Blues Strength Through Adversity
Muirsical Conversation With Laurence Jones
Muirsical Conversation With Laurence Jones
The title of Award winning British blues rock artist Laurence Jones’ latest album tells a story, as do the majority of the lyrics across the eleven tracks that form On My Own, the singer-guitarist-songwriter’s first ever solo acoustic collection.
As his fans, and many who follow the blues rock scene will know, Laurence Jones has been living and suffering with Crohn’s Disease his entire adult life.
"The invisible disease" was particularly debilitating across most of 2025, leading to Jones having to re-evaluate the best way to manage his career, and his health.
Such downtime led to Jones picking both himself and his guitar up, leading to the cathartic yet extremely upbeat On My Own, which sets the scene for Laurence Jones as a solo acoustic performer across his upcoming tour dates.
Laurence sat in with FabricationsHQ before heading out on the road for his first run of dates to talk about his recent battle with Crohn’s, the new solo album, a candid assessment of the difficulties he has faced within the industry, and moving forward as a self-managed, fully independent solo artist.
As his fans, and many who follow the blues rock scene will know, Laurence Jones has been living and suffering with Crohn’s Disease his entire adult life.
"The invisible disease" was particularly debilitating across most of 2025, leading to Jones having to re-evaluate the best way to manage his career, and his health.
Such downtime led to Jones picking both himself and his guitar up, leading to the cathartic yet extremely upbeat On My Own, which sets the scene for Laurence Jones as a solo acoustic performer across his upcoming tour dates.
Laurence sat in with FabricationsHQ before heading out on the road for his first run of dates to talk about his recent battle with Crohn’s, the new solo album, a candid assessment of the difficulties he has faced within the industry, and moving forward as a self-managed, fully independent solo artist.
Ross Muir: We must start by talking about the particularly virulent and debilitating episode you had with your Crohn’s Disease over much of 2025. That, clearly, was not pleasant. Would you be OK elaborating?
Laurence Jones: Absolutely, especially as it might help others who are struggling, too.
First of all, there’s no cure for Crohn’s, but your antibodies get used to the medications, which normally last between four to five years. I tried to come off my medications after that time-frame, but that was also when I was sent on a world tour! [laughs].
Now, when I was younger, it was sort of kept at bay through the series of medications but, after lockdown, it was a case of right, let’s see about getting back out there and doing as much as possible.
But to be honest with you, I was pushed and pulled in so many directions, by so many different people, that it didn’t help with the Crohn’s, and the related stress.
That's one of the reasons why I titled my new album On My Own and put it out on my own record label.
I’ve been in the industry eighteen years, but now I find, for me personally, it’s important to have that fine balance and mixture of managing my health and managing my own business, because in this industry it can run away from you very quickly.
The combination of different foods, and the different stresses of life on the road, definitely got to me, certainly without the medication which had, at least, been keeping the Crohn’s at bay.
I’m still off medication because it can give me a lot of damaging side effects, including heart palpitations and shortness of breath, so I’m doing it the natural way now through AIP, an Autoimmune Protocol diet.
In fact, that would be my message to anyone suffering from Crohn’s, or any of the related autoimmune diseases; cut out the gluten, the diary, and the sugar, which is also very addictive.
So, that’s what I’m on at the moment and I’m already seeing some massive changes, which have been better than some of the medications, or even the drip I had in hospital.
RM: All you have just described clearly led to the re-evaluation of your career and how you want to manage it, including becoming a solely independent artist.
LJ: Oh, one hundred percent. A lot of people won’t speak out about the industry, but you just have to look at some of the music legends and brilliant artists – Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, to name but two – who died quite depressed, lonely, or with mental health issues, because of this industry.
I didn’t go down that road of course but I could feel it going that way, if I’m honest.
You’ve got managers in your ear saying "you could wreck your reputation if you cancel this gig over your health," or "if you don’t do these dates someone else will overtake you, and you’ll end up doing less album sales," and all of that. As a young kid who signed into the industry in his teens, I started thinking, after about fifteen years, is it worth it, you know?
That’s what it came down to, because it had become too hard to carry on looking after everyone on the road, and keeping it, and my health, afloat, while also getting major pressure from different labels.
So, now, being solo and independent, I’ve had to do all the bookings myself, as I did for this solo tour.
But that’s been a blessing in disguise because I’ve really enjoyed reconnecting direct with the venues and the owners, as well as reconnecting with the fans, because I’ve taken my own Facebook page over again.
And, by doing that, you can see who your real friends are, and who is sticking by you; that’s really important to me going forward these next five, ten, fifteen years.
It's also like laying a new set of foundations because, yes, I did need the major record labels, and I did need the bigger press to get there, but now I have a fanbase I can take back control.
