QT interviewt ‘Donell Jones’!

Next up in de lange rij van interviews is Donell Jones! Al jarenlang ondergewaard, naar mijn mening.
Donell staat altijd garant voor solide R&B-albums maar verschijnt nooit hoog in de (album)charts.
Nu zijn album ‘Lost Files’ uit is, kregen we de kans om een paar vragen te stellen. Lees hieronder het interview!

Quality Time:
Let me start with congratulating you being an independant artist right now. Does it feel like a big relief to be set free form all the label-politics?

Donell Jones
I would say it feels beautiful. Knowing the fact that my destiny is in my own hands. Also knowing that I can pretty much write my own ticket. For many years I felt like my record company didn’t support me and now I’m able to pick up where they didn’t.

Quality Time:
Can you tell us the story behind your new album ‘The Lost Files’?
I’ve heard that it contains unreleased tracks throughout your whole career, starting in ‘96!

Donell Jones
Um pretty much that’s what it is. It’s an album comprised of songs that span throughout my career that never got a chance to be heard before. I felt it would be a great opportunity to re familiarize my fans with me before I release my new album which is untitled at this point.

Quality Time:
‘Journey Of A Gemini’ was my favorite R&B album of 2006.
I still can’t believe why this album didn’t receive the attention that I should have gotten. Was this another case of poor promotion of the recordcompany?

Donell Jones
Absolutely. It was a definite case of poor promotion on behalf of the record company. They didn’t support me whatsoever throughout that project. They just kept pushing the project back. To me, I really felt like they sabotaged the project. They didn’t want me on the label anyway. They didn’t know who I was as an artist and they just had so many things on their plate and Donell Jones wasn’t one of them so the best way to get me off was to not support the project. But the album actually did great on it’s own just based off of my fan base, whom I love to death.

Quality Time:
What can you tell us about the new album?
When will it be released? Do you already have a title? How many tracks?
Any featurings?

Donell Jones
The album is not titled yet. I’m looking at March for the release and what you can expect is top to bottom great music. I’ve had a long time to work on it and I’m still working on it as we speak. The only thing I can tell you is just beware. If you’re a couple I don;t want nobody calling me to say I owe some child support. (laughs)

Quality Time:
What’s the difference between The Donell Jones of the first album ‘My Heart’ to The Donell Jones in 2010, musicwise.

Donell Jones
There is a big difference. You know quite naturally when I first came into the game it was really all about synthesizers and stuff like that. Then when I got to my second album that’s when I began to discover and incorporate live instrumentation. So I would say one of the differences between that guy and the guy you’re talking to today would be I’m a combination of it all. I’ve learned so much through the years. Every time I listen to music it’s always a learning experience for me. You’ll definitely here the growth. You will hear some different things as well as things that are reminiscent of things I use to do. That’s my style and I will never change that.

Quality Time:
I’ve read you have 5 daughters! Does any have them have notable musical talents/or musical interest?

Donell Jones
I would say three of them have notable talent and musical interest. But I don’t think that’s something that they would want to do. Well, one of my daughters, Ta-Tiana, she wants to sing. But for me, I would really want them to do something else with their lives other than become musicians just because of what I know it is and what I had to go through. I just think it’s .. well I wouldn’t want them too but ultimately it’s their decision to make.

Quality Time:
(I follow you on Twitter so) I know you have a lot of contacts in the industry.
Is there any scoop you give us of what’s to come?

Donell Jones
To be honest with you I’m one of the artists in the business that really really doesn’t hang out with other artists. It’s not something that I really like to do. I like to keep my thing separate from that. I’m not in the “in crowd” or anything like that so honestly I don’t have any good scoop to give you.

Quality Time:
What’s the last album that you’ve bought (or downloaded!)

Donell Jones
The last album I bought was Mary J. Blige’s “Stronger With Each Tear”.
I’m a huge fan of hers.

Quality Time:
What does Quality Time mean to you?

Donell Jones
Quality time to me means spending time with my family. It means being away from everything else and being able to relax. Just taking your mind and your focus somewhere else outside of what’s happening in the world and what’s happening just period. Meditation is that to me as well.

Quality Time:
A shout out to the Dutch fans and readers of Quality Time Online?

Donell Jones
Yes. I’m looking forward to visiting soon and having some fun while I’m there. I want to thank all of my fans for their continuous support over the years and I will continue to make good music. I just really appreciate people sticking with me. If they want to contact me I can be found online at www.twitter.com/donelljones96
www.facebook.com/donelljones96
or
www.myspace.com/donelljones.