360°Sound recently had the distinct pleasure of chatting with songwriter Howard Jones.
Howard has been praised as one of the defining figures of mid-’80s synthpop. He pounded the charts worldwide in that era, with hits like “What is Love” and “No One is to Blame.” But he’s also been an innovator and a pioneer in the digital era, and has continued to create, record, and perform at the highest level, on his own terms. Since his highly-successful run with Warner on the Elektra label ended in the early ’90s, he’s had regular releases, primarily on his own label, Dtox. Howard’s songs have always been thoughtful, uplifting, and encouraging, and he exemplifies the good in the human creature.
He spoke to us from his home in Somerset in the southwest of England, as he prepares for the release of a new live recording, Live at the O2, and a summer North American tour with ABC and Haircut One Hundred that begins in August. He discusses his live album, the tour, and freedom as an independent artist.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You can find the entire interview at the end of this article, and on our YouTube channel, @360degreesound.
360°Sound: Your big ’80s hits are well-known and much-loved. You had a phenomenal ten-year run with Warner, releasing five albums. When they opted not to resign you, you clearly did not crack up, neither did you stop and falter.
Howard Jones: [chuckles] I did have a few sleepless nights, to be honest. I thought, ‘Oh my, is my career over now? I’ve got so much more music in me.’ I’d done so well with those five albums, but the record company wanted to move on. It was actually the most wonderful thing that happened to me, because I was able to then form my own label, and really take control of my career and drive it myself – book a tour, make albums when I want, make what videos I want. It was a burst of creativity that came with that. So, really, thank you Warner Brothers.
You were out in front in the early ’90s on things like podcasting as a means of promoting your own music and tours. What attracted you to this medium at that time?
It was very fortunate to be the time where the internet was exploding, and we realized that we could really keep in touch with our fans ourselves. We could dictate how we were perceived without having to rely on the normal media channels. We did crazy things, like record live concerts and then print them onto CD, at the gig, and then sold them to people so they had a reference of the show, and then a picture of that night from the venue. You don’t have to wait for a whole process with a larger company and people who may be skeptical about doing things in a different way. The wonderful thing is that, through Warner Brothers giving me this incredible platform and really supporting me, I had a great base to carry on from. I feel very fortunate; it wouldn’t have been so easy otherwise.
You have sort of paved the way for the new generation of musicians to get their music out there and reach their audience.
In the time we’re in now, artists, if they’re prepared to put the work in, they can establish an independent career without ever being on the radio or without ever having a big record company behind them. And there’s many examples of people who are doing that, that we probably won’t hear about because they’re in this niche place where they’ve got a huge following [and] sell-out shows, but the rest of society won’t necessarily know anything about them. That’s what I always say to young artists – even if you do have a big label behind you, you will still need to drive the agenda and be the force behind it all.
It’s really cool to see you bridge to your past now. For instance, in “Celebrate it Together” from 2022’s Dialogue, there’s a lyric ‘With you by my side/Things can only get better.’ What do you see as the bridge between your pop-charting days and the work you’re doing now?
It’s a continuation, really. I am a songwriter, and I love making records. And I feel that the fans who have been with me since the beginning, and the new fans that come on board, they really would like to hear new music. And although I know these albums won’t travel anywhere near as far as those early records, it’s still very important to me to be making high-quality work and putting it out there. It moves me forward as an artist, and as a producer, and as a writer and a player. And then that spills over into the live shows, always trying to present the music in a more high-fidelity form, well-mixed [with] cool sounds. So you’re always being stimulated by developments in music and technology. I can’t not write new stuff – I have to do it.
You mentioned your live show. You have a new live recording – Live at the O2. Tell me about this latest live set that you’re releasing.