And I think my fans are happy about that too, because with blues music it’s very much about just that, the music, and the connection. It’s not necessarily about getting the chart success and packing thousands of people into a large hall; blues is very much a grass roots, or underground, genre.
What’s interesting is, now, more blues fans seem to be craving the more traditional, or the sound of where it all came from. But there’s not too many blues player out there just going out with their acoustic guitar, which is what the blues is, really, at its core.
RM: There’s a handful of great acoustic players touring or playing in the UK – Oli McDonald, better known as Mississippi McDonald, immediately comes to mind – but, yes, we probably do need, or should encourage the need, for more tradition-steeped, solo acoustic performers, certainly at the grass roots level and on the blues club scene.
Joe Bonamassa bucks that grass roots trend but he is, for a number of reasons, the blues exception to the club level rule.
LJ: I went to see Joe at a couple of his UK Arena shows, but he had to section off corners of those arenas.
As impressive as it was to see thousands of people at those shows, it wasn’t the ten or twelve thousand you would see at an Iron Maiden show; so, it’s still grass roots in that comparative way.
The blues people know Joe Bonamssa very well of course, but mention it to mainstream music fans and it will still seem underground to them, certainly compared to the bigger picture of the biggest pop and rock stars in the world.
It's just a very different level, and that’s the beauty of it for me; I can look after my health and play my music at this grass roots level, and feel happy doing it.
RM: Also, and related, given what you’ve gone through, health-wise, and the associated stress, it couldn't not be about the blues for you.
LJ: Yeah, absolutely. This is going to sound cheesy but I wrote this album when I really needed it.
At my worst, I was going to the toilet fifteen to twenty times a day, including during the night, in discomfort, and passing blood. There was about six months of that where I just couldn’t get out the house; I’d try and get out every day, just for fresh air, but sometimes I just couldn’t.
I needed something to mentally pick myself up and that was writing music, and what became this album. Having that acoustic guitar and wanting to be as authentic as I could, helped me get through.
RM: You clearly drew comfort and positivity from doing this album. You also sound very comfortable in the solo acoustic role.
LJ: That’s how it all started for me, with just a guitar – it was being in a band that was different! [laughs]
I started playing classical guitar when I was seven years old.
RM: Which leads to the obvious double question of when was, and what brought about, the transition to electric guitar and the blues?
LJ: Well, I did all my grades on classical guitar and ended up playing in various places, including a lot of churches across England; I even got a place in the Conservatoire in Birmingham.
That was going to be my career path but at the last hurdle, not long after getting that placement, I decided to try out an electric guitar, and that was because upstairs they were promoting and plugging a rock school called The Academy Of Music And Sound, which is ACM Online now, and worldwide.
Basically they said "would you like to join the rock course?" and I signed up there and then!
RM: And this would be when?
LJ: When I was sixteen, and had just finished school.
RM: A true sliding doors moment, or the classic fork in the road.
LJ: Yes! Originally, I was meant to go off and have this big career playing classical guitar.
As a kid, I had been entering classical competitions around Warwickshire and Oxfordshire, but that was a bit like being pushed in at the deep end, because I’d find myself in among all these people from private schools.
I wasn’t like that at all – I was this little lad from Liverpool, competing against all these private school people.
But I thrived in that pressure; I was always comfortable going on stage on my own.
But when I picked up that first electric guitar at sixteen it all changed; by seventeen I had been chucked into a band and it was right, what’s all this about? [laughs] because I had been so used to playing on my own.
So, it feels quite comforting to go back to where I started; it reminds me of being a young lad when I picked up that first classical guitar.
RM: Which brings us full circle and back to the new album.
It's interesting that many of the song titles tell a story before we even get to the song’s themselves – One Life, On My Own, Life I Made, to name but three.
This is a cathartic and lyrically personal album, but one that also accentuates the positive; it’s also very upbeat, musically.
LJ: Yes, this is really my story; it’s about what I’ve been through and what’s happened to me, because it feels like I’ve been silenced for a long time. So, now, it’s time to get back on stage, with my guitar, in what I feel like is my prime. I’m thirty-four next month and I honestly feel like I’m coming into that more mature place in my life, and my music, where it’s more about the lyrics and not just shredding on the guitar.
Laurence Jones: Absolutely, especially as it might help others who are struggling, too.
First of all, there’s no cure for Crohn’s, but your antibodies get used to the medications, which normally last between four to five years. I tried to come off my medications after that time-frame, but that was also when I was sent on a world tour! [laughs].
Now, when I was younger, it was sort of kept at bay through the series of medications but, after lockdown, it was a case of right, let’s see about getting back out there and doing as much as possible.
But to be honest with you, I was pushed and pulled in so many directions, by so many different people, that it didn’t help with the Crohn’s, and the related stress.
That's one of the reasons why I titled my new album On My Own and put it out on my own record label.
