Viðtöl
SKE: Síðastliðinn 22. júlí gaf tónlistarmaðurinn Alan Jones út lagið „Just Friends“ á SoundCloud og Spotify (sjá hér að ofan). Lagið samdi upprennandi íslenskur tónlistarmaður að nafni Aaron Isak en lagið flutti Alan Jones sjálfur. Eflaust muna flestir eftir Alan Jones úr Idol söngvakeppninni og nú síðast í The Voice þar sem hann stóð sig með prýði. Í tilefni útgáfunnar hafði SKE samband við Alan og forvitnaðist nánar um sumarið, tónlist hans og framtíðaráform—en ýmislegt kom í ljós: söngvarinn hyggst gefa út nýja plötu á næstu misserum og hefur einnig verið duglegur að gefa út efni á Spotify. Þá segist hann vera ánægður með lífið á Íslandi—þrátt fyrir veðrið—og upplifir hann mikið öruggi hér á landi: „Ég er ánægður að börnin mín búi hér; ég sef vært vitandi að þau eru óhult.“ Viðtalið, sem er á ensku, má lesa í heild sinni hér að neðan.
Viðtal: RTH
Viðmælandi: Alan Jones
SKE: Hey, Alan. What’s going on?
Alan Jones: I’m good … just finding some inspiration.
SKE: What have you been up to lately?
AJ: Lately I’ve been working out a lot, playing basketball, finding peace of mind.
SKE: You just released a new track: Just Friends. Tell us about the song.
AJ: The song was written by an up-and-coming artist named Aaron Isak but for me it’s about having that one friendship that you cherish—but you don’t take it any further than that.
SKE: Is there an album in the works?
AJ: Hopefully in the future I will record another record. I have released some songs on Spotify.
SKE: You’re from Louisiana: What do you think of the current political climate in the US?
AJ: It’s so sad to see the US in this state. Racism is on the rise and so much more!
SKE: You moved here originally so as to raise your kids, saying, essentially, that this is „a place where kids can be kids.“ How old are your kids now and how are they?“
AJ: My kids are 18, 15, 14 and 7. I’m glad that they are here; I can rest easy knowing that they are safe.
SKE: How’ve you been coping with the rain this summer?
AJ: The weather has been very depressing, especially considering that the summer is so short. I’m going abroad in August for some sun.
SKE: What have you been listening to lately?
AJ: Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of old school music—and MJ (Michael Jackson).
SKE: If we put up a big billboard in downtown Reykjavík and you had to
decide the message on the billboard, what would it be?
AJ: If i could put up a billboard it would say: „Love is the key.“
SKE: There’s so much competition in the world of music—especially today; how do you stay motivated?
AJ: My motivation comes from my kids an all those people who believe in me and tell me never give up.
SKE: Anything you’d like to add?
AJ: Last words: In today’s world we need more than ever to stand together; our children’s future depends on it. Love is the key. Together we can change the world.
(SKE þakkar Alan kærlega fyrir spjallið og hvetur lesendur til að kynna sér tónlist hans nánar.)