Page 35 - ION Indie Magazine SeptOct 2020

Mal Whichelow: How did Cold Jackets get involved with Honey Bee Blues Club?

Adam Johnson: It was actually through Jonny Dean at Cafe #9. Though we would eventually play
acoustic shows there, he initially was concerned we would be too loud for his venue and suggested
we contact the rock and blues man in town, Martin Bedford.

Mark Henne: Yeah, we had booked an acoustic show at Jonny's venue in Sheffield and he
recommended hitting up Martin to do an electric blues gig. We played at the Hallamshire House that
first UK Tour and it was a blast!

MW: Had you contacted Jonny on the off chance while looking for venues to play?

AJ: Yes, when we were booking our first UK tour, we found out about him through our Austin friend’s
band Wild Bill & the Lost Knobs. We were just going through the list of places they had played before
we came over and thought, ‘Let’s send this place a message.’ Ha, ha! Luckily, it led to much more
than we had expected.

MW: Yes, for your style of music, Martin is the best guy you could have got in contact with.
Plus, business-wise, he's the straightest guy you could deal with.

AJ: Absolutely! And I immediately became a fan of his artwork.

MW: Anyway, the new album…I saw that Mark is playing synth on it. Are you veering away
from the blues sound?

AJ: Yes, this album definitely has a different flavor. We had always intended to go that way though.
In the states, Mark and I have worked together for a long time in the roots and blues scene, so with
Cold Jackets, we wanted to branch out. And it has helped to pull us both out of our comfort zones
and become confident as players and writers in this new genre. Our previous album features synth
parts as well, but this time, they’re much more a focal point. I really look forward to exploring this
new soundscape further.

MH: I wouldn’t say we are veering away from blues because it’s what our music is steeped in, but
we are evolving. We had a lot of synth on the last album as well, but it’s more pronounced these
days. We always will play the blues, but it’s fun to stretch out and try some new flavors.

MW: So, this is a permanent move to a different sound then? How would you describe it?

AJ: Yes, I believe this is becoming the foundation for the ‘CJ Sound.’ However, we’re constantly
inspired and working on other various projects. Mark is working on an all-electronic album. I’m
working on another blues album under my name. We both write satire country songs for fun. We’ve
even discussed doing a CJ acoustic-type record, though it may be some time before we get around
to it, so you never know what influences might find their way onto the next CJ release.

MH: I don’t know if any move is permanent with us but having synth and other sounds in the new
record opened us up to U.S. radio for the first time and we’ve gotten some great press. So, for now,
we’ll experiment in that realm while trying to maintain our roots.

MW: I believe that you, Mark, were listening to Psychic TV and The Stranglers, while you,
Adam, were listening to The Only Ones and Iggy Pop while writing the album. Are there any
songs on the album where those influences are apparent?