Following the release of his latest single “Little Space” we caught up with singer-songwriter Coruja Jones to discuss the single and upcoming plans.
- “Little Space” is such a deeply emotional and personal song, touching on themes of love, loss, and grief. Can you share what inspired you to write this song, and what that creative process was like for you?
When I explore quite personal themes such as the one in Little Space, I like to inject some hope and lightness, because even in dark personal times, there is always some light there…somewhere. With this particular track, I knew it had to be simple and lullaby-like. I was thinking about the losses I’ve had of those I never got to meet, and though I never got to love them, there was a small space somewhere in my heart for them to exist in some way. The words formed as I was finger picking my guitar simply, and I play it in drop D for guitar nerds out there, which added a bit of a clashy, dark undertone too (which I love to do musically as well for the darker songs) when I change over to the B section. I didn’t want it to be too pretty, because none of this stuff is pretty to deal with. I then took it to Jake, my guitarist and musical writing partner, and he came up with this beautiful counter melody, which he did for all these tracks actually, and formed a solid foundation to build on top.
- The song explores the concept of unrequited love for someone you never had the chance to meet, particularly relating to the loss of a pregnancy. How did you channel such a profound experience into music, and what do you hope listeners take away from this song?
For me, when the song came out of my head, part of me did think that this was one of those songs that would remain as a demo, but with encouragement (especially from my partner), I decided that it was an important thing to talk about, especially as a man, about this life experience, which is a lot more common than you think, but never gets spoken about. I think songs are a very delicate way of broaching some subject matter. I was also thinking about the concept of unrequited love, and that it can also cross over to people you would have got to know and love had they not passed away before you met them. I hope people take away from it that they aren’t alone in the world with this, when it can feel like it at the time.
- Little Space” is the lead single from your forthcoming EP “Undo”, which delves into the healing process. Can you share more about the themes explored in this EP and how the concept of healing influenced the tracks?
My first record explored fresh grief and big feelings along with losing someone who was such a huge part of my life. This is very much a brother to that first record, in the sense it’s a different stage, where you can achieve some kind of peace, and really heal or even be open to it. Healing of the mind is an ever evolving journey and I focused a lot of my energy into it and the songs all came together with this link. My musical writing partner Jake Stentiford was a big inspiration in that respect and our writing sessions always feel awash with calmness and feeling really connected to music and why we do it.
The title Undo really encapsulates it all really, I wanted to dig into why and how we heal, and that urge to try and heal other’s hardships as well as our own, and our obsession with trying to take away pain, and should we just embrace it for what it is and sit with it for a while? I don’t have the answer by the way…
- Your music has been praised for its dreamy, melancholic indie-folk sound. What draws you to create such emotionally resonant and melancholic music, and how do you balance sorrow with hope in your songs?
The short answer is that it just comes out like that. But I guess I’ve always been into that type of music, the whole spectrum of it, and it’s vast. I love acoustic music, and woody sounding instruments, but I also love electronic music and huge textures and sometimes the chaos and unpredictability of it all. The instrument I write on really influences this, and this record is very acoustic guitar based.
I think the balance is there musically, it can sound quite light with what I’m playing, and the chord choices I make, but I also love brief clashes and darkness musically, which then goes back to more hopeful sounding. As well I like to give the words time to breathe, and figure out the placement in my voice. I spend ages finding the right key for it to sit how I want it to be delivered, whether lower and more conversational, or high and soaring. It’s how you say the thing for me.
- “Undo” is set to explore both personal self-betterment and the hardships of others. How has your own journey of growth and healing shaped the narrative of this EP, and how do you incorporate those themes into your songwriting?
These songs really are glimpses and capturing moments in time over that period of my personal healing after loss (two big losses in particular), also I think admitting I’m not that great at it yet. In a way, getting to sing about it a lot, is a form of practicing that. I picked these tracks as I feel like they explore quite common difficulties we all face or will face at one point or another. The song’s meanings also change over time for me, it’s like a future version of myself is sending this cryptic stuff to me, then I find the lightswitch, as mental as that sounds…
- You’re originally from Dudley in the West Midlands, but now based in Manchester. How has your move to Manchester influenced your music, and has the city’s musical landscape shaped your sound in any way?
