So there you are, living in Glasgow, Scotland, with a safe and sedentary graphic design job, all set to inherit the family business, and you give it all up to become an independent singer/songwriter. Some people would think that was reckless, but unsigned acoustic musician Jono is no somnambulist. He has done just that, and is striving to make his dream work.

Jono started early. At 13 he had already started recording his songs on his Dad’s 4-track cassette recorder.  “I can remember the first full song I wrote, and I have it tucked away somewhere on an old cassette tape. It was called "You Drive Me Insane", he says. It was a made up love song about a fictional character that I wrote when I was 13.”

His Dad had been in rock-n-roll bands and mother in theatre, so he grew up with a love of music. “We always watched 'top of the pops' together when I was a kid,” he said. “My mum adored John Lennon and the Beatles, while my dad loved Elvis, The Eagles and The Doobie Brothers. My dad met Elvis in Paris. He sat beside him at a concert and he has the photographic evidence to prove it. ha!”

There is an eclectic mix of influences shaping his style with the sounds of The Police, Bob Marley, Guns n Roses, Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against the Machine, Underworld, Daft Punk and Basement Jaxx to name but few. When he reached his 20s, Jono realised that this was his life and walked away from security, putting everything he owned into funding and producing his own debut solo album.

I asked him what made him give up a safe family job in graphic design to pursue a career in music. He answered, “My grandfather had started the business and my dad was the next chairman. I saw my life mapped out in front of me, following in my fathers footsteps as he had done. Even though it seemed secure, it also seemed predictable and quite frankly, depressing. It was out of necessity that I had to leave to devote my life to music.”

With his distinctive voice and acoustic guitar style, Jono has been compared to John Mayer, Kelly Jones (Stereophonics) and Jeff Buckley. He writes and sings all his own material and plays all the instrumentals, produced, recorded, mixed and mastered personally in his Glasgow flat. He has also gigged in bands and is producing for local, signed and charting artists.

The internet plays an integral role in promoting his sound. “It's pretty important for staying in touch with people and connecting with new people. Although word of mouth seems to be the most powerful medium of promotion for me at the moment, the opportunities available online are not far behind. I have mailing lists and websites where I can keep people up to date with what is happening in Jono-land, and I often send them material that will never be available on disc or download.”

Following the release of his first single “Silver Nails,” Jono was voted artist of the week on XFM’s Music: Response show, featured in the Scottish Sun and gave his first interview as a solo artist on BBC Radio’s, WM Drivetime.

In June 2008, Jono launched his album Sentimental Anarchist with a full band, packing out the 450 capacity Classic Grand. He then embarked on a UK acoustic tour in his estate vehicle-come-bed.

I asked him if he still loves his car, or if he loathes it now: “No I still love my car. It's solid and reliable after all these years, touch wood. It's my number two baby (after my guitars). Jono doesn’t have a roady, as I found out, he travels light, but he does attract groupies. “Ummm... I have had a few groupies. When I say "had" it doesn't necessarily mean that anything happened! One incident quite recently which was an awkward one, was a lady sexy dancing against me while singing one of my songs back to me accapella... then leaning in for the kiss, which I didn't engage in. All this in front of her fiance!”

Having recovered form a serious skiing accident at the start of the year, Jono is now back playing guitar and gigging better than ever. “About two and a half months after the accident I had regained enough movement in my left arm to be able to play my smaller guitars again. At first it was quite difficult and frustrating, as movement was still painful and my fingers had lost a lot of their strength. Once I got past that stage, I just started feeling really happy and grateful to still be alive and able to make music. I still do.”

Jono is organising tours for 2009/2010 while writing and performing new songs that will be on the next album.

Wacth and listen to “Stuck In The City” by Jono, download the video here.

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