Olive Jones – For Mary
Olive Jones shares her debut album For Mary on Nettwerk.
For Mary is an impressive statement from a legitimate rising star that is sure to cement her status as an exemplary and essential new artist.
Olive Jones is going from strength to strength and will be heading out on her European headline tour starting April 7th and performing two special acoustic in-stores with signings and Q&As for fans in Bristol (March 16th) and Rough Trade East in London (March 17th.)
Olive explains; “I’ve received so many beautiful messages from people all over the world telling me how certain songs have helped them through dark times, through heartbreak and for others, soundtracked joyful moments in their lives. Music is a universal language that transcends boundaries and cuts to the core of our instinctive human desire to connect and communicate.
“Songs provide a framework for listeners to attach meaning, to seek comfort and to create sonic memories. So this, my debut album is an offering, dedicated to Mary – to everyone and anyone seeking solace in music.”
Singer-songwriter Olive Jones has a unique way of making us feel heard through her music. With her gorgeous soul and blues-influenced sound and stunning voice, Olive draws you into her world, as though she’s singing for you and you alone. Her debut album encapsulates this into one cohesive work, placing her at the forefront of a British soul renaissance.
“Your first album is like a tapestry of yourself,” Olive adds. “I’ve been writing songs for so long, and each of these tracks has its own story and a moment in my life, so the record is a quilt made from all those patches.”
Titular track “Mary”, inspired by her longing to protect a loved one from their struggles with poor mental health.
The title character is fictional, inspired by a number of people in Jones’s life who have been impacted, in myriad ways, by mental health issues. “A lot of people close to me were affected, and I also grew up in an era where it wasn’t really spoken about,” she says. “I think it’s changed a lot since, but the song felt to me like an opportunity to explore that feeling of wanting to be there for someone, and the helplessness of perhaps realising that you can’t.”
Jones skilfully turns her pen to complex subjects with poetic flair, weaving in wonderful turns of phrase that she sings in a sweet, honeyed lilt. Her remarkable musicality harks back to Jones’s childhood by the coast in Dorset. “It was idyllic but there was no music scene,” she recalls with a laugh. Fortunately, her parents had “really good taste” in music, and she was fed a steady diet of jazz and soul from a young age. “There was a lot of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Miles Davis…” she says. “I remember being really moved by Davis’s work “Blue in Green” from his iconic album “Kind of Blue”, listening to the harmonies and the expressive nature of it.”
For Mary is a remarkable debut, testament to Olive’s maturity and confidence as an artist. Together with emerging producer James Wyatt (George Ezra, Ellie Goulding, Lianne La Havas), and by incorporating classic influences with timeless or otherwise timely themes, Olive has created a record that will resonate with listeners for years to come.
UK & European live dates:
March 16 – Bristol, Rough Trade – Acoustic in store / signing and Q&A
March 17 – London, Rough Trade East – Acoustic in store, signing and Q&A
April 7 – Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge
April 8 – Leeds, Brudenell
April 9 – Glasgow, Poetry Club
April 10 – Manchester, Deaf Institute
April 13 – Amsterdam, Bitterzoet – upgraded
April 14 – Berlin, PrivatClub
April 16 – Antwerp, Trix
April 17 – Paris, La Boule Noire
April 22 – Bristol, Louisiana – sold out
April 23 – London, EartH
April 24 – Brighton, A L P H A B E T – sold out
April 25 – Poole, The Nave at St Peter’s
July 4 – East Sussex, Love Supreme Jazz Festival
July 12 – Birmingham, Mostly Jazz Festival
August 21 – Dorset, We Out Here Festival
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