Ian Jones On Musical Imperfection And Chasing The “Lost Highway” (SONG PREMIERE/INTERVIEW)

Seattle singer/songwriter Ian Jones will be releasing his debut full-length album, Results Not Typical, on April 7^th, 2023. Though it was preceded in widespread release by his EP Everygreens (2021), it was actually recorded pre-pandemic in Ojai with Producer Jesse Siebenberg (Lucas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Supertramp). The album was tracked live at Brotheryn Studios in a short space of time and features drummer Joey Waronker (Beck, REM, Paul McCartney), bassists Johnathan Flaugher (Ryan Adams) and Gabe Noel (Afghan Whigs, Father John Misty), guitarist Jason Soda (Miranda Lee Richards), violinist Paul Cartwright (Father John Misty), and pianists Dave Palmer (Fiona Apple, Chris Isaak) and Aaron Embry (Elliot Smith, Janes Addiction). 

As you might guess from that very distinguished line-up, there’s a lushness to the Pacific Northwestern style of Americana on the record, and a leaning in to various musical traditions that differ from song to song. That makes for an interesting journey and also complements Jones’ storytelling inclinations, bringing in different moods depending on the subject matter. Results Not Typical got a soft self-release during the pandemic, but now will be rolling out alongside some interesting parallel material including acoustic versions and acoustic live play videos for each song on the album. The first track to be released will be “Lost Highway”, available on February 24^th, 2023 and previewed here today. Look out for its follow-up acoustic track and video to see how Jones interprets its stripped-down alternative version. 

I spoke with Ian Jones about the realization that music is hard work, whether it’s songwriting, developing your vocal abilities, or finding your feet in a studio setting. We also talked about “Lost Highway” and what kind of mirages we tend to chase in life. 

Hannah Means-Shannon: I noticed that you have a plan to do acoustic versions of the songs on Results Not Typical to be released as songs are rolled out. What inspired you to do that? 

Ian Jones: We videotaped the recording of the acoustic versions of the songs and we’ll be releasing those videos as we go. For people who were around in the 90s in music, which was a completely different time, looking at things now, we see how big a part social media plays. Some people won’t do Instagram and Spotify and some of them are brilliant songwriters and musicians. But it’s part of the industry now. 

HMS: It’s a reality. I look at social media accounts to see if musicians are active. Because that means I have a better chance of being able to spread the word about their music and help them out. I work on the internet so it’s just part of my life. 

IJ: I believe it’s important, but it’s not necessarily to post multiple times a day. However, to your question, we want to ramp things up in the lead-up to this album, so we are going to start releasing the acoustic videos. In between Evergreens and now, I posted periodically, particularly about being out on the road and playing. But “Lost Highway” is our single so after it comes out, but the acoustic version will be coming out on Spotify and on Youtube also. When the next single comes out, after that, we’ll release the live acoustic version and video. When the album comes out, every three weeks, we’ll put out a live acoustic version of a song and video.

They can also be cut up into snippets for various social media platforms. We then have months of social media material. We’ll be touring for this album, so acoustic versions and snippets will be coming out all through that. We have hours of film. That’s part of why we’re doing acoustic versions. Because social media is important.

HMS: It works very well alongside the fact that this album is having a full release following a soft release because it’s a parallel route to experience and appreciate the songs. I know that you’ve been working on your vocals over the years, so how do you feel about your vocal delivery on the album and on the acoustic versions?

IJ: When we went to the studio record Results Not Typical, none of the guys had heard the songs yet. On Monday morning, I went in with my acoustic guitar and showed them how to play the songs. By the third time through, everyone had it. We had no click track. At most, we did three takes per song and then we chose from that. There were no overdubs. There was drums and bass in one room, piano in another room, guitar in another room, and me singing in another room. We could all see each other. But what you hear on this record is what I sang, beginning to end. When you’re in a room with people of that pedigree, you better rise to the occasion! When I asked Jesse if he wanted me to punch in some vocal parts, he said “We’re good.” And Jesse doesn’t give compliments.

When I go play live shows, people always comment on my voice, but I’ll tell you that I have had three vocal teachers, which has contributed to that. The first two were no good. The third guy, Todd Herzog, is someone I met in LA. He was a singer and he now does mostly religious stuff since he does a lot of synagogue work. His voice is so good it’s almost too good! What he did is he taught me the anatomy and physiology of singing. I was a physics major in college, so I geeek out on that. He understood me and I got him, and we trusted each other. We worked for six months and he gave me CDs of vocal exercises. He said it was now up to me to work on my voice. That was in 2001. I do my vocal exercises every single day. 

