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that were too perfect, and opined that a recording could never really sound like a band when all
the instruments were played by one person. I disagreed and set out to prove it. My concept for
“Clarksdale” was that it should sound spontaneous, like a bunch of musicians sitting around a
living room, relaxing, having a beer, and jamming away. Part of the plan was to not make the album
“too perfect.” It was a challenge, as I am an innate perfectionist. I had to separate myself as
producer and sometimes make choices that favoured feeling over perfection. Technically, I wanted
the album not to sound too modern, but rather a bit more low-fi, like the records I grew up with
in the sixties. I decided to do half covers and half originals. Looking back, I realize how many of
the song lyrics - covers included - are somewhat autobiographical. On my website, I wrote a blog
called “The Making Of Goin’ To Clarksdale,” where I describe each track on the CD in detail.

LL: You decided to make this CD available exclusively through your personal website. Why
did you make that decision and how has that worked out for you?

JW: My parents owned a grocery store back in Blackburn. It was before the days of supermarkets.
Everyone in the neighborhood came to their little corner shop for groceries, and as it turns out,
to their living room - to watch television! Marion and I decided on a do-it-yourself approach to
marketing. She designed my website, took all the photos, and did all the artwork for the CD, so it’s
as much her project as mine; our own little “family business.” Unless you are lucky enough to be
Taylor Swift, there is not a lot of money to be made in CD sales and particularly in streaming. I
like the idea of operating on a smaller scale, but keeping whatever comes in, rather than the lion’s
share going to a billion-dollar corporation.

LL: You have returned to living in the UK, in south western England. What brought you full
circle and how are you liking it?

JW: My mum always said, “When we go back to England, we’re going to live in Cornwall!”
Unfortunately, mum never realized that dream. But Marion -who had been journeying to Cornwall
from Germany since her teens - and I did. We love it here. Because of its geographic location,
Cornwall is not somewhere you pass through to get somewhere else, so whether it’s to live or just
to visit, everyone here really wants to be here. It’s beautiful, mostly rural, with farms, fields, ancient
woodlands, wind-swept moors, breathtaking coastal cliffs overlooking white sandy beaches,
picturesque fishing villages, cozy pubs, nice people, and lots of sheep. I can’t really think of a nicer
place to live.

LL: What can your many fans look forward to coming up for you?
JW: A lot more projects in the future. As a friend once said, I’m too dumb to quit! Without spilling
the beans, in addition to planning more recorded projects, I hope in the near future to get out and
do more live shows, in the U.K. as well as in the U.S. I’ll be keeping everyone posted on Facebook,
and on my website: jonwalmsleymusic.com.

~ © Lawrence Lebo 2024

Lawrence Lebo is an award winning, critically acclaimed Blues recording artist living in
Northeast Ohio, USA. She can be found on the web at www.lawrencelebo.com