An email interview with Jonathan Jones, lead singer, songwriter, and guitar player in We Shot the Moon.
Your sophomore record, A Silver Lining, was just released this month. Personally, I was surprised by all the rocking guitars on it. What led you in that direction?
We decided that it’s neat seeing people moving around at our shows. On this record I tried to write songs that were more geared to audience interaction at the shows. I kind of got bored sitting at the piano the whole time. 🙂 Last year I listened to The Killers a lot and Jimmy Eat World so I am sure that had some sort of impact on me.
As the headlining tour in support of the new record comes to a close, how do you think fans are responding to the new material? How do you like playing it live?
Our fans response has been really positive. People have come to the shows already knowing some of our new songs and the vibe of our show has improved. Playing our new songs live has been great and re-energizing to us as a band.
The album was released just a few months after you signed with Afternoon Records. How did you get hooked up with them and what does the situation look like for you right now?
Ian (the owner) saw our band play at Chain Reaction and approached us a month later when he found out our deal with Militia Group was done leaving us free agents in the music industry world. Being a part of Afternoon Records has been a really positive experience thus far. They have really put some muscle behind our band and they’re extremely dedicated in exposing our band to a mass amount of people.
I’m sure this is something that can be annoying to deal with, but as someone who made a name for himself in one band and then started another band with a similar sound, how do you distinguish between the two projects? What is your response to some people’s perception that We Shot the Moon is just a continuation of Waking Ashland under a new name?
Waking Ashland is definitely a major part of my past so it’s something I don’t mind talking about since it made me who I am today. I wrote all the songs in Waking Ashland and I write all the songs in WSTM so naturally there are going to be some similarities. Waking Ashland broke up prematurely for me so to say WSTM is a continuation of WA may not be that far off in a sense. On the other hand WSTM is a completely new band with all new members. Our live show is a completely different vibe and the style in my opinion is a bit different. It is of no concern to me how people view this band. As long as people keep coming out to our shows and listening to our music I will be completely satisfied.
Where does the Jonathan Jones solo material found on MySpace now fit into all this? Can we ever expect to find these wonderful tunes on an album release?
My solo songs are just songs that won’t fit anywhere in what WSTM is trying to accomplish sonically. It was really fun recording a solo record. The style was so drastically different from WSTM. I believe people will have the chance to purchase my solo record sometime early in the new year. Thanks for asking!
What role does faith play in We Shot the Moon?
I feel faith is a very personal thing so I don’t feel at liberty to speak for the other band members. I grew up in the Methodist Church. My faith definitely plays a part in my songwriting. Experiencing faith and living out your faith is something I write about on regular basis. The word “Christian” has so many different meanings to people that I am usually hesitant to use it since I never know what definition may come back. So I will just say that I enjoy Jesus’ teachings and try to follow them.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences and what else, besides music, inspires you creatively?
Switchfoot, U2, The Killers, and Jimmy Eat World are all bands that are very inspiring to me. Taking early morning walks and surfing are other things that help inspire me. My mom is always a constant source of inspiration to me.
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Anything else you want to comment on? Any points you want to drive home to our readers?
My band just got into an almost life ending van crash. Go tell all your friends how much they mean to you. Life is such a gift.
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