Pigeon Spins Featuring an Interview with Jonny Thorns

Jonny Thorns - Fountains Of Your Youth

“Fountains Of Your Youth” promises to captivate listeners with its infectious melodies and honest lyrics. The title track is a powerful message of love and escape , tracks like “Strangers” delve into themes of loss and introspection, while “No Place Left to Hide” showcases Jonny’s first-ever co-writing experience with the talented Jim Dixon. The EP’s recording process, spread across various studios including Blast Recording and Harbourmaster Studios, speaks to Jonny’s commitment to delivering a polished and dynamic sound. As Jonny prepares to share his music with the world, fans can expect an EP that not only entertains but also leaves a lasting impression, setting the stage for Jonny Thorns’ promising musical career.

Jonny Thorns, hailing from Durham, England, is a rising artist with a unique sound that blends rock influences with catchy melodies. "What We Don’t Know Won’t Hurt Us," showcases his talent as a songwriter and guitarist. Produced by Andy Bell at Blast Recording studios, the track features Jonny's soulful vocals and intricate guitar work, along with contributions from James Wake on drums. With a sound that nods to classic rock artists like Oasis and a lyrical depth inspired by personal growth and self-acceptance, Jonny Thorns is poised to make a mark on the music scene.

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Interview with Jonny Thorns

What inspired the title track, “Fountains Of Your Youth”?

"The track was written as a summary of part of my life. It's the story of coming out of a lonely and insecure place and meeting my girlfriend and falling in love. It's about coming out of a place of isolation, opening up and pursuing the person you want to be with. As the song verse moves into the second verse it discusses the changes to your life, a part of your youth has disappeared and will never be the same again but I wouldn't change that for meeting this person. It's my way of saying I'll forever be in debt to my girlfriend."

How do themes of love and escape shape the EP’s overall sound?

The sound of the EP is very upbeat for the most part, as is my upcoming album. "Save You" has a chorus written about my appreciation of my best friend , our reminiscing and fun we had when we were younger. It's my way of saying I will always be there when you need me ! Fountains of Your Youth is about a romantic love, Strangers is about missing someone in your life and wannting them to be a friend in your life again". All I Ever Knew is very dreamy and is about a fictional love, about chasing something you never had".

What was it like co-writing “No Place Left to Hide” with Jim Dixon?

"It was a very fun experience! Jim had a lovely 3 chord loop that is the vereses. We fleshed out and came up with a melody and lyrics for that and a lovely bridge section where the chords ascend heading into the chorus. We had a chorus chord progression and melody but couldn't think of any lyrics. I remember being at home on an evening and the chours lyrics more or less came to me and we finished the song together! It was great bouncing ideas off each other and listening to music whilst we were doing so to some of the artists we both admire. He is a fantastic songwriter and his new EP is brilliant, I'm very grateful we were able to write together , I hope we do so again in the future!

How did recording across multiple studios influence the final production?

It wasn't challenging , more time consuming I'd say but that is part of making a record! You can here Andy's influence in Fountains Of Your Youth and No Place Left To Hide, in their similarities. Strangers is a completely different song stylistically as is All I Ever Knew to those two so you could say their isn't a complete consistency in the tracks sound. However I am all about the songs and their quality, so as long as the tracks are good, it doesn't necessarily have to hang together thematically!

How do you balance rock influences with catchy, melodic songwriting?

I focus on melody and chord progressions first and making sure the song works on an acoustic guitar ! I often have ibnfluences in my head whilst writing , and I can seperate the more upbeat songs from the acoustic introspective numbers. The upbeat songs I usually like to make more rocking, but I have learned over time that this cannot subtract from the melody of the song, that is certainly a mistake I have made in the past!

What role does guitar work play in expressing emotion in your songs?

I tend to let the chord progressions set the vibe of the song, whether that is upbeat and positive or more personal. I'm by no means a great guitar player but I can get a mood of a song quite quickly when coming up with chords and melodies! That usually guides me from their to set the mood, the emotion comes from the lyrics I write but also from my delivery !

How do personal growth and self-acceptance inform your lyrics?

It just comes from writing from experience and being very personal with the songwriting. I am a very private person , I like to let the songs talk about my life so I don't have too. Sometimes it's easier to discuss mistakes and self growth through my lyrics than its is in person.

What challenges did you face while crafting this debut EP?

I honestly wouldn't say many challenges, it was a lot of fun to record and I just want the songs to speak for themselves. Perhaps it has been time consuming and has taken a while to come out but I never wish to release anything till I'm satisfied with the song quality! Making music shouldn't be stressful and if it is, your not doing it for the right reasons. I couldn't have had more fun in these recording sessions!

How do you aim to leave a lasting impression on listeners with this release?

I think I need to just let the songs do the talking! There is something for everyone in the tracks, fast indie rock, acoustic songs and a rock ballad. I think different people will take different things from the tracks but I'm sure they will enjoy it!

(•)> That's all Folks! Check out Jonny Thorns on the Pigeon Spins Playlist