Cornwall based singer-songwriter Mog Jones speaks about her debut album, ‘On The Run’. It’s a release that blends glam rock, country, folk and indie, but most importantly is full of heartfelt melodic songs.
Hi Mog, can you tell us about ‘On The Run’?
Hey! So “On The Run” is a collection of songs that I have written over the past year or so, the main thing behind most of the songs is almost me telling myself not to bow down to the pressures of what people say I should be. The thing for me that gels the album together well is the imagery that you get from it, I like to tell stories with my songs and I think that really shines through when you listen.
What was the writing and recording process?
The writing process for me is so different every time, sometimes I come up with a riff that I love and roll with that or sometimes I find a great story that inspires me, what I like about the songs on the album is that they we’re all started and finished at the same time. I don’t like to dwell too much on songs, if they’re not going to happen naturally, they’re not going to happen! I feel like the recording process has been an interesting one because of lockdown, the circumstances around recording changed and instead of being recorded in a day at a studio, its been recorded over a few months in Cornwall and produced simultaneously in London by my producer, Steph (Eltai). I think whilst it wasn’t necessarily ideal, its actually worked for the better because the album became a lot more refined and almost has a more personal feel to it now.
Who played on the album?
Everything on the album has been played by me and Steph, apart from one track which features the incredible Redley Flowerdew! (The Rezner)
What tracks from it would you recommend we seek out and why?
I feel like the stand out songs on the album are “Oh Ringo”, “Gimme Time” and “By The Night”. “Oh Ringo” is a personal favourite because it’s very visual, it paints an unmistakable picture and I love the moody, western vibes it gives off. “Gimme Time” is almost the party song of the album, it feels like like a summer song to me, something you would dance to at festivals. “By The Night” is the closing song off the album and I love it, because it’s just a soft, slow finish to what is quite a rollercoaster, it’s about embracing change and seeing it as a good thing.
Where are you from and where are you based now? Has that influenced you as a writer and performer?
I’m originally from Shrewsbury but I’ve lived in Cornwall for over half my life now. I think it has influenced me in ways, my love for music grew immensely when we moved to Cornwall and people down here have been very encouraging so even when I was young and just starting, people would welcome you in at open mics and things which certainly helped build my confidence as a performer.
You’ve also recorded your own versions of tracks from artists like Neil Young and Kate Bush – what are your musical influences?
Now that’s a big question! My first love was The Beatles (to the point where at 13 I gave myself a mop top, I regret nothing) but since then my loves have really grown, I adore so many different genres. Some of my long time loves are David Bowie, Patti Smith, Joan Baez and Jack White but some of my more recent discoveries are Courtney Barnett and Haim. Honestly the list is endless, I could go on for days.
What was it like supporting the likes of Albert Lee and Leo Sayer?
I could play it cool, but I’m not going too! It was so great to be able to support such talented people who I’d been familiar with for such a long time, It was a pleasure to meet both of them and get to chat with them about music and gigging. Hopefully I’ll get to support other great artists like them soon.
What do you do outside of music?
I pretty much eat, sleep, breathe music. Outside of playing and writing music, I paint (badly) and I write reviews for a local music mag, Clunk.
How has the pandemic affected you?
It completely changed the course of last year, as I said before, the album definitely changed as a result, though I like to think for the better. I was set to have many gigs last year which all got cancelled which is such a shame but it also gave me time to write more music and to focus on the album.
Do you have any plans for the rest of the year now that things may be opening up?
My plan for the rest of the year is to get onto as many stages as is humanly possible, I don’t care where the stages are as long as they’ll have me.
How can people get a copy of ‘On The Run’ and keep up with your latest projects?
If people want to get a copy of “On The Run” a limited run of physical copies will be available on my bandcamp, otherwise it is available to stream on all major streaming services. To keep up to date with what I’ve got going on just catch me on @missmogjones on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