I’ve been in the industry eighteen years, but now I find, for me personally, it’s important to have that fine balance and mixture of managing my health and managing my own business, because in this industry it can run away from you very quickly.
The combination of different foods, and the different stresses of life on the road, definitely got to me, certainly without the medication which had, at least, been keeping the Crohn’s at bay.
I’m still off medication because it can give me a lot of damaging side effects, including heart palpitations and shortness of breath, so I’m doing it the natural way now through AIP, an Autoimmune Protocol diet.
In fact, that would be my message to anyone suffering from Crohn’s, or any of the related autoimmune diseases; cut out the gluten, the diary, and the sugar, which is also very addictive.
So, that’s what I’m on at the moment and I’m already seeing some massive changes, which have been better than some of the medications, or even the drip I had in hospital.
RM: All you have just described clearly led to the re-evaluation of your career and how you want to manage it, including becoming a solely independent artist.
LJ: Oh, one hundred percent. A lot of people won’t speak out about the industry, but you just have to look at some of the music legends and brilliant artists – Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, to name but two – who died quite depressed, lonely, or with mental health issues, because of this industry.
I didn’t go down that road of course but I could feel it going that way, if I’m honest.
You’ve got managers in your ear saying "you could wreck your reputation if you cancel this gig over your health," or "if you don’t do these dates someone else will overtake you, and you’ll end up doing less album sales," and all of that. As a young kid who signed into the industry in his teens, I started thinking, after about fifteen years, is it worth it, you know?
That’s what it came down to, because it had become too hard to carry on looking after everyone on the road, and keeping it, and my health, afloat, while also getting major pressure from different labels.
So, now, being solo and independent, I’ve had to do all the bookings myself, as I did for this solo tour.
But that’s been a blessing in disguise because I’ve really enjoyed reconnecting direct with the venues and the owners, as well as reconnecting with the fans, because I’ve taken my own Facebook page over again.
And, by doing that, you can see who your real friends are, and who is sticking by you; that’s really important to me going forward these next five, ten, fifteen years.
It's also like laying a new set of foundations because, yes, I did need the major record labels, and I did need the bigger press to get there, but now I have a fanbase I can take back control.
And I think my fans are happy about that too, because with blues music it’s very much about just that, the music, and the connection. It’s not necessarily about getting the chart success and packing thousands of people into a large hall; blues is very much a grass roots, or underground, genre.
What’s interesting is, now, more blues fans seem to be craving the more traditional, or the sound of where it all came from. But there’s not too many blues player out there just going out with their acoustic guitar, which is what the blues is, really, at its core.
RM: There’s a handful of great acoustic players touring or playing in the UK – Oli McDonald, better known as Mississippi McDonald, immediately comes to mind – but, yes, we probably do need, or should encourage the need, for more tradition-steeped, solo acoustic performers, certainly at the grass roots level and on the blues club scene.
Joe Bonamassa bucks that grass roots trend but he is, for a number of reasons, the blues exception to the club level rule.
LJ: I went to see Joe at a couple of his UK Arena shows, but he had to section off corners of those arenas.
As impressive as it was to see thousands of people at those shows, it wasn’t the ten or twelve thousand you would see at an Iron Maiden show; so, it’s still grass roots in that comparative way.
The blues people know Joe Bonamssa very well of course, but mention it to mainstream music fans and it will still seem underground to them, certainly compared to the bigger picture of the biggest pop and rock stars in the world.
It's just a very different level, and that’s the beauty of it for me; I can look after my health and play my music at this grass roots level, and feel happy doing it.
RM: Also, and related, given what you’ve gone through, health-wise, and the associated stress, it couldn't not be about the blues for you.
LJ: Yeah, absolutely. This is going to sound cheesy but I wrote this album when I really needed it.
At my worst, I was going to the toilet fifteen to twenty times a day, including during the night, in discomfort, and passing blood. There was about six months of that where I just couldn’t get out the house; I’d try and get out every day, just for fresh air, but sometimes I just couldn’t.
I needed something to mentally pick myself up and that was writing music, and what became this album. Having that acoustic guitar and wanting to be as authentic as I could, helped me get through.
RM: You clearly drew comfort and positivity from doing this album. You also sound very comfortable in the solo acoustic role.
LJ: That’s how it all started for me, with just a guitar – it was being in a band that was different! [laughs]
I started playing classical guitar when I was seven years old.
RM: Which leads to the obvious double question of when was, and what brought about, the transition to electric guitar and the blues?
LJ: Well, I did all my grades on classical guitar and ended up playing in various places, including a lot of churches across England; I even got a place in the Conservatoire in Birmingham.
That was going to be my career path but at the last hurdle, not long after getting that placement, I decided to try out an electric guitar, and that was because upstairs they were promoting and plugging a rock school called The Academy Of Music And Sound, which is ACM Online now, and worldwide.
