Esjay Jones hails from Durban, South Africa - the same town as me - so we've gigged and hung out quite a bit in the past. She went on to front the successful SA pop-rock band Stealing Love Jones before making the big leap to the USA where she pursued and achieved a very impressive songwriting and music production career.

She's collaborated with people like Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Brian 'Head' Welch (Korn), Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction/Red Hot Chill Peppers), Shifty Shellshock (Crazy Town), Alien Ant Farm and Morgan Lander (Kittie). In fact, the collab with Lander led to the creation of the pair's alcohol-free beer phenomenon, KittiePIG (https://kittiepig.com).

And that doesn't tell half the story - how her unique talent, drive and determination has seen her through, taken her places most musicians only aspire to. Hopefully our chat uncovers at least some of that.

Thanks for your time Esjay, it was a real fun one!

Find out more about Esjay Jones: https://www.esjayjones.com/

Listen to We Are PIGS: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0QRmv4wNihLdpSIjRxFFrz?si=DuHBmFh4TyGhefqecBXrpw / https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/we-are-pigs/1545506097

Listen to Stealing Love Jones: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1h5Z07yv6lnDhygWTDmCGE?si=Drbw1WzVSd68xcWyQWUfFQ / https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/stealing-love-jones/280223554

Listen to my music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6EU9T2T2wFtIZGwhYeYkxx?si=CTjGWZFMTheaK7iTCnhOXQ / https://open.spotify.com/artist/5sHBcFmZOnDRoyIcJCtvI9?si=8wG3vDRaSgqhqH-gN3fxVQ

Listen to my music on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/thumbofrule/1560754178 / https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/anova-skyward/971275560

Download Caught In Time and other tracks: https://anovaskyward.bandcamp.com/album/caught-in-time / https://thumbofrule.bandcamp.com/album/bad-hair-in-the-house-of-the-king

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Perez were one of my favourite SA bands, probably one of the top three I listened to - and they were mates and peers, so a very meaningful band to me and musically very unique in the scene. This was important, especially when the scene was generating some like-for-like versions of overseas bands - Perez kept their identity and kept the song as the main focus, with some highly impressive vocal and instrumental chops to boot.

What made them work so well was the tight friendship and musical understanding between the four members - something that becomes difficult to achieve later in life. Check some of this early magic in Tamsyn Curtis' awesome documentary: https://youtu.be/YsrILzwhe0Y?si=wZdCzOesIDt_tQin

Their live shows were transfixing, with all of them exuding magnetism and just knowing how to work a stage, and their best gigs were ones where they would collectively get lost in the music. They did some big things during their short tenure, were played all over national radio and headlined many festivals - which is why so many still love them.

They didn't reach the heights they could have, and have all moved on to other projects, but the music speaks for itself. Go and get it.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4G30SsYmThGzZPCCyDN1bH?si=7mP-9FhyQnyHMtfIscgTPA

https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/perez/1538334873

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This episode sees me talking with singer Kahn Morbee and guitarist Paul Hodgson, some good friends as well as very well known names on the South African scene (and internationally too).

I first toured with the Parlotones in 2002 and we shared many a stage over a couple of years, including one in London. I immediately knew they were absolutely class songwriters and wasn't surprised when their trajectory just kept going up and up.

Even so, they've done some pretty amazing things few SA bands have achieved, and it's been an absolute blast to delve into their past, explore their evolution, learn about triumphs and lower points, and share some pretty funny stories.

Explore the Parlotones and get connected to their socials here: https://theparlotones.co.za/

Parlotones songs featured in this episode:

Colourful

Beautiful

Push Me To The Floor

Here Comes A Man

Giant Mistake

Ashton Nyte - 'Rivers Run Back'

Boo - 'Lucki'

Neon Choir - 'Young Blood'

Anova Skyward - 'Caught in Time'

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