Like everywhere, it’s not the bricks and mortar, it’s the people you meet. I’ve met so many incredible humans up here and the particular musical community I’m part of is just a constant force of inspiration. I’m still meeting incredible people, the music scene up here is so rich and there are so many people making things happen despite a really challenging and difficult musical climate in the UK right now. There are a small core of people that have shaped my sound, and it’s because I feel very safe with them exploring some of the subject matter, and them trusting me. I’ll also always be a Yam-yam at heart (that will only mean something to the Midlands folk)
- You’ve been praised for crafting songs that are both intricate and emotionally resonant. What is your songwriting process like? Do you start with personal experiences or musical ideas first, and how do you blend both into your work?
I can’t help being honest. One of the tracks I remind myself of that (called Honesty Honestly), and how important that is to connect with people. Usually for me the words or a concept comes first then I grab a guitar and it all seems to fall into place. The whole song doesn’t usually appear, that usually happens after the initial burst of inspiration. Though on this record one of the tracks my guitarist Jake sent over a beautiful guitar part and I wrote completely to that. I’ve discovered I love doing that and collaboration, which is new for me because I’m a little bit of a lone wolf, but that is changing..
- Given the personal nature of “Little Space,” how has the reception been from listeners? Have fans shared their own stories of connection with the song, and how does that feedback impact you as an artist?
I was in two minds about sharing the full story behind the song, and again with encouragement from my partner, and also testing how honest to be when I speak about it live, the reception has been remarkable. In particular at live shows. I had someone recently who was quite emotional and hugging me, and I also priase that people feel like they can share with me. I must admit at times it can be a little overwhelming and sometimes I say “why do I do this to myself”, but ultimately if I’ve created a safe space and someone shares with me, or it’s helped someone and it’s just in their mind, that’s amazing and success to me.
- In what ways do you feel your sound has evolved from previous releases to the songs on “Undo”? Are there new musical elements or influences we can expect in this upcoming EP?
Sam Vicary who produced the record was a huge influence on the sound (he’s also the MD of The Cinematic Orchestra and his wonderful project Hunrosa). I came to him with basically two dancing acoustic finger picked guitars (mostly) and wanted to inject some electronic elements, as well as some double bass and drums. He’s big into binaural soundscapes and how sound can have influence on the brain, so it was a match made in heaven really. Sam really mastered the balance between that organic acoustic vibe, with really tasteful and textural electronic elements. The last record featured piano quite heavily, and from touring the last record and these songs with a duo guitar setup, this sound evolved from those live shows. The link really as well from this to my last one (as well as my guitar style) is Adam Dawson on the drums, I’ve known Adam for nearly half my life and he’s the most incredible player (he drums more famously for BC Camplight). He plays exactly the right things for the tracks he’s on.
- With “Undo” on the horizon, what are your hopes for the future of your music? Are there any dream collaborations or new directions you’d like to explore as you continue to evolve as an artist?
I actually think I might strip things back even more and produce a full album that way (think early Bon Iver). I’ve also been listening to a lot of Novo Amor and Olafur Arnalds, so I might ramp up the textural elements. It also all depends on who I work with producing it. Though…I recently got a telecaster so I could go full Shoegaze. Can you tell I have no clue yet? Collaborations? If Leslie Feist emailed I would probably pass away on the spot.
I also have a little girl, she’s 2 now and she’s already had an influence in the newer songs I’ve been writing, it’s actually quite refreshing.
- What message would you like to send to your fans and listeners as they anticipate the release of your EP “Undo”? How would you like them to connect with your new music?
I think that’s up to them how they connect to it, but maybe buying a nice vinyl?! But seriously if anyone can heal in any way by listening to my music then job done. I’m grateful to anyone letting these songs into their ears and supporting me to carry on making music.