Basically they said "would you like to join the rock course?" and I signed up there and then!
RM: And this would be when?
LJ: When I was sixteen, and had just finished school.
RM: A true sliding doors moment, or the classic fork in the road.
LJ: Yes! Originally, I was meant to go off and have this big career playing classical guitar.
As a kid, I had been entering classical competitions around Warwickshire and Oxfordshire, but that was a bit like being pushed in at the deep end, because I’d find myself in among all these people from private schools.
I wasn’t like that at all – I was this little lad from Liverpool, competing against all these private school people.
But I thrived in that pressure; I was always comfortable going on stage on my own.
But when I picked up that first electric guitar at sixteen it all changed; by seventeen I had been chucked into a band and it was right, what’s all this about? [laughs] because I had been so used to playing on my own.
So, it feels quite comforting to go back to where I started; it reminds me of being a young lad when I picked up that first classical guitar.
RM: Which brings us full circle and back to the new album.
It's interesting that many of the song titles tell a story before we even get to the song’s themselves – One Life, On My Own, Life I Made, to name but three.
This is a cathartic and lyrically personal album, but one that also accentuates the positive; it’s also very upbeat, musically.
LJ: Yes, this is really my story; it’s about what I’ve been through and what’s happened to me, because it feels like I’ve been silenced for a long time. So, now, it’s time to get back on stage, with my guitar, in what I feel like is my prime. I’m thirty-four next month and I honestly feel like I’m coming into that more mature place in my life, and my music, where it’s more about the lyrics and not just shredding on the guitar.
LJ: Expressing myself in a more authentic way through songs like One Life is just what I needed but, as you mentioned, it's still a very upbeat album. It was never "right, I’m going to write all these sad lyrics because that will go well with the blues;" it was genuinely more a case of picking up the guitar and seeing or hearing what came out of me.
I was also inspired by Seasick Steve. We had crossed paths at a few European festivals over the years, but never really met. Then, later, I was invited to go and see him play an intimate gig at Rough Trade in Nottingham where I now live. I got a chance to talk to him and he really inspired me – "just do it on your own, man; sit down with your guitar and write!"
So I did! I went home and started writing some stuff, but it wasn’t much later that I started to get really sick.
I had to put the guitar back down for a while and, worse, cancel some gigs.
But that’s when these songs really started to flow out of me, because it became my way of carrying on.
RM: The Seasick Steve inspiration is obviously also an influence, because while the lyrics are clearly personal to where you were at that point – as example you open One Life with "I don’t know If I can make it here, I feel like I’m gonna disappear" – musically this is an uplifting and, again, upbeat album, with insistent acoustic rhythms and strong, stomp-box backbeats. It’s a very honest, and direct, acoustic blues album.
LJ: I really appreciate you saying all that because that’s exactly what I wanted it to sound like.
I needed that buzz of the music, and for it to be uplifting. A lot of the earliest acoustic blues music was played quite fast, and got your foot tapping, yet they were singing in pain, through the honest lyrics of difficult, personal times.
RM: The other side of that coin is it means you have a collection of great, foot tapping songs for the live shows because, frankly, there would be nothing worse than you coming out on stage to say "I’ve had a really bad time of late, so here’s a set of downtempo, sad, ten-minute long acoustic blues songs to tell you just how bad it was."
LJ: [laughs] I actually think a lot of people might well expect it to be quite a slow-paced, fingerpicking chilled out set, but my fans know me well enough realise that even when it’s solo acoustic I’ll be putting a lot of up-tempo energy into it. Hopefully they’ll come away thinking "wow, that was an energetic acoustic show!"
It's gonna be fantastic; I’m really looking forward to the shows.
RM: I mentioned the personal nature of the lyrics, but there are also some personal digs – not at any specific individual, but more at the frustration of various past situations.
Ain’t Coming Back and Get Back Up could, lyrically, be interpretated that way.
A necessary, and intentional, cathartic release?
LJ: Yes, very much intentional! [laughs] but, as you mentioned there, more out of frustration.
I was also inspired by Seasick Steve. We had crossed paths at a few European festivals over the years, but never really met. Then, later, I was invited to go and see him play an intimate gig at Rough Trade in Nottingham where I now live. I got a chance to talk to him and he really inspired me – "just do it on your own, man; sit down with your guitar and write!"
So I did! I went home and started writing some stuff, but it wasn’t much later that I started to get really sick.
I had to put the guitar back down for a while and, worse, cancel some gigs.
But that’s when these songs really started to flow out of me, because it became my way of carrying on.
RM: The Seasick Steve inspiration is obviously also an influence, because while the lyrics are clearly personal to where you were at that point – as example you open One Life with "I don’t know If I can make it here, I feel like I’m gonna disappear" – musically this is an uplifting and, again, upbeat album, with insistent acoustic rhythms and strong, stomp-box backbeats. It’s a very honest, and direct, acoustic blues album.
