Meet Jonathan Boulet, a solo artist who originally hails from Australia. We had a chat with him to find out how he got into music, how being a solo artist compares to being part of a band, and what we can expect from his latest album ‘Gubba’. Read on to find out more!
Hi Jonathan! First things first, how and when did you start doing your solo project?
It all started as a wee lad. I was an ADD kid bashing the kit and making hundreds of 4 bar midi loops on my trusty keyboard. All saved onto floppy discs of course. As home recording technology became more accessible during the noughties, I started making beats, soundscapes and acoustic songs and posting them on Myspace. This was back when Myspace was cool and actually a functioning, legitimate website. Eventually around 2007-2008 I had enough songs to burn onto a CD and call it an album. Handed it in to the local community radio station and it all snowballed from there!
I read on Wikipedia (sorry!) that you’ve previously been in bands. How does being a solo artist compare to being part of a group?
Being solo is really quite satisfying. But only when you get shit finished. Seeing something through from start to finish really connects you to it and by the time it’s done, you know it so intimately. If something I’ve worked on ever comes on the radio my brain recognises it instantaneously, just because I’ve listened to it so much. Obviously working solo has its challenges, like becoming unmotivated. Sometimes in a band environment the enthusiasm of another individual can really recharge your creative batteries.
How would you describe your sound to someone hasn’t heard you before? Do you feel like your sound has changed over the years or have you stuck to the same kind of genre?
I like to describe it as rock music. Noisy rock music. Music for mum and dad. Music to put the kids to sleep. But yes, I do feel the genre has changed, as it was jungle-pop music before and is now noisy rock music. It started quite chilled and light, but has exponentially become louder, more distorted, and much more exciting.
You’ve already released two albums, and your new album, ‘Gubba’, is coming out soon. What can we expect from it?
Riff city. Riff raff. More riffs than the Bible’s got psalms. ‘Gubba’ is brash, quick in the sack, wasabi snorting, juggling two ended knives and a misjudged accidental high five to the face.
What are your plans for the rest of 2014?
We plan on getting stuck into Europe and the UK. Shows, meeting new people, seeing new places, leaving a trail of hugs and destruction behind us. Then I’m gonna start thinking about making some new music again. Hmmm, reggae?
Can we expect to see you playing live in the UK at all?
Yes you can! And we’re just figuring all that out right now. So stay tuned and we’ll be blowing out eardrums in a pub near you soon!
And finally, what are your main goals with your solo project? What would you like to achieve in the long run?
In the long run I will continue to make music of all kinds. We will continue to release records and play shows and basically do what we’re doing right now but more so and relentlessly. I just want to make as much shit as possible before my brain dies and I cease to exist.
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