When you turn on the radio, it’s more than likely you’ll hear a tune that’s been produced by the hitmaker Jax Jones. Each year he continues to push the boundaries as a producer and provides songs for the dancefloor in the UK and further afield. Jax has had over eight songs in the UK Top 10, including ‘Where Did You Go’, the second biggest song on UK radio from 2022, amassing nearly half a billion streams globally.
The artist is giving no signs of slowing down, with three releases under his belt this year, the latest being ‘Need You Now’ which is co-produced by D.O.D.
When he’s not in the studio, Jax is running the WUGD music label, bringing up the next generation of music artists. Notably with Hannah Laing who has had an enormous year, and upcoming acts like Remedy Club.
Clash caught up with Jax Jones to see what keeps inspiring him to keep going.
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The past year or so has been pretty crazy it seems.
Yeah man, juggling it all and we’ve managed to raise a little five-month old. So, I’m trying my best. Usually, when I come off the road, I’m able to just chill back for a second and just catch a breath. But yeah, I ain’t got none of that at the moment, but it’s a real blessing.
Literally, someone just asked me how I stay humble. I was like, bro, having a little human screaming at you and you are half asleep keeps you humble.
The releases this year definitely have a nostalgic feel, starting with the hit ‘Whistle’. Is that something you’re tapping into at the moment?
Yeah, it’s a mixture of two things. I was really inspired by what Patrick Topping was doing at Trick. I like to look at what’s happening in underground culture and use that as a litmus test. Like, what elements can we bring into what I’m doing? It always had this nostalgic tinge to it, and a happy feeling that worked in the club. So combined with the pandemic and having children at that time, I was enjoying more fun music from the nineties.
It started coming out in my music. The great thing about that era of Euro-dance, it worked really well in a DJ set as well as it did on the radio. I’ve been finding it really inspiring, hence tracks like ‘Where Did You Go’ and ‘Whistle’. It’s a way to serve my own indulgences as a music fan, to make things that I like and mash things together according to my influences.
Your track ‘Me And My Guitar’ came out last month. It’s quite a personal song as well. Was it a case of you looking back at how your career started?
That’s exactly it. It’s like I’ve been wanting to push myself creatively and keep showing new parts of myself. ‘Me and My Guitar’ is probably the most courageous record that I’ve done because it’s the most personal and it’s the first time I’m singing on the track.
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How did it feel to lay down some vocals for this track?
I’ve been singing since I was a kid and I sing in the studio to write songs with people. But yeah, this is the first time I’ve recorded and released something, I think the last time I sang live was with Tinchy Stryder around 2010. Tinchy was doing MTV Unplugged and I was doing guitar for him.
Mel from the Sugababes was supposed to be covering a Black Eyes Peas song but didn’t turn up for whatever reason. Tinchy asked me to step in and I just sang it whilst playing the guitar, that was the last time I sang. I’m very fortunate that I can have these desires and dreams like this and then be able to put them into art.
It seems like when you were young starting out there was a lot of sacrifice and motivation when it was just you and your guitar.
If you follow the track of most successful people, there are usually some defining moments in their upbringing. Perhaps where they felt some sort of stress that they then have to convert into being an achiever. There were loads of things that were bittersweet, whether it’s musical influences that came via people that perhaps weren’t the best. But it kind of makes you who you are as though
You also have a new release out with D.O.D, what can you tell us about ‘Need You Now’?
D.O.D is super talented. We are very similar in a sense, we just love music and we have our families and we’re just grafting. He’s had such an amazing run recently even with ‘So Much In Love’, which is inspiring to see. So for me, working with him has been an absolute pleasure.
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With ‘Need You Now’, it’s got, it’s a bit more of like a club banger compared to your previous tracks.
The track is so euphoric, I’ve been playing it out and it’s really been connecting with the crowd. It’s just such a simple song, but it goes down so well. I’m super excited to be doing stuff with him. And we’ve got other releases to come in the future. So it’s the first of many.
Also, your label WUGD has been really seeing good results this year.
It’s been crazy, we have a really amazing roster of exciting artists. This year was great for Hannah Laing, who’s just come on the block and has her first Top Five track already with ‘Good Love’. She just sold out a 6,000-capacity venue in Liverpool in 21 seconds. It’s mental. She was previously a dental nurse and this year she didn’t renew her dental license. I just loved that for her. She’s in good hands with us.
We also have Remedy Club, whose work rate is just prolific. He’s sending me music every day and just released ‘You Know That’. We’re very artist-centric and because I’m an artist we kind of view it from that lens of making sure people could do what they want to do and flourish within that.
It must be nice being able just to build up other artists now and give them that lift as well
It’s inspiring for me, man. When you see the joy it brings them, and I get to see other subcultures. Like now, I’m playing hard house in my sets, and I’m doing tracks with D.O.D which has elements of donk in there. I wouldn’t get exposed to this if it wasn’t for other people working with me now.
That’s super exciting for me, man. Because the further up you get sometimes, people expect a certain thing from you. So that’s what you play. You don’t get exposed to as much anymore, like on a true level as well. Being shared music, by the people that are around you is still the best feeling.
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Words: Joe Hale // @joesquestions