LJ: I really appreciate you saying all that because that’s exactly what I wanted it to sound like.
I needed that buzz of the music, and for it to be uplifting. A lot of the earliest acoustic blues music was played quite fast, and got your foot tapping, yet they were singing in pain, through the honest lyrics of difficult, personal times.
RM: The other side of that coin is it means you have a collection of great, foot tapping songs for the live shows because, frankly, there would be nothing worse than you coming out on stage to say "I’ve had a really bad time of late, so here’s a set of downtempo, sad, ten-minute long acoustic blues songs to tell you just how bad it was."
LJ: [laughs] I actually think a lot of people might well expect it to be quite a slow-paced, fingerpicking chilled out set, but my fans know me well enough realise that even when it’s solo acoustic I’ll be putting a lot of up-tempo energy into it. Hopefully they’ll come away thinking "wow, that was an energetic acoustic show!"
It's gonna be fantastic; I’m really looking forward to the shows.
RM: I mentioned the personal nature of the lyrics, but there are also some personal digs – not at any specific individual, but more at the frustration of various past situations.
Ain’t Coming Back and Get Back Up could, lyrically, be interpretated that way.
A necessary, and intentional, cathartic release?
LJ: Yes, very much intentional! [laughs] but, as you mentioned there, more out of frustration.
LJ: This is the first time I’ve been allowed to express myself as myself, without any suits in the office saying "well, actually, have you tried writing this way?" or "I’ll have to send that song idea to someone else before we can demo it, spend money on it, and have our name on it."
That all becomes very sterile, as is a lot of the industry now. As you well know, Ross, it’s not what it used to be, where the suits would release the money for a six-figure record deal and trust the artist.
Now, you’d be lucky to get twenty grand; and that would be a big deal at our level.
You’ve also got the social media saturation and Spotify, which doesn’t make the artist any sort of meaningful royalty.
I’m looking at all that while working hard, putting all my heart and soul into it and then looking at the percentage all these different people are taking off of me – and for what?
Half the time you don’t even know where that money is going, and that’s truth of it.
As an example, you might have a particular publisher, who then sets you up with another publisher, who takes a percentage; before you know it there might be four publishers, and a record label, on one of your songs that was co-written by three members of the band, with no piece of the pie left for those songwriters!
Well, unless you manage to get about a million streams on Spotify.
RM: In which case you might just about break even…
LJ: [laughs] Yeah, but in all seriousness, and when we put it like that, it’s never been about the money.
So, if I can’t express myself musically, what is the point? That’s why, after this long illness, I though I’ve just got to go for it.
It’s been challenging at times, but I’m so thankful for all the fans who bought the album, especially the number of pre-orders, most of which came from the UK. That was beautiful to see; I’m really proud of that.
RM: As you should be, because as you mentioned, you’ve worked hard for success.
It's become something of a cliché but as the topic-relevant idiom goes, you have paid your dues to the blues.
LJ: Thank you Ross, I really appreciate that.
RM: This last few minutes of conversation also parallels or reflects other conversations I’ve had over the last few years with so many artists who know full well their talents, and graft, should mean a far bigger return on their efforts, or a bigger piece of that pie you mentioned.
But the harsh reality of the current grass roots/ club scene, certainly for all original touring acts, is that said artists are bottom of the food chain.
So, it becomes not about the money, as you said, but about doing it for the love of it, with songs you believe in, and the feedback and connection made with the fans who support you.
LJ: Definitely. I’ve been in some incredibly lucky situations in the past. I’ve been signed with Sony, who flew me out to the Caribbean for a month’s pre-production before flying me out to Miami to record at the old Sony studios. I’ve had private drivers and been wined and dined, but none of that really impressed me.
It was always about getting the music out there, and getting up on stage to play for the fans.
That part hasn’t changed, I’ve just cut a lot of the bullshit out that you can get caught up in as a kid, and the people who can come in and rip you off, as has happened to me in the past.
My advice to anyone who wants to start out in this industry now, at this level, is get youself a good music lawyer, because trust me, you want someone looking over every word of every contract before you sign it!
Of course there’s no need for any of that now, thankfully, because this album has been released under my own label, Ron Records – so no contracts to sign! [laughs]
RM: The album also sounds great, which comes from working with Wayne Proctor, who mixed and mastered the album and co-produced it with you.
I get the impression, however, he was doing more than just lending an ear to the music.
LJ: He was. Wayne was really understanding with me when we were making this album, because there were days where I just couldn’t commit to the schedule. We would plan to do a ten hour session and I’d have to say "I can only do an hour or two then I’ll need to go home because I’m in so much pain."
There were other days where I’d have flare ups in his studio at his house and couldn’t move for hours.
