I had the pleasure of catching up with Jon Hynes this week to chat about his upcoming EP release Intro Outro this Friday, October 4th at The Clocktower Brewpub on Bank Street with Yuma Country and Patrick Shanks. I first listened to Intro Outro shortly after midnight and found the ambient tunes to be a perfect compliment to that hour of the day and my serious need to wind down. Jon agreed that it was definitely the perfect time to enjoy his tracks and he answered a few of my burning questions about the EP.
Hey Jon, thanks for meeting with me! First off, what are some words or descriptors you would use to describe your sound?
Delay, reverb, atmospheric sounds. Depending on the show it’s obviously easier if I have bass and drums, but if it’s just me I want to fill the sound out as much as possible by using effects and creating a soundscape. It’s very satisfying to sit down and craft a sound that’s not the same as other people are doing.
What are you hoping to get out of the release this Friday?
Expand the fan base. You want to do as much as possible and the plan is to have some shows in Montreal and Toronto hopefully opening up for my friend [and fellow artist] Donovan Woods. I’ve been living in Ottawa for two years but I feel like I haven’t really explored the music scene and it all feels like new ground to me. So, just to get people to know who I am.
Every band’s dream right?
Yeah! You just want people to go, “I like your album” and you’re like, “Thanks” and they toss it around and then word of mouth happens and it’s the whole domino effect ideally.
Who are some of your major influences in your work?
I’m reading a book by David Sedaris right now. This is the only author I’ve read so far where I’ve actually had to stop because I’m laughing so hard. He writes how that funny guy at the party speaks – the one that can really tell a good story. Musically, I’m a really big fan of The Replacements, Spoon, Tom Petty. Even just the people I play with like Evening Hymns – I find Jonas – his songwriting is immaculate, it’s so heartfelt, he’s a really good lyricist. Working with people, you work together as a team to create and perform these songs but you get a lot out of it too.
So where do your lyrics come from?
Very rarely do I write personal experience. I can’t justify wearing my heart on my sleeve – I’m not that kind of guy. I respect people that can, but it’s just something I haven’t been able to tap into yet. Usually I write from someone’s perspective or I tell a story. The first song on the record, The Later Ones, is just sort of the idea that the generation we’re in now takes it upon themselves to, “I’ll get a career, I’ll settle down. 30’s, 35, there’s no hurry” as opposed to our parents, “I’m 20 I’ve gotta get stuff figured out now.” So it’s sort of a take on how life has changed so much. That’s probably the only time I’ve focused on a song and been, “I need to make a point”.
Do you think in the future you might write some lyrics closer to your heart and your experiences?
Yeah, I’d say eventually. It’s just that whenever I do it now I think, “Ah, that’s not good” and I’m very hard on myself. I find lyrics take a long time for me. The music just sort of comes out and moves at a much quicker pace.
Anything else you want to tell us about your EP?
Yeah, You can buy it online for $5 but if you pay $6 on the site, I’ll mail you the postcard that has the artwork on it and it has the credits of who did what. And then I will write something to you: I’ll recommend books I’m reading, I’ll recommend who I think is going to win the Stanley Cup (not that I follow hockey that much), or what I’m cooking that night or something. Whatever! But it will be a custom postcard for you with the EP.
Awesome. Thanks, Jon and best of luck this Friday!
If you can’t make it to the release this week, Jon has another show coming up on November 4th at The Manx with Sarah Bradley. The 4 track EP, including a cover of Bry Webb’s “Undertaker”, can be downloaded here. Check out his website for more information. So grab a cup of tea, burn the midnight oil and relax into Jon’s soundscapes.
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