Chester doesn’t have the obvious music-city mythology of Manchester or Liverpool. Maybe that’s why MT Jones had to build everything himself, starting from the ground up, busking on its streets as a teenager, learning to hold a crowd before he ever had a crowd to hold.
That journey started on the streets of Chester, where a teenage Jones was busking his way into an understanding of what music could be. Since then, it’s been headline shows, tours across the UK, Europe and the US, and a slow, deliberate build driven by instinct as much as ambition. JOY is where it all lands.
Written entirely by Jones, the album moves through love, loss and the smaller, harder-to-name moments in between. His voice carries it all with a warmth that never feels performed, and the songs themselves sit easy between classic soul and something more of the moment, without reaching for either. Tracks like “Why I Cry”, “Gentle Reminder” and “I Don’t Understand” mapped out the emotional territory early; closing track “Her Name Is Joy” draws it to a close at its most stripped-back and personal.
In this 18 Questions, Jones reflects on those early busking days, what the road taught him about trusting himself, and where joy actually lives when life gets complicated.
1. What’s the first thing you usually do when you wake up in the morning?
I’ll make a coffee, then I’ll either head out to the gym or go on a bike ride with some tunes or an audiobook on.
2. Do you have any small daily habits that help keep you grounded when life gets busy?
I love cooking and that really destresses me. I’m not necessarily the best at it, but cooking something that takes a while helps me switch off from the day and be present. Even better if I’m doing it with a drink and some tunes on too.
3. You started out busking on the streets of Chester as a teenager. What did those early days teach you about connecting with an audience?
With busking, you don’t get to choose your audience. Some people will stop and properly listen, but others will walk just straight past you. So I guess it taught me that you have to just go for it either way, and just hope that you connect to those people who are listening.
4. Growing up, what kind of music filled the house and shaped your taste?
My mum always had the radio on so that exposed me to all sorts of genres, just whatever was on. My dad introduced me to The Beatles at a really young age, and everything else just came from there.
5. Was there a moment when music stopped being a hobby and started feeling like something you needed to pursue seriously?
I started playing piano when I was 8 and was in a band when I was 13. We were called Monkey Squash and we thought we were going to change the world. Surprisingly, we didn’t. But I am glad I did all that as it got me writing and playing really early on.
6. When you sit down to write, do the lyrics usually arrive first or does the melody lead the way?
It happens differently on different days. Generally, the melody comes first and I start with incoherent sounds until it forms something. Often one line will trigger something and start to shape everything else.
7. What kind of space or environment helps you be the most creative?
In a studio surrounded by instruments. I like everything to be switched on and in touching distance — I hate having to plug things in!
8. You’ve toured across the UK, Europe and the US over the past year. What has life on the road taught you about yourself?
I love seeing new places. I’m often alone, so I’ve started being more open and social as a way to meet people along the way. I try to be spontaneous and follow my intuition when I’m in a new place and see where it leads me.
9. What’s something people often misunderstand about you as an artist?
People might think I’m only into ‘old’ music, but I’m actually always searching for new stuff too. There’s loads of great stuff out there at the moment.
10. Looking back at the journey from busking to sold-out shows, have you had a moment where it all suddenly hit you how far things have come?
Playing in America has been a big one. Having people turn up to shows there — or anywhere really — still feels pretty wild to me. Especially in places that are so far from home. I still pinch myself every time.
11. Your debut album is called JOY. Why did that word feel like the right title to capture this body of work?
I think it just represents a lot of aspects of life. It can mean different things for different people, and there’s a lot of different things that can bring you joy in life.
12. You’ve said the album reflects moments from your life past and present. At what point did you realise those moments were forming a full album rather than just individual songs?
There was a long list of contenders for the album so I had to really narrow it down based on what tracks flowed together but also that showed different sides of me as an artist. There’s ballads, ones to make you dance… there’s loads of different moods throughout but still an overarching thread or theme.
13. “Why I Cry” is one of the songs that introduced listeners to this era of your music. What was going through your mind when you wrote it?
It’s ultimately a song about loss. But I think the music itself in that track has a lightness to it, so it presents it in a nice way. I try to do that a lot in my music.
14. “Gentle Reminder” has a very reflective feel to it. What inspired that song and what does it represent for you personally?
I wrote it on the road in America and it’s about reflecting on missing home. You have a great time when you’re away but sometimes you want the people you love to be there with you to see it too. So the song is like a postcard, in a way.
15. The album opens with “I Don’t Understand.” Why did that track feel like the right way to start the journey of JOY?
It’s upbeat, playful and a bit tongue and cheek, so it felt like a nice way to set the tone of the album. It gets things moving straight away.
16. Songs like “Changes Like the Weather” and “Nothing I Can’t Do” suggest movement and resilience. How much of the album reflects growth you’ve experienced over the past few years?
I wrote Changes Like The Weather years ago but recently reworked it for the album, so it was interesting to see how I’ve changed since I first wrote it. Nothing I Can’t Do does have a sense of reflection about it, and is one of my favourites on the album.
17. The closing track “Her Name Is Joy” feels very intimate and emotional. Why did it feel right to end the album with that moment?
It’s the first time I’ve ever released a proper ballad like that, without any drums or anything. It feels very exposing, but it’s hopefully a different side of me that people might not have heard before.
18. Now that JOY is out in the world and you’re heading into a big run of shows, what do you hope people take away from hearing the album live?
I hope that people can relate to the songs and even find a bit of comfort in them. At the live shows, I just want people to have a good time! Have a dance, maybe meet new people and hopefully just connect to the music.
JOY is out now, follow via @mtjonesmusic