It was very, very challenging at times; at one point we didn’t think we would be able to complete the album, because we were also against the clock.
But it did all come together, and that was because we decided to do only one or two takes for most of the songs, as I was in so much pain a lot of the time.
Recording like that also made it more real, and I think you can hear that in the music, and the lyrics.
RM: Working with Wayne definitely produced – pun intended – a winning formula. But how did that working relationship come about?
LJ: Well, I first saw Wayne back when I was sixteen and he was playing with Oli Brown. I remember thinking "wow, what a drummer." Then, of course, he went on to play with King King and produced some of their records, which sounded great – that’s the point I got into his producing talents as much as his drumming.
We must have had conversations for about seven or eight years after that saying we really should do something together, but we never did!
But, when I moved to Nottingham, Wayne was just up the road from me, in Ollerton.
When I got ill and decided to do this album, I contacted Wayne and we both said "right, let’s do this."
And I’m so glad we did because we worked really well together, and bounced off each other with ideas.
I’d be rehearsing a song and Wayne would, for example, say "OK, but why don’t you try it like this?"
Then, when we got to recording the songs, Wayne just set it up perfectly, especially with the way he would record the vocals, or guide me through it all, making me comfortable when I was ill.
And that’s just what I needed. Here we were in his beautiful studio, which is at his house, so it was very relaxed. I almost felt like I could put a pair of old slippers on! [laughs].
RM: That comfortable, relaxed environment must have been as important to you as the recording of the songs.
LJ: Yeah, for sure. Just knowing that no-one was going to walk in, or that no other musician was going to suddenly burst in to do a session, or whatever, was great, because the vibe can change very quickly – and that’s very important to me now; it’s something I haven’t been in control of before.
Working with Wayne, in that environment, was a blessing, as was being in control of the whole album, including designing the artwork, choosing the photographer for the press shots and album cover, and who I wanted to do the videos for the first couple of singles.
Rob Blackham, who has taken photos of just about everybody including Van Morrison and Eric Clapton, has shot me since I was eighteen years old. I’ve also known Helene Michaelides of Cuckoo Films, who did the videos for On My Own and One Life, since I was eighteen.
So, I had all these people around me that I’ve known from a very early age, and have stood by me.
As I said earlier, you know who your real friends are in time of need.
RM: Ain’t that the truth. Indeed, now that you’ve taken stock, and taken back control of your career, you can head on down the highway with those you trust and leave the rest in the rear view mirror.
Sometimes that’s a necessity, or a mantra, for a healthier life.
LJ: That is so true. There's a lot of people I’ve previously worked with, for more than a decade, that the second I couldn't commit to something or had to cancel a gig, because I was ill – and I’ve only ever cancelled about ten shows – saw me as a letdown.
But now that I’ve put myself and my health first, you can see who is real, and who isn’t.
I’ve proudly stuck it to a few people this time, because it honestly felt like I was dying when my illness was at its worst – that’s how bad it was – and if people are still going to disrespect me when I’m that ill, then I’ve got to speak up. And that’s what I’ve done, and through this album.
That all becomes very sterile, as is a lot of the industry now. As you well know, Ross, it’s not what it used to be, where the suits would release the money for a six-figure record deal and trust the artist.
Now, you’d be lucky to get twenty grand; and that would be a big deal at our level.
You’ve also got the social media saturation and Spotify, which doesn’t make the artist any sort of meaningful royalty.
I’m looking at all that while working hard, putting all my heart and soul into it and then looking at the percentage all these different people are taking off of me – and for what?
Half the time you don’t even know where that money is going, and that’s truth of it.
As an example, you might have a particular publisher, who then sets you up with another publisher, who takes a percentage; before you know it there might be four publishers, and a record label, on one of your songs that was co-written by three members of the band, with no piece of the pie left for those songwriters!
Well, unless you manage to get about a million streams on Spotify.
RM: In which case you might just about break even…
LJ: [laughs] Yeah, but in all seriousness, and when we put it like that, it’s never been about the money.
So, if I can’t express myself musically, what is the point? That’s why, after this long illness, I though I’ve just got to go for it.
It’s been challenging at times, but I’m so thankful for all the fans who bought the album, especially the number of pre-orders, most of which came from the UK. That was beautiful to see; I’m really proud of that.
RM: As you should be, because as you mentioned, you’ve worked hard for success.
It's become something of a cliché but as the topic-relevant idiom goes, you have paid your dues to the blues.
LJ: Thank you Ross, I really appreciate that.
RM: This last few minutes of conversation also parallels or reflects other conversations I’ve had over the last few years with so many artists who know full well their talents, and graft, should mean a far bigger return on their efforts, or a bigger piece of that pie you mentioned.
But the harsh reality of the current grass roots/ club scene, certainly for all original touring acts, is that said artists are bottom of the food chain.
