Black came up to me and explained that I was responsible for him not killing himself many years ago when I gave him an opportunity to open for me. You just never know the impact your gonna have on someone’s life.

Victoria West: What else are you working on right now, or will be working in the near future? 

Sean Jones: Always working on creating new music. That just never stops. Gonna be releasing some new music shortly so that takes a bit of planning. Also working on putting together a tour and exploring new territories.

Victoria West: Where do you find your inspiration as an artist? 

Sean Jones: These days I’m finding inspiration in some of the young artists I’m bringing to Casa Loma. Their talent is so raw yet so good! It’s exciting to see them do their thing and it’s equally exciting to see the crowd react to it. I love all of that.

I’m also inspired by the crappy state the world is in. So much hate. I can let it depress me or I can find a way to fight against it and inspire people to love. I choose the latter.

Victoria West: What are your thoughts on the Canadian music industry nowadays? What does it take to make it as a successful singer and songwriter? 

Sean Jones: 99% of the time, if you want to make it as a successful singer or songwriter you will NEED to leave this country. That’s just the facts. There are sooooooo many reasons I could get into about it that but I would need to write an essay to express myself properly. There is a problem here. So much talent and yet that same talent has to go elsewhere to be recognized before WE as Canadians will recognize their abilities. Why??? When are WE going to be the FIRST to figure out and nurture the diamonds in this great country of ours and THEN share them with the world!!!???

Victoria West: Please share with us a memory of yours that you are particularly fond of. 

Sean Jones: After singing “What a Wonderful World” to end a performance in Georgia, an 80- year old woman came up to me and told me that that song was the first song her and her recently deceased husband had ever danced to. With tears in her eyes she said “Thank you”. To this day it is one of the most touching moments I have ever experienced.

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The song “Stoplight” by Sean Jones is available on iTunes, Spotify and SoundCloud. To learn more about the artist and his music, please visit SeanJones.tv.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Sasha Stoltz Publicity

An Interview with the R&B Singer J Matthew, aka City Black

Jay Matthew, also known as J Matthew, aka City Black, is an emerging R&B artist from Toronto. Besides R&B, he also sings pop and soul. He recently released his debut single “Can’t Stop”, which is now available on iTunes. The artist worked closely with experienced producers and songwriters to create his first single. J Matthew is set to perform in front of thousands at the iconic Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto, on the TDOT FEST stage, on September 4.

I had the pleasure to interview J Matthew recently, and the artist shared about his music, his career aspirations and his hopes for the future.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Sasha Stoltz Publicity

Victoria West: Who are you, J Matthew aka City Black? What is your story? Please tell us about yourself, where do you come from, where were you born and raised, what is your background? 

J Matthew: I’m 25, born and raised in Scarborough, one of the six boroughs in Toronto, Ontario. I recently completed my undergrad at University. I’m looking forward to pursue my Master’s in September. Since a child, I had a passion for R&B music and had favorites like R. Kelly, Michael Jackson and Aaliyah. Everyday I continue to learn more about music and have become open to all genres and decades of music. I want to contribute to the evolution of music and create great hits that people will listen to forever.

Victoria West: Please tell us a bit about your music career and how did you start as a singer. 

J Matthew: I’m currently working on my first album which will help promote me as an artist by allowing the public to listen to a good amount of music, I hope it will help generate feedback about the music they enjoy most from me and their overall opinion. Singing is something I’ve always enjoyed, but knew that if I wanted to pursue it professionally, I would need vocal lessons which I have begun taking continuously, about 2 years ago.

Victoria West: What were the challenges that you faced along the way on your music path? 

J Matthew: One of the challenges I face is releasing an efficient amount of material that will allow new audiences to listen to my music. With only one song being out at the moment, there are people that may be curious to hear more and they are not given the chance. Also, more content would allow me to take up more space on social media sites like YouTube so that more people can become more familiar with me and my music.