HMS: So meeting this person was a big turning point for you?

IJ: It was huge! I was in a band at the time, and when I came back through playing a venue, people came up to me asking, “What did you do??”

HMS: I think there’s an unhelpful myth that people are born perfect with these magical abilities. Like people either have angelic voices immediately or they shouldn’t be doing it. But in reality there are things that you can and should do to take singing seriously. 

IJ: When some vocalists walk on stage, people say, “Oh, they are so naturally gifted!” But they have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. Thousands of hours of training! No one has a four octave range, but now I do. Try singing Roy Orbison’s “Crying”. People think it doesn’t sound tough, but try it. It’s four octaves. 

HMS: What do you think made you aware of the need to work hard in order to write and perform songs? Did you have experiences that clued you in?

IJ: When I was young, I met a guy who had been a key grip for Led Zeppelin and he was one of the bigger bootleggers west of the Mississippi. He came to me and said, “What do you like?” I said, “I love The Beatles. They are my favorite band of all time.” So I have everything. I have about 50 or 60 hours of uncut and unedited studio recordings of The Beatles. One of the tapes has 16 versions of “I saw her standing there.” 

HMS: They are the perfect example of the misconception that genius and perfection is immediately there in an artist. Because modern audiences were not there for the thousands of hours they played in Hamburg. That’s the foundation for everything we got later.

IJ: Totally! And the first versions of these songs suck! They suck! George Martin was talented and that guy had more patience than Job. He’d stop them in the middle of things and ask the different members to try different things. By the 15^th take, you’re at the versions that are on the records. So what I did was listen to these tapes for like six hours a day. 

You can finally hear why they did what they did and why they made the changes they did. You learn all these things. I did that with The Beatles. I did that a little bit with Dylan, but I really did it with Tom Petty. If I could digest those three artists and glean information about how to create songs, those aren’t bad examples to follow. Tom Petty said that he didn’t spend too much time on songs, but he also admitted that he wanted to write hit songs. Everyone does.

HMS: What would you like to share about “Lost Highway”? What can you tell me about the writing and recording of this song?

IJ: If you listen to the words, it’s cryptic, “I can’t get on that lost highway.” But what is that lost highway? Is it a dream, a goal, a girl? If you look at it from any of those perspectives, it makes sense. The chorus, though, is “Let it go.” And I make allusions to the weather, since I’m in the Pacific Northwest and one of the things we do is talk about the weather. “Grey skies will be blue again.” No matter what you’re trying to do, whatever that lost highway means to you, roll with it, but if it doesn’t work out, move on. 

Ultimately, when it was first written, a long time ago, there was a record company called Lost Highway, and at the time it had Ryan Adams and Willie Nelson on it. I loved that label so it gave me the phrase, but I did my thing, and opened up my mind, and let it roll. This song came out. 

HMS: It becomes a kind of idea of something that is a wish or an aspiration that’s ethereal. It can’t be grabbed and held onto and that’s what’s universal. This song is more about a feeling of seeing something in the distance that you want, but knowing that if you run straight for it, you won’t get it. The mirage will disappear. So what do you do? The song suggests a more adaptive attitude. Are you prepared to accept and let go of things as they come and go?

IJ: There’s another thing in that song that’s a throwback to one of my physics professors in college. Science is interesting. You have to be able to look at it through the right lens to make sense. He used to say, “You’re not seeing the forest through the trees.” There’s a line in the song, “Sometimes the trees get so thick here upon us, You’d think that we’d be blind and miss the forest.” That is a nod to my professor. The line is kind of an overview of the song. Whatever that lost highway is to you, if you can’t see the forest through the trees, you’re never going to get it. I’m not trying to be a roadmap or give advice to people through my songs, but I’m saying, “If you want something, go and get it.” 

A friend gave me some great advice once about being ready to be in the right place at the right time, but always be prepared to never be in the right place at the right time. I’ve seen so many musicians in their forties or fifties start spiralling because they haven’t “made it” yet in music. But it’s like, “Man, you’re missing the point! We’re put on this planet to do this.” Maybe I’m delusional, who knows? [Laughs] That’s a very honest question. But I think I was put on this planet to write songs and play music for people that, if possible, can help them. And I’ve seen that happen with my own two eyes, and that’s what success should be measured by. 

If you can touch someone with your art enough to bring someone to tears, that’s powerful. Maybe sometimes I’m playing rooms to people who aren’t listening, but every once in a while, you make a connection, and it makes it completely worth it. That’s why I do it. It makes me fulfilled as a person. The world would be a better place if more people thought like that.