Jaime's Tone delves into the inspiration behind their new single "War," exploring the shift to a heavier sound and addressing real-world conflicts. Discover the band's evolving style and upcoming album.
1.
Congratulations on the release of your new single, "War"! Can you
tell us about the inspiration behind this song and how it fits into the broader
theme of your upcoming 3rd album?
“War” is
the 2nd single extracted from the upcoming album from Jaime’s Tone. It is a
heavy-oriented song, both from the standpoint of music genre, as well as from
the lyrics point of view. “War” was written down before the current events in
the Middle East. It refers mostly to the conflict in Ukraine, but talks more
generally of how it feels to try and live in a time of war. A striking lyric
video accompanies the release of the single.
As usual
with Jaime’s Tone, there are various types of songs in the upcoming album. The
1st single, “Take a Chance”, was more pop-rock oriented; the new
one, “War”, has been described by some listeners as being closer to progressive
metal -some even mention a punk influence! The band Rush is often cited as a
reference.
The album
includes various themes. I always like to reflect not only on what is going on
in the world, but also how people may feel in front of a particular situation.
This may lead to lyrics describing a context close to reality, or completely
imaginary. I always try to convey feelings.
2. Your
previous single, "Take a Chance," received rave reviews for its
pop-rock orientation. "War" takes a heavier direction. How important
is genre versatility for Jaime’s Tone, and what prompted this shift in musical
style?
As
mentioned above, all my albums have songs that are different from one another.
There are softer songs, heavier songs, slower songs, faster songs… This
represents the versatility of the music I compose and play. Still, there is
always this kind of 80’s vibe and keyboard orientation that is the trademark of
Jaime’s Tone!
3. The
lyrics of "War" touch on the conflict in Ukraine and the broader
experience of living in times of war. How do current events and real-world
situations influence your songwriting, and what message do you hope to convey
with this track?
I came up
with the lyrics for “War” because I follow the world events and I am scared
somewhat of the path we seem to be going into. The conflict in Ukraine has
really resonated as a striking example of that evolution. There are also other
conflicts that are more forgotten in the media. I wanted to try and make the
listener perceive how a person could feel when this happens.
4.
Working with mixing and mastering engineer Etienne Pelosoff, known for his expertise
in electro-rock, must have been an interesting collaboration. How did this
partnership enhance the sonic quality of "War," and what was the
creative process like in the studio?
Etienne has
really helped me improve the overall quality of the sound for the two singles,
and he is currently working on the other songs of the 3rd album. I
was a little bit disappointed by the sound I was getting from the previous
albums, I thought that my songs could sound better somewhat. Besides working on
the sound, Etienne also comes up with some ideas to enhance a song, but he is
respectful of the overall song and the type of sound I wish to have. We always
discuss a lot about each song, and I must say that I have been really happy
about the two singles. I am sure he will do a great job for the other songs as
well.
5. Your
upcoming 3rd album is set to be released in March 2024. Can you provide a
glimpse into what listeners can expect in terms of sound, themes, and any
notable collaborations?
The 3rd
album contains shorter songs than the previous ones, as an attempt to be more
straightforward and to the point. It contains both softer and harder sounds.
Once again, Liliia Kysil is providing background vocals on a couple of songs.
She adds so much with her voice!
6.
Jaime's Tone's unique sound is often described as a blend of pop, rock, hard
rock, and progressive rock. How do you navigate these diverse influences to
create a cohesive musical identity for the band?
I just go
on with musical ideas and then find lyrics to accompany the music. I am not
attempting specifically to follow a specific musical path, but, eventually,
when the songs take form, especially during the arrangement and production
part, this “cohesive musical identity” is there and is heard by the listeners
when the songs are released. Still, “Take a Chance” and “War” are two examples
of how far one song can be from another one, while still keeping the Jaime’s
Tone’s trademark.
7.
"Futuristic Apocalypse" and "Alone in the City of Dreams" showcased
different facets of Jaime’s Tone. How has the band evolved musically and
thematically since your earlier releases?
I am
learning and evolving from one album to the next. I am listening to the
feedback I get from the audience, and I can feel I have evolved positively in
terms of the way I compose songs, and the way I arrange and produce. For the 3rd
album, I really wanted to obtain better-sounding songs, hence the collaboration
with Etienne Pelosoff.
8. Your
second album, "Alone in the City of Dreams," included singles like
"Speedy Lightning" and "Alone." How do these tracks
contribute to the overall narrative of the album, and do they share thematic
elements with "War"?
