“One of the finest singer songwriters to emerge in recent years” – Jim Gellatly, John Peel Award Winning DJ
***** “The album was blinding; one of the best I have heard in ages” – Carol Cunningham, Music News Scotland
After packing out the 450 capacity Classic Grand for the album launch, JONO embarked on his first of many UK tours. Local and BBC radio stations eagerly featured him ahead of evening shows – Highlights include: Radio-X Artist, Album, and Single of the Week, reaching #83 on YouTube’s most-watched UK music videos for his second single ‘Stuck in the City’, and winning UK Undiscovered. He is compared to Paolo Nutini and Kelly Jones (Stereophonics) for the rasp in his voice, Jeff Buckley for vibrato and harmonies, and John Mayer for songwriting, guitar style and arrangement.
“Hauntingly beautiful acoustic sounds; the prodigious talent of singer songwriter JONO” – Russell Kane, Q Radio
“JONO’s voice has this texture to it that makes everything seem alright” – Alex Baker, Kerrang! Radio
In 2009 on a skiing holiday, JONO suffered a ferocious accident, shattering his left shoulder, undergoing an emergency operation with no guarantees of being able to play guitar again. But, as fortune would be, six months later having well enough recovered, he went on to perform on bills with artists such as Newton Faulkner, Ben Harper, KT Tunstall, Beth Ditto, Cast, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Macy Gray, Erykah Badu and Jamie Lidell, and made appearances at major music festivals, travelling across the UK, and into France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Malta, and the USA.
“I like that song (JONO's Stuck In The City) a lot! It’s REALLY catchy!” – Alex Zane, TV and Radio Presenter
“JONO holds his own in the company of Jack Johnson and Newton Faulkner” – David Esson, Sunday Express
Following relentless touring, JONO returned to education to broaden his music production while continuing to produce for local bands and artists, he released his follow-up solo album, ‘Culture Is Your Cult’. A treasure trove of stylistically diverse songs, but somehow, an ineffable strand brings the repertoire together. Having made his point with Album#1, JONO opened up Album#2 to collaborations with the incredible talents who he has shared his musical journey with.
“The rasp in JONO’s voice gives Paolo Nutini a run for his money” – Alan Morrison, Sunday Herald
“JONO’s live performance smacked me right between the eyes and ears!” – Jim Symon, Radio Clyde
Evolving his solo act into a live-looping spectacle, JONO continues to tour relentlessly, across the Scottish Highlands and Islands, major cities, abroad, and beyond. He is still producing for a diverse array of artists, unsigned, up-and-coming, established, including a unique and enthralling audio and visual collaboration with the late ‘Godfather of Dub’ himself – Lee “Scratch” Perry. Check out the portfolio on JONO’s production studio website, the Soular Power Suite
ALBUM REVIEWS
The album sounds amazing! Sentimental Anarchist is just packed full of brilliant little pop songs. Stuck in the City is a cracker! Acoustic music never really sounded as good as this. One of the finest singer songwriters to emerge in recent years.
- Jim Gellatly, John Peel Award Winning DJ
If the reputation of the British singer-songwriter has been rendered bland by the likes of James Blunt, Scotland's JONO brings some of the street cred of a soul-soaked busker to his craft. His self-funded debut solo album begins on a positive note, with Stuck In The City's acoustic guitar providing a pavement platform for his songwriting skills, before the fuller funkier band sound of Silver Nails harks back to the British blues-rock singer style of the 1960s. The rasp in JONO's voice gives Paolo Nutini a run for his money.
- Alan Morrsion, The Sunday Herald
Self-recorded, self-played and self-released, JONO's album exudes a brash confidence from start to finish. Subtle it ain't, but Sentimental Anarchist pushes his songs right into your face and keeps them there. He has both the ability and the hooks to sustain such a frontal assault.
- Sam Inglis, Sound on Sound
***** We have chosen Sentimental Anarchist as one of our top four. The album was blinding. One of the best albums I have heard in ages. Thanks to JONO for making it a pleasure doing the top four!
- Carol Cunningham, Music News Scotland
Short in stature but tall in self-belief, Scottish singer-songwriter JONO treads the path well worn by such as Paolo Nutini, Jack Johnson and Newton Faulkner, and can hold his own in that company. It is impressive to note that everything was recorded and produced by JONO in one room of a Glasgow flat.
- David Esson, The Sunday Express
Stuck In The City is brilliant. A real summer time song. I was humming it on the way to work today. A Day Ago is one of my favourites. An incredible song with hints of Prince and U2. Superb. A real stand out. Not Love blew me away. What a track. I was dying to hear JONO have a go at a real love song and this is it. Wow! Everything else I also love! It's a belter of an album!
- Matt Bendoris, The Scottish Sun