So, it becomes not about the money, as you said, but about doing it for the love of it, with songs you believe in, and the feedback and connection made with the fans who support you.
LJ: Definitely. I’ve been in some incredibly lucky situations in the past. I’ve been signed with Sony, who flew me out to the Caribbean for a month’s pre-production before flying me out to Miami to record at the old Sony studios. I’ve had private drivers and been wined and dined, but none of that really impressed me.
It was always about getting the music out there, and getting up on stage to play for the fans.
That part hasn’t changed, I’ve just cut a lot of the bullshit out that you can get caught up in as a kid, and the people who can come in and rip you off, as has happened to me in the past.
My advice to anyone who wants to start out in this industry now, at this level, is get youself a good music lawyer, because trust me, you want someone looking over every word of every contract before you sign it!
Of course there’s no need for any of that now, thankfully, because this album has been released under my own label, Ron Records – so no contracts to sign! [laughs]
RM: The album also sounds great, which comes from working with Wayne Proctor, who mixed and mastered the album and co-produced it with you.
I get the impression, however, he was doing more than just lending an ear to the music.
LJ: He was. Wayne was really understanding with me when we were making this album, because there were days where I just couldn’t commit to the schedule. We would plan to do a ten hour session and I’d have to say "I can only do an hour or two then I’ll need to go home because I’m in so much pain."
There were other days where I’d have flare ups in his studio at his house and couldn’t move for hours.
It was very, very challenging at times; at one point we didn’t think we would be able to complete the album, because we were also against the clock.
But it did all come together, and that was because we decided to do only one or two takes for most of the songs, as I was in so much pain a lot of the time.
Recording like that also made it more real, and I think you can hear that in the music, and the lyrics.
RM: Working with Wayne definitely produced – pun intended – a winning formula. But how did that working relationship come about?
LJ: Well, I first saw Wayne back when I was sixteen and he was playing with Oli Brown. I remember thinking "wow, what a drummer." Then, of course, he went on to play with King King and produced some of their records, which sounded great – that’s the point I got into his producing talents as much as his drumming.
We must have had conversations for about seven or eight years after that saying we really should do something together, but we never did!
But, when I moved to Nottingham, Wayne was just up the road from me, in Ollerton.
When I got ill and decided to do this album, I contacted Wayne and we both said "right, let’s do this."
And I’m so glad we did because we worked really well together, and bounced off each other with ideas.
I’d be rehearsing a song and Wayne would, for example, say "OK, but why don’t you try it like this?"
Then, when we got to recording the songs, Wayne just set it up perfectly, especially with the way he would record the vocals, or guide me through it all, making me comfortable when I was ill.
And that’s just what I needed. Here we were in his beautiful studio, which is at his house, so it was very relaxed. I almost felt like I could put a pair of old slippers on! [laughs].
RM: That comfortable, relaxed environment must have been as important to you as the recording of the songs.
LJ: Yeah, for sure. Just knowing that no-one was going to walk in, or that no other musician was going to suddenly burst in to do a session, or whatever, was great, because the vibe can change very quickly – and that’s very important to me now; it’s something I haven’t been in control of before.
Working with Wayne, in that environment, was a blessing, as was being in control of the whole album, including designing the artwork, choosing the photographer for the press shots and album cover, and who I wanted to do the videos for the first couple of singles.
Rob Blackham, who has taken photos of just about everybody including Van Morrison and Eric Clapton, has shot me since I was eighteen years old. I’ve also known Helene Michaelides of Cuckoo Films, who did the videos for On My Own and One Life, since I was eighteen.
So, I had all these people around me that I’ve known from a very early age, and have stood by me.
As I said earlier, you know who your real friends are in time of need.
RM: Ain’t that the truth. Indeed, now that you’ve taken stock, and taken back control of your career, you can head on down the highway with those you trust and leave the rest in the rear view mirror.
Sometimes that’s a necessity, or a mantra, for a healthier life.
LJ: That is so true. There's a lot of people I’ve previously worked with, for more than a decade, that the second I couldn't commit to something or had to cancel a gig, because I was ill – and I’ve only ever cancelled about ten shows – saw me as a letdown.
But now that I’ve put myself and my health first, you can see who is real, and who isn’t.
I’ve proudly stuck it to a few people this time, because it honestly felt like I was dying when my illness was at its worst – that’s how bad it was – and if people are still going to disrespect me when I’m that ill, then I’ve got to speak up. And that’s what I’ve done, and through this album.
RM: I’d like to close out by mentioning the final track on the album, Beautiful, for two very specific reasons.
First, it instantly reminded me of early era Doobie Brothers, which is never a bad thing.
Secondly, and more personal to you, it’s clearly written for, and to, your fiancé, singer Amy Eftekhari.
LJ: That song is absolutely all about Amy! She has been the one constant in my life.