As
mentioned above, I am always trying to describe feelings that people may have
in front of a given situation or context. “Speedy Lightning” describes someone
who wants to be first, whatever the cost. The song is about a race, but it
could be translated into any other context. “Alone” is about people willing to
meet someone, and tries to describe how frustrating this process may be. So,
although each situation is different, and “War” is still in another context, I
am always trying to describe people’s feelings.
9.
Having covered Kansas' "Chasing Shadows" in your debut album, how
does paying homage to iconic bands influence your approach to music, and can we
expect any more covers in the future?
I have had
the idea of doing a cover of “Chasing Shadows” for a long time. I love this
song, and I thought I could play it with a different arrangement, and make it
shine in a different way than the original release by Kansas. The collaboration
with Eric Gillette from TEMIC and NMB made this experience even better. He is a
fantastic singer, in addition to being an exceptional guitar player and
multi-instrumentalist.
There are
many songs I love, but I love them the way they are, and I do not see the point
in trying to do the same. I do covers only if I feel that I can play the song
in a different way. I think I could work for example on an instrumental song
from Toto, called “Child’s Anthem”, from their very first album. I have some
ideas to modernize the song.
10. As a
band at the crossroads of various genres, how do you see the music industry
evolving, and where do you believe Jaime’s Tone fits into this evolving
landscape?
Well, that
is an excellent question. It is not so easy for Jaime’s Tone to fit into only
one genre. The word that comes the most when people listen to the songs are
“80’s vibes”, but this is not a genre! The versatility may make people think of
progressive rock; some songs are more pop-rock, others closer to hard rock. Jaime’s
Tone shall continue to make its way and find the right audience, or rather
audiences.
The
streaming platforms have revolutionized the music industry. When you are not a
known band already, it may be much more challenging to emerge among the
hundreds of thousands of other artists, some good, some not as good, and find
an audience. On the other hand, it has never been so easy to release singles
and albums for artists. I think it will still evolve, let’s see where we go
from the current situation.
11.
Jaime’s Tone has a significant online presence, including platforms like
Spotify and YouTube. How do you leverage these digital platforms to connect
with your audience, and what role does social media play in the band's journey?
Social
media certainly takes a lot of time and effort. Our audience has been growing
slowly but steadily since 2020. I am still convinced that it is possible to
attract listeners by putting together good music. But here we are again, like
with streaming platforms, faced with enormous competition. And people looking
at social media are not necessarily looking for music. So, the key is to find
the right audience and have targeted messages. I also try more and more to
explain the “behind the scenes” of the songs.
12. The
release of your 3rd album is a significant milestone. What goals or aspirations
do you have for Jaime’s Tone in the long term, and how do you measure success
as a band?
If people
listen to Jaime’s Tone, and if they are happy about what they hear, then this
is a success for me. I also believe that each album should sound better than
the previous one. The collaboration with Etienne Pelosoff is a milestone for me
for the 3rd album. Let’s see how I can improve once again with the 4th
album, then the next, and so on. I also wish that more and more people have the
opportunity to listen to my songs.
13. If
you could collaborate with any artist or band, living or dead, who would it be
and why?
As I
already mentioned, the collaboration with Eric Gillette in “Chasing Shadows”
from my 1st album was really great. For me, such a collaboration
really depends on the song I would like to perform, and I thought that his
voice was great for the particular song.
In more
general terms, I would be very open to collaborate on composing songs with
artists that are different in terms of style from what I do. I think that such
a collaboration could expand my musical horizons as well as his or hers.
I would
also very much love to compose a single, or why not, an album, for a singer.
14.
Beyond music, Jaime’s Tone has an email contact and an official website. How
important is direct communication with your audience, and what can fans expect
when they reach out to you?
The web
site and the email address are a must today. I am really open to communicating
with the fans, but I must say that they are rather using social media than
email these days.
15. The
album release is still a few months away. Are there any pre-release rituals or
preparations that the band goes through as you build anticipation for the new
album?
Well,
actually, I am already working on songs for the next albums, while Etienne
Pelosoff is doing the core of the work on mixing and mastering. I have built a
process for each new album, and I am trying to improve the process each and
every time. As an independent artist, one needs not only to compose, play,
produce, but also promote the singles and the albums. This takes a lot of
effort and energy -but this is the condition for success!
16.
Lastly, with the diverse musical influences and themes in your music, what do you
hope listeners take away from the experience of listening to Jaime’s Tone, and
what message do you want to leave with your growing fanbase?
I want
listeners to enjoy the music, and I hope some of the lyrics make them feel like
they connect to the story that is told. Obviously, “War” is very close to
reality, and I hope to make listeners better comprehend the context. Others are
more imaginary, like “City of Dreams”, or closer to feelings, like “Alone”,
which described the challenge of being alone.
Jaime's Tone (@jaimes_tone) • Instagram photos and videos
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