As a child I was toted around as a mascot in my siblings’ bands. They were all a good bit older and wiser than me so they were my greatest influence. I remember my Pa arriving home with LPs of Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and The Weavers. And then the Swingle Singers opened my ears to harmony. This really was the start of the home made music in our house. My eldest brother John was given his first guitar, aged 14, I was 4. It just took off from there. John, Nora and Malcolm used to work on harmonies for hours while I just sat around and listened.
But if you want names of influences, suffice it to say that I can do a passable Joni imitation, although I know it is sacrilege. But really I like listening to anyone who has the temerity to write anything. It is always enlightening. I like to try to write in a variety of styles, but the ballad wins nearly every time. And occasionally I exercise my small repertoire of jazz chords and write something adventurous and quirky.
You are most welcome to my emerging myspace space. Be patient. It will take me a while to develop it - but here’s a start.
I guess anyone who has listened to my songs before will know me as Jo Collins. I recorded, toured and wrote in Ireland for a number of years releasing a solo album with Ainm Music at the end of the last millenium... Watercolours was the title of the album. It is still a great calling card and a few tracks from it will be appearing here soon.
I have had a number of songs covered by major Irish artists. It is a great compliment to receive a request for a song. I appreciate this and thank those artists who have recorded wonderful versions of my songs. In recent times I have been most touched by the recording of My My Juliet by Anthony John Clarke, a fellow song writer and a wonderful musician.
Since moving to Wales I have started to redefine my writing and will be adding new songs as I record them.
My main musical preoccupation at present is writing a new series of songs with a couple of other musicians and writers for the gig on 29th July for Monmouth Festival.
Mankind Walks is a work which explores the relationship between mankind and earth in a positive way, with plenty of love songs and the occasional polemic thrown in. So far Joe Wakeling (clarinet) and I have written 3 or 5 songs, and I am negotiating with other artists.