The second challenge I face is vocal control. As I continue to develop my vocal skills, there are many things I hope to accomplish so I can use these same skills within my music to bring out stronger emotion, performance and creation.

Victoria West: When was the first time you knew that you wanted to sing? 

J Matthew: I’ve always wanted to sing. Since I was a child, I would always imagine being on stage in front of thousands. It was a place where I felt happy and free.

Victoria West: You just released your debut single “Can’t Stop”, please tell us more about the song and the story behind it. 

J Matthew: “Can’t Stop” was released to get public feedback about my project. We are working towards the song “The Sound of the Six” by developing a new distinctive sound of music that I can brand myself to, while at the same time acknowledging the current sounds used within the music listened to today.

Most people that have heard the song at first were those who helped create it, friends and family who were also surprised with the result. We felt it would be the best choice for a debut single because the song caters to a wide audience. The song reflects a person stuck in a memory with someone they’ve cared for and hoping they could get one more chance to make things better. The music video is available on YouTube.

Victoria West: You will be performing on the TDOT FEST stage at the Yonge and Dundas Square this September, what does it mean for your music career, what do you hope this event will bring you?  

J Matthew: TDOT FEST will give me an opportunity to sing live in front of a diverse audience and promote my music. Yonge and Dundas Square is one of the most popular places in Downtown Toronto and TDOT FEST is one of their biggest annual events. I hope this event will bring me the opportunity to gain more performances and even one day have my own show.

Victoria West: Is this your first performance of this scale? 

J Matthew: Yes.

Victoria West: Please tell us what are your projects for the near future, say the next 12 months. 

J Matthew: We are planning to shoot another video in a few weeks and debut another release near the end of August. I plan to travel to New York to meet and hopefully work with some producers. The main project I will be working on is to complete the album and to have each song be of something we can all relate to or have experienced at some point in our life.

Victoria West: What inspires you as an artist? 

J Matthew: The mystery of nature. Its sounds and visual environments are always changing. I often visualize my music as a seed that is beginning to grow until the final project is complete. By doing so, it helps to try and think of ways I could help make things sound better.

Victoria West: Where do you hope your music career will take you in the next 5 to 10 years? 

J Matthew: I hope to become established in the music industry and continue to develop my talent. I hope to meet and collaborate with other musicians who may also guide me to help develop myself by sharing their experiences. I would find it a big achievement to tour the world.

Victoria West: What is the advice that you could give to the young, emerging artists who are trying to make it in the music industry? 

J Matthew: Don’t quit. There can be days when you feel as though things may never work out and it’s a long journey. Be patient, practice, and give it your best. Be thankful for the people who work with you and support and share the same goals as you.

Victoria West: And to conclude, please tell us about a hobby of yours, how do you like to spend your free time? 

J Matthew: Some of my hobbies include: reading, world news, yoga/working out. I enjoy spending my free time with friends, dancing and parties.

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J Matthew can be followed on Instagram and Twitter.

WIDEAwake Death Row Records Celebrates 20 Years of Music

“20 to Life Rare and Dangerous” album escapes from the vault!

WIDEAwake Death Row Records celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with the release of “20 to Life Rare and Dangerous” album, volume 1 out now. The album features never before heard tracks from Death Row Records alumni, like Kurupt, Jewell, O.F.T.B. LBC Crew, a rare historic track by a young Lil Bow Wow and many more. This special anniversary release also features recordings from the depths of Death Row underground groups and artists, such as East Coast MC K-Solo, The Compton and female rapper Bloody Mary.

For die hard fans, “20 to Life Rare and Dangerous” ups the anti and includes the track “Untouchable” by Lady of Rage, Bloody Mary and Storm, from the 2Pac created Outlaw Immortals group. “20 to Life…” will blow you away with a rare glimpse into the history laden vault of the iconic Death Row Records.

For more information about WIDEAwake Death Row Records and their music, please visit DeathRowMusic.com.