I’ve been to see many shows at the O2, it’s one of my favorite venues in the UK. It’s in London, this huge, massive tent that was used for some exhibition or whatever. My friends OMD [’80s-era synthpop group], were playing it for the first time. We have a history that goes right back to the early days when I opened up for them. They said, ‘Would you be our special guests, because we really want to make that night special.’ So it was special for both of us. So I said to the band before we went out, ‘Look, you always give me 100% every night we’re on on stage. But I’m going to ask you if you would give me, like, 300%, because this is a pivotal moment for us. We’re playing the biggest arena in in the UK. We deserve to be there, and we’re going to really make it count.’ So they were on fire. And luckily we have recorded it, and everything was recorded really brilliantly. I thought we really must make this into an album. It’s got that live energy. I was thinking, ‘Blimey, I see why people want to capture live performances, there’s so much adrenaline and emotion and feeling flying around.
I really encourage people to check out this recording. You haven’t lost a thing. You sound great, the energy in the building is extraordinary, and the musicianship is outstanding. You do the hits, but people also get introduced to some of your newer songs, like “The One to Love You” and “The Human Touch.”
I’m always going to be including new songs into the set. It’s really important for me and the band to be playing new things, and showing people that we’re not a museum piece of something we did in the 80s; we’re always moving forward. And even with the songs that people know, we’re always giving them a new set of clothes, rejuvenating them and making them sound better – throwing in some extra sections that weren’t on the record. Keeping the essence of what you did, because that’s what people love, but also throwing in a few surprises that just lifts the energy in the room. That’s what live music should do. When you leave, you should feel elevated and ready to take on the world.
I love the intro to “New Song.” I can totally see you out front with a keytar, messing it up.
I’ve just acquired another amazing software instrument that really captures electric guitar very, very authentically, and I’ve always been searching for that. One of the first people I saw play live was Jimi Hendrix. And I always wanted to make the keyboards be able to give that level of excitement that he did with his instrument. So it has always been a big part of what I’ve done, right from the early days when I just used to strap a Moog around my neck.
You were an innovator in that, getting out front with the keyboard.
It was crazy. There was no wireless happening in those days. I was dragging cables behind me, but it was just being able to move around on stage as a keyboard player and being liberated from that solitary position. [Keith] Emerson [of Emerson, Lake & Palmer] did exactly that, and he was the big influence on me.
You’ll be touring North America this summer. The tour starts on August 14 in Redmond, Washington, and you’re headlining with ABC and Haircut One Hundred. What can we expect from you this time out?
What an amazing evening of music it’s going to be – the sophistication of ABC, and their great songs, and the fact that Haircut have not toured America for 40 years, and they’re bringing a brass section in. [Ours] will be a set that is quite similar to Live at the O2, but with more songs, obviously. It’s going to be a celebratory night – people will feel great. On their way home, they’ll feel buzzed up and ready to take on the world. That’s what I want people to feel like – really elevated and positive and walking a bit taller.
You’ve been so important to so many people who might not know about all the great work you continue to do. What would you like to say to those folks?
Thanks for giving me the platform to do what I do. I mean, I love this, and this is what I’m reasonably good at. But I can’t do it without people supporting that work and liking what I do, and then coming to see the shows and all that stuff. I’m always feeling very, very grateful to be in this position. And the thing is, you can count on me to give it 100%, right until I drop. In a sense, I’ve only just started. I don’t know how much time I’ve got left, but it’ll all be packed with the best that I can do. I think the next ten years is going to be really, really important for me, and I’m going to give it 100%.
Check out Live at the O2, available August 2, on your favorite streaming platform. You can also buy it on vinyl or CD on Cherry Red Records.
Visit howardjones.com and order all kinds of music and merch, and check the tour dates to see when Howard and the band, with ABC and Haircut One Hundred, play near you.
Find Howard on Tik Tok and other social media platforms:
Facebook – howardjones
Instagram – @thehowardjones
X – @howardjones
We chatted with Howard’s tourmate Martin Fry of ABC
That’s the Look: ABC’s Martin Fry on ‘The Lexicon of Love’ 40 years later