Amy has picked me up off the floor so many times; she even put her own career on the back burner to support me, and look after me properly, over the last couple of years, particularly on tour, where she protected me through what were some pretty hectic schedules.
If it wasn’t for Amy, I’d definitely have needed an operation by now; I’m one hundred percent certain of that.
RM: Top gal. She’s a one-woman support network – including, now, support in a musical sense, because she will be performing as your special guest on the solo tour.
LJ: I’m so excited about that! I wanted to give back to Amy not only for the reasons I’ve just mentioned, but because we’ve actually spoken about doing something together since we first met ten years ago at my album launch show in Leamington Spa, which was a charity event for Crohn’s and Colitis UK.
Amy got up and sang with me that night in front of around a thousand people, and we’ve been together ever since!
RM: Fantastic. And Amy has her own new set of songs coming out?
LJ: Yes. We’ve not long completed Amy’s new EP, The Moment. I play guitar on it and co-produced it with Wayne. Amy and I will also be doing a duet on the tour plus what I hope will be a beautiful - ha! story at the end, when Amy comes out to sing Beautiful with me.
That was the only song that I didn’t write for this album – I actually wrote Beautiful about five or six years ago, but never put it on any album because I wanted it to have that fast, country-acoustic vibe.
And I love that you feel it also has an early Doobie Brothers vibe, that’s wicked!
RM: Clearly that song was just waiting for the perfect time, and home. It’s also the perfect album sign-off.
Talking of which, thanks so much Laurence for sitting in with FabricationsHQ, and being so open and honest about what you have gone through recently – and, indeed, in the years prior.
Congratulations on the album and have a great tour.
LJ: Thank you so much Ross, this has been real! And thank you for your support over the years, it means a lot.
Ross Muir
Muirsical Conversation With Laurence Jones
January 2026
On My Own is out now. Purchase physical copies of the album (CD & Splatter Vinyl) at: https://www.laurencejonesmusic.com/category/all-products
Full list of On My Own Solo Acoustic Tour dates, and tickets, here: https://www.laurencejonesmusic.com/live
Amy Eftekhari will release her new 4-track EP This Moment on 15th February.
Pre-order: www.amyeftekhari.com
Donate to Crohn’s and Colitis UK here: https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/
Photo Credits: Rob Blackham (all images)
First, it instantly reminded me of early era Doobie Brothers, which is never a bad thing.
Secondly, and more personal to you, it’s clearly written for, and to, your fiancé, singer Amy Eftekhari.
LJ: That song is absolutely all about Amy! She has been the one constant in my life.
Amy has picked me up off the floor so many times; she even put her own career on the back burner to support me, and look after me properly, over the last couple of years, particularly on tour, where she protected me through what were some pretty hectic schedules.
If it wasn’t for Amy, I’d definitely have needed an operation by now; I’m one hundred percent certain of that.
RM: Top gal. She’s a one-woman support network – including, now, support in a musical sense, because she will be performing as your special guest on the solo tour.
LJ: I’m so excited about that! I wanted to give back to Amy not only for the reasons I’ve just mentioned, but because we’ve actually spoken about doing something together since we first met ten years ago at my album launch show in Leamington Spa, which was a charity event for Crohn’s and Colitis UK.
Amy got up and sang with me that night in front of around a thousand people, and we’ve been together ever since!
RM: Fantastic. And Amy has her own new set of songs coming out?
LJ: Yes. We’ve not long completed Amy’s new EP, The Moment. I play guitar on it and co-produced it with Wayne. Amy and I will also be doing a duet on the tour plus what I hope will be a beautiful - ha! story at the end, when Amy comes out to sing Beautiful with me.
That was the only song that I didn’t write for this album – I actually wrote Beautiful about five or six years ago, but never put it on any album because I wanted it to have that fast, country-acoustic vibe.
And I love that you feel it also has an early Doobie Brothers vibe, that’s wicked!
RM: Clearly that song was just waiting for the perfect time, and home. It’s also the perfect album sign-off.
Talking of which, thanks so much Laurence for sitting in with FabricationsHQ, and being so open and honest about what you have gone through recently – and, indeed, in the years prior.
Congratulations on the album and have a great tour.
LJ: Thank you so much Ross, this has been real! And thank you for your support over the years, it means a lot.
Ross Muir
Muirsical Conversation With Laurence Jones
January 2026
On My Own is out now. Purchase physical copies of the album (CD & Splatter Vinyl) at: https://www.laurencejonesmusic.com/category/all-products
Full list of On My Own Solo Acoustic Tour dates, and tickets, here: https://www.laurencejonesmusic.com/live
Amy Eftekhari will release her new 4-track EP This Moment on 15th February.
Pre-order: www.amyeftekhari.com
Donate to Crohn’s and Colitis UK here: https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/
Photo Credits: Rob Blackham (all images)