Jona Byron > voice, guitar, piano, sounds, production
Dale G. Thomas > drums
Edmondo Ammendola > bass
Influences
Bob Dylan >> M Ward >> Leonard Cohen >> Arcade Fire (Funeral) >> Beirut >> Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds >> Nick Drake >> Tom Waits >> The Flaming Lips >> J Walker >> Akron Family >> Sufjan Stevens >> Midlake >> Nick Jaina >> Lou Rhodes >> Billie Holiday >> Will Oldham >> Spain >> Tindersticks >> John Coletrane >> Bob Dylan >> Johnny Cash >> Pixies >> Godspeed You! Black Emperor >> The boats >> Radiohead >> Cure >> The Angels of Light >> Esmerine >> Nirvana >> Frankie Sparo >> A Silver Mount Zion >> Bowie >> Cocteau Twins >> Cat Power >> Beth Gibbons and Portishead >> Francoiz Breut >> Black Heart Procession >> Buckleys >> Low >> Sigur Ros >> Dirty Three >> Grails >> Hungry Ghosts >> etc
Jona Byron is a singer/songwriter/instrumentalist of his own breed and is not easy to pigeonhole. With a voice balancing somewhere between Grant Lee Phillips, Stuart Staples (Tindersticks), Frankie Sparo and even Bill Calllahan at times. Yet there is no mistaking his lyrical aphorism and his approach to music, which is raw and painfully honest. Jona is a clergyman of melancholy and his displacement in the contemporary music scene only makes him all the more appealing.
Byron is mostly in his element with his effects pedals and electric guitar; creating sonic sketches and rhythmic layers as a backdrop to his stories of predominate heartbreak and political turmoil. This is not surprising when he is a founding member (along with fellow friend and musician Nick Conolly 'The Daze') of one of Melbourne's rising instrumental acts; the boats. Jona has released two EPs over the last 5 years (Songs from the Blue Parade and Jona Byron & The Dirty Royals - self titled) and both independent releases received positive reception and praise among punters and music industry folk, including a great response overseas. Iain Fugue's review from Molotov Records (UK) - A&R verdict "Jona Byron will be huge, mark my words! He's a class apart...high quality music, introspective words".
His music and songwriting has been revered by artists such as Conway Savage (The Bad Seeds), Glenn Richards (Augie March). and Matt Walker among others and over the years Jona has toured interstate and played with acts such as Machine Translations, Sime Nugent, Jason Mraz, The Badloves, Adam Said Galore, The Daze, Andrew McCubbin & The Hope Addicts and many more. This mans music commands a compassionate audience; Jona's music often asks people to take a journey with him and singers like Byron often act as a mirror for those emotions we tend to bury. There is an undeniable grace and depth in Jona's music and his voice, every singer needs his own identity and Jona has his. Reviewers and punters often identify with something ethereal, philosophical and heartfelt in his music, sometimes it's like a hopeful requiem. Jona is currently in the process of finishing off his debut album and busy playing in the the boats and his latest project/band with Toni D. Mellow titled 'Glass Mountain' (www.theglassmountain.com).
>> You can find more info by visiting www.jonabyron.com and if you like the music, please leave a message here! love & peace x
Jona also plays in Melbourne Instrumental act The boats, and the band released their debut album titled 'Los Musicos Perdidos' in 2007 and are now making final adjustments with their follow up record, due out in 2009.
REVIEWS
Jona Byron of The Boats is a man who is well versed in how to make an epic of the ordinary. His lengthy songs and lyrically evocative tales swell slowly and captivate what should be a drained audience, but we all listen rapt. The new 'Red Jerusalem' ("Fill my cup with sand / You'll bury my eyes / I won't see you my friend / Turn blood to water") shows a mind keen at work and with the upbeat closing 'All My Days Are Mad' a broad pallet is proven and another talented individual joins the fold of Laterra. - Dec '07 - Andy Hazel (Inpress)
Gives you a kind of Bob Dylan folky feel. Quite dark at times but full of atmosphere, blended together with good melodies and heart-wrenching lyrics. Very deep but cool. Nov '03 - Pat Fagan on the Dirty Royals EP (Elevation Station, Scotland)
Australian, alternative folk meister, Jona Byron has been compared to some of the very greats in music such as Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley and Thom Yorke and on hearing the opening track of this 6 track mini album I could see why, 'Goodbye Blue Monday' opens like a morphing of snippets from the KLF's 'Chill out' and Jeff Buckley's 'Grace' and builds on a dark, melancholic [without being miserable] country vibe.
Stand out track for me is the beautifully understated 'Goodnight to the Moon', a piano and a voice can sometimes be all you need to get the message across. Sounding at times like the Penguin Café Orchestra jamming with Crowded House on Valium. A&R verdict: Jona Byron will be huge, mark my words! He's a class apart…… high quality music, introspective words, significant production head....4.8/5
- '02 Iain Fugue ES A&R Panelist (Molotov Records)
I've known Jona Byron for a couple of years. During this time I've seen him perform shows and heard various demo recordings of his music. As well as being an able and talented songwriter he possesses a unique voice that is not only of a high quality but is also very distinctive. - '02 - Matt Walker (Musician/ARIA Winner)
Pretty songs feature near-spectral male vocals that wind around themselves, forming loops your ears eagerly trace as if they were visibly hanging in the sky. Acoustic strummings tie off all the pretty, floating tips that comprise these songs. - Kali.H (Listen.com/Rolling Stone)
Jona performing solo acoustic song called 'The Courtyard' at The Brunswick Hotel on the 8th March 2008.
Hi Jona! Thanks alot for helping us out at the arthouse. Sorry couldn't catch up with you after that. Awesome music you've got here. Keep us updated on your next gig alrite? We'd love to be there. Cheers!
Hey hey! I’m heading over to your fine city for a lazy late afternoon show with the amazing Hope Diamond and Vince from the Underground Lovers and would dearly love to see ya there! Z x
man i tried 4 a long time to get the photos from the glass mountain site, but failed do you think your beautiful self could tag them to my myspace site? that would help lots and lots. and how is the weather in perth is it a little hotter then here hmm?
Thanks Jona, I'm on a computer where the sound doesn't work, so I can't even hear your tunes which is very frustrating as I've heard such great things about them. Let me know when your next gig is and I'll come have a live listen, which is always better. We are playing at the Brunswick East this Thurs with the Hazelmen if you're free to come along. Cheers, Alicia
Hey bud , sorry i missed you in St Kilda that afternoon, that gig you did on Barkley St. That day went pear shaped for me, long story, so resulting in the Green Mist train running out of track...for me anyway. Hope you are well, When are you heading to Perth?
absolute pleasure! I could listen to them for hours...!! Honestly! And last night, I think maybe I did. So lovely Jona.
Best of luck for this afternoon, I hope it all goes well. And if you chance to see Dale (or play with him!!) give him a few jabs in the ribs from me- its been 8 days now!! Thats tooooooooo long!!
I'm recording a small choir I've assembled for Oceans (#3) on Monday, so have been busy preparing that and another track I'm just setting up.
I've got another song which could use guitar on it......... ;) Not sure if I'm going to include it yet, but if I did, would YOU be interested (again)?
I think I had a dream about Nick Connolly last night... can't remember what happened, I think he was just helping me musically somehow...?! Strange.
Master Byron! So lovely to hear these "new" tracks my friend. I really like Greet the Tigers and Tin Birds... Tin Birds is fucking exquisite! Love the piano! Can't wait to hear more. I always love listening to the live version of "All My Days Are Mad" with Dale's stormy sexy drums... mmmm very nice. You 2 make beautiful music together. xx Claire
