In this interview feature, we get to know the most radicalist up and coming stars on the planet.

This time we speak with London-based singer songwriter Jolé just a few weeks after the release of his self-titled debut album.

Having grown up around a wide variety of music, Jolé brings influence from the likes of Coldplay, Van Morrison and The Beach Boys to tracks such as ‘Picture Perfect’ and ‘Seldom Seen’, both have which have been praised for their tender softness. Our personal favourite single from the debut release, ‘All I Need’, provides warm, thick textures for the enigmatic vocal delivery to sit comfortably above.

We were able to have a chat with Jolé about his latest release, as well as university, Dr Dre and live shows.

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TMR: After releasing three singles before Jolé dropped, which tracks are you most excited for your audience to hear that they haven’t yet heard? Why?

I would say Holding Youth which is the last track. It has something slightly different about it and is also played on piano instead of guitar. It was written and recorded in about 2 hours at the end of a session.

TMR: And which is the tune you’re most proud of?

I really like Between Cracks. It was always a favourite of mine from the start.



TMR: Some of your sound comes from the inspiration of Coldplay, Van Morrison and The Beach Boys from your childhood; has anyone you’ve been listening to recently found a place on that list of influences?

I wrote these songs about 2 years ago now but at the time I was listening to a lot of Sufjan Stevens and Ben Howard so there is definitely some of their influence on the album.

TMR: Having said that, who would be your dream collaborator?

I would love to work with Justin Vernon.

TMR: When did you first get the idea that music might be something you could pursue?

Just after I left university. I studied music and learnt about the different avenues I could go down to make a living from music. I think it all came together about a year after I graduated and it felt like a viable career path for me.

TMR: And what was your first experience actually making music? What did it sound like?

I started a band with my childhood mate when I was about 10. We used to “rap” to Dr Dre instrumentals...



TMR: How did the recording process for this album compare to your earlier experiences?

I really enjoyed putting these songs together because there wasn’t a demo process. All the songs just came from voice notes and then Christoph (the producer) and I just built them up in the studio. It was a really fun and creative way of making an album, just going with your gut on sounds and instrumentation.

TMR: You state that the album stemmed from personal experience. Did you use all of those experiences up writing this album, or do you have more saved up and ready to use in the future?

Oh, I’ve definitely got more saved up. As I said the album was written nearly 2 years ago so lots has happened in that time, plenty more to write about!

TMR: Do you feel that your music needs to have this personal connection, or can you see yourself writing from a completely fictional perspective?

I definitely try to challenge myself when writing lyrics. Some of my favourite songwriters (for example Andy Hull) write from fictional perspectives. It’s something I would really like to try but my music has just always come from a personal place.

TMR: Do you get more of a thrill from the reaction to studio releases or live performance?

They are both really different, but I would say at the moment studio releases.

TMR: Speaking of, do you have any live dates on the cards?

I just played a headline show in London. I am going to be playing a bunch of Sofar Sounds shows around the country over the next couple of months and will hopefully be doing some more shows after summer.



-Dan Peeke