Introducing: Laura Jones

Introducing: Laura Jones

26 August, 2011 | 5.06AM

• Written by: Matt Ferry
• Filed under: Music News: introducing, laura jones, leftroom

Photo Credits: Caroline Michael
In 2011, the deep house world is looking alive and well. There are countless prominent players turning out track after track, on a daily basis, to keep house-heads groovin’ til the sun shows once again, or until the police do… whichever comes first. And a new generation, raised on the classics, is reinventing the genre in small but important ways.

One of those up and comers in the sound is Leftroom Recordings‘ own Laura Jones.

Taking some time off from spinning her own twisted web of melody friendly deep-tech, Laura Jones had a few minutes (which seem to be in short supply) to answer our questions on the evolution of deep house, how exactly she hooked up with such legendary labels for her first few tracks, and how this insta-cred in the underground all came to fruition.

Laura Jones, “Live a Little” [Visionquest]

Miss Jones, how’s the weather in foggy London town and how are things?

Well, I’m actually living in Leeds, and it’s pretty hot and sunny right now, which makes a nice change. And things are really good, thank you. This is my first week of going full-time with my music as I left my 9–5 last week—a job I’ve done for the last six years since graduating, so I’m breathing a huge sign of relief whilst I say this.

Can you tell us a little about your background?

I grew up in a little town in the South Yorkshire pennines until I was about 11. Then, just about a month in to starting grammar school, my parents decided to move back to where they grew up, as my grandparents weren’t well at all. So we moved to a town called West Kirby in Cheshire, where I stayed until I moved to Leeds to go to uni in 2001, and I’m still here. London is calling, though, and has been for a good while, so that may not be for long. We shall see…

What originally enticed you to start making music?

I’ve had a passion for music ever since starting to learn the piano at the age of four. I’d been into about every single type of genre as I was growing up, and it was only really when I discovered Ibiza in my early 20s that the penny dropped. My first few trips to DC10 blew my mind, I’d never been anywhere like that before. It was my first real exposure to a party and vibe like it, and it was seeing the likes of Dan Ghenacia, Clive Henry & Tania Vulcano doing such a great job that I thought, wow, wouldn’t it be ace to do that too. That then naturally turned into a desire to try and come up with the goods myself through both the people I was meeting and the music I was being continually surrounded and inspired by.

Laura Jones, “Love in Me” [Leftroom]

You’ve released on both Leftroom and Visionquest; how did you get hooked up with Tolfrey and pals in the beginning?

I actually met Matt in the summer of 2005 at DC10 in Ibiza. We had lots of mutual friends at the time. I did a season out there that same year, as I’d graduated in July and had become really passionate about electronic music over recent years. We got to hang out quite a lot that summer and we’ve been good friends ever since. Seth I met at WMC in 2007 at Sunday School For Degenerates at Pawn Shop. Can’t even remember how we got talking, but we did, and he’s never failed to fill me with hysterics since. Then, a year later, I warmed up for him and Ryan Crosson at Louche, a party I was a resident for in Leeds at the time, and I’ve come to know Shaun and Lee through those two. So the friendship started there, basically, and the banter and good times have been flowing ever since.

When you’re playing out, what DJ setup do you prefer? CDJs? Turntables? Ableton? Gramophone?

Ha. Yeah, the gramophone is my setup of choice and I usually go to gigs on my trusty penny-farthing. No, when I first started DJing, I played only vinyl. I became quite obsessed when I first got into it and must have kept Phonica in business for a year or two. Over the last few years, as money’s been a little tight and I’ve no longer had a student loan to rinse, I’ve been forced to turn to buying digital with the exception of older, rarer vinyl on Discogs. Now I’m DJing every weekend, I’m starting to buy records again and play with both. 

There’s a lot of fun/exciting/fresh ideas in deep house these days; what other genres do you listen to and where do you look for inspiration when you’re starting on a new track?

There is indeed, it’s a really positive time for deep house at the minute, with various labels taking the deep vibe off in different directions. For me, I like such a wide-ranging array of music it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the inspiration comes from. I also think a large chunk of it comes through subconsciously. I listen to absolutely all sorts from disco right through to classical.

What did you do the last time you heard a dubstep track?

Deliberated. I’m in the process of putting a tracklist together for a podcast I’m doing, the theme of which is tracks that have inspired me along the way, so I was trying to choose my favorite track from the last Consequence album. I have a term for the dubstep I like, musical dubstep (although some of it could also be classed as drum ‘n’ bass, I guess). Artists such as Consequence, Shackleton, Commix. I’m not as into the more commercial side of dubstep, it’s a little on the aggro side for me. I also really like artists that cross over between house and dubstep like Joy Orbison, Midland and Scuba.

Where do you make your music?

I live with my boyfriend (DJ and producer Gavin Herlihy) in an old converted school, and our second bedroom literally sounds as though it was made to be a music studio, so we’re pretty lucky to have a studio in our home. Now I’m full-time, the next few months are going to be interesting, as it used to be Gavin’s workspace through the week and mine at weekends, but we’re going to try me using it in the morning and him using it in the evenings, as I’m a morning person and he most definitely isn’t!

Do you play any instruments?

I learned to play the piano, clarinet and cello when I was at school. I dabbled with the flute and guitar for a little while, too, but never pursued either. I’d love to get back to playing piano regularly again, especially now I’m going to be working on music every day. I stopped playing when I got to around grade 6 standard. In order to do any more grades, you had to have done all your exams in the theory side of things, which I hadn’t and I found that side of things pretty dull at the time. Maybe I’ll go back to it one day.

Favorite non-electronic record of all time?

Hmmmmmm. This is always a TOUGH one. I love such a broad range of music that answering this is near impossible. I’m going to say “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones, but there really are about a million more.

The UK riots are at your front door and you’ve got one minute to save one record and run, which one would it be?

The riots haven’t been that close but even so, any chance of anyone coming any where near collection, I’m running. This is another tough one as I have so many records that I couldn’t live without, but I think if I had to grab one quickly and run, it would have to be “Dream State” by Cajmere & Derrick Carter. It means a lot to me because the lyrics are all about going for your dreams and fighting your fears.

When you’re not DJing or producing what do you like to do in your spare time?

Spare time? Sorry, what’s then again? I’ve been working a full-time job since graduating from university six years ago, so I haven’t admittedly had a huge amount of spare time these last few years. I love traveling, food, films, reading, fitness and have taken up yoga in the last 12 months, which has changed my life.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing with your life?

The other voice that goes on in my head besides the one that says “get making that music” is the one saying “make some shiny things,” so I’m guessing I’d be trying to work my way into the world of jewelery design.

Any upcoming gigs or tours? Any releases coming up we can watch out for?

I’m playing all over in the forthcoming months. I’m at Harry Klein, Fabric and Watergate in September, which I’m unbelievably excited about. Release-wise, I’ve got a remix package of “Love In Me” coming out toward the end of the year along with another remix of a track of Alex Arnout‘s. Then in the new year, I’ll be having full artist EPs coming out on Visionquest and Leftroom, one track on a split EP for Crosstown and I’ll be mixing a CD for Leftroom’s first mix compilation the first few months of the year.

Matthew Burton & Nick Lawson, “Playdo (Laura Jones Remix)” [Leftroom]

And of course to conclude a question from the Proust Questionnaire used by the great Bernard Pivot: If not yourself, who would you be?

When I was a kid I used to wish I was somebody else all the time. All the usual girly suspects, Madonna, Kylie, the girl out of Dirty Dancing, etc.  Now however, in all honesty, I’m quite happy with who I am and where I’m going in life.

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