It was a cold, damp night in Newcastle and a budding music reporter had a spontaneous interview with the upcoming Jon Allen, playing at the Cluny that night. In between the getting lost in Ousebourne Park, the working on Jon’s merchandise stand and forgetting a Dictaphone, I sat down with Jon and discussed the highs, lows and plans for his careers thus far.
On your biography online you state your influences as Bob Dylan and the 70s; when writing is this something you’ve consciously aspired to or is more a stylistic trait?
It totally depends on how you feel when writing. Sometimes the ideas flow naturally, but others you need to give them a bit of inspiration; there’s no clear cut distinction
This is your second headlining show in Newcastle in quick succession, which is clearly a vital part of young artists becoming established. Do you think a headlining tour, or supporting another band creates more exposure? Which is most financially viable?
I usually find the supporting slots more economically viable and it’s a nice challenge to try and win over a new audience. I prefer playing to my own fans though, it’s a nice feeling knowing they are there to see you and not waiting for another act.
Bob Dylan the obvious choice, and Neil Young would also be special. On a smaller scale though the Flynn Brothers as they’ve got a similar sound to us.
Recording with Mark Knopfler is a tremendously big claim to fame for an artist with only one L.P. Who approached who?
It was pretty coincidental, we were both at the same party and just got talking. He saw me playing later on and liked what I did so offered to work with me. ‘Sarah’ on the new E.P. is the track we recorded.
How do you feel the experience influenced/inspired you?
It was interesting to see how he worked, he is so professional in the studio. The sessions were intense too as everything had to be perfect. He’d record six layers of guitar and then mix them. It gave me an insight to that level though and gave me a lot of confidence; it made me realise that level isn’t out of reach.
For the moment the four piece is working really well both financially and artistically, we’ve got enough legs in this sound to experiment with. A brass section would be fun to work with one day though.
Is there a lyrical concept behind Dead Man’s Suit? Do you feel under pressure when writing new music to come up with themes equally wrapped in metaphor?
Definitely under pressure yes, most artists are when writing new material. I’m on the tricky second album now just experimenting and I don’t want to just repeat what I’ve already done. The fans can sometimes give some help when playing new songs but people don’t know how to react to new material. Stevie Wonder’s Superstition got a poor reception the first time that was played, and look what happened there.
What types of audience do you find mostly at shows? Do you feel there’s somewhat something of a resurgence in folk music, with the likes of Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver finding success, whilst a new generation is discovering the likes of Cash, Dylan and Young?
Yeah I’d agree there’s a definite resurgence in the sound, there’s more exposure of the genre at the moment. If we’re played on Radio 2 then the older crowd tends to show but I’ve been played on Absolute Radio a decent amount which has introduced some younger listeners.
What’s next for you once the tour is over? Are you anticipating hitting the festival circuit over summer or are you more focused on writing new material before hitting the road again?
Hopefully getting a bit of both done, we’re definitely playing on the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury which will be great. Europe is on the cards too for a bit. It’s quite hard to write properly when on the road and the label want a new release, but they’ve also been giving me lots of tour dates so it’s difficult managing it all!
Jon Allen – Dead Man’s Suit is out now
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