Music
Press
"Jono's a chap out of Scotland and this guy, when he sings, he's one of these people that makes everything seem alright. You know, quite melancholy lyrics it seems in a way, but his voice has this texture to it that makes you kind of go 'ahhhhh'. A really talented singer songwriter" - Alex Baker - Kerrang! Radio - Kerrang! Radio
"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 - BBC Radio Scotland
"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... a new singing sensation!" - Matt Bendoris, The Scottish Sun - The Sun
"We have chosen Sentimental Anarchist as one of our top 4. The album was blinding. One of the best albums I've heard in ages. Thanks for making it a pleasure doing the top 4." - Carol Cunningham, Music News Scotland - Music News Scotland
"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 - Sound on Sound
"If the reputation of the British singer-songwriter has been rendered bland by the likes of James Blunt, at least 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 - The Sunday Herald
"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 - The Sunday Express
"I like Jono's song 'Stuck in the City' a lot! It's REALLY catchy!" - Alex Zane - TV & Radio Presenter
"Hauntingly beautiful acoustic sounds; the prodigious talent of singer songwriter Jono" - Russell Kane - Q Radio
"Jono's live performance smacked me right between the eyes and ears!" - Jim Symon - Radio Clyde2
"Jono is one of the countries best singer songwriters" - Alan Clifford - BBC Radio Nottingham
"Jono is one of the best solo acts we have put on in our 20 years of promotion" - Mark Richards - RSW Concerts
"Fantastic! Great! Totally fresh, original music... I love it!" - Paul Franks - BBC Radio WM
- Miscellaneous
Discography
Single: "Silver Nails"
Single: "Stuck In The City"
Album: "Sentimental Anarchist"
All have streaming audio and have received much radio airplay in the UK and even across the world
Photos
Bio
"One of the finest singer/songwriters to emerge in recent years" - Jim Gellatly, John Peel Award Winning DJ
Scottish singer/songwriter Jono started recording his songs aged 13 when his dad got him a 4-track cassette recorder. His father had been in rock-n-roll bands and mother in theatre. Fast forward to his 20’s. Jono has recorded his own material, gigged in many bands and is producing for local, signed and charting artists.
"Hauntingly beautiful acoustic sounds; the prodigious talent of singer/songwriter Jono" - Russell Kane, QRadio
He was due to inherit the family business; a manufacturing company where he worked as a graphic designer. But Jono walked away from the security of this future to produce his own debut solo album. 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 in his first interview as a solo artist on BBC Radio WM Drivetime.
"Fantastic! Great! Totally fresh, original music... I love it!" - Paul Franks, BBC Radio WM
Rounded yet rugged, refined yet raw, Jono launched his album “Sentimental Anarchist”, built around his infectious voice, lyrics, melodies and acoustic guitar style, to critical acclaim. Every song and lyric written, every voice sung, instrument played by, every sound produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Jono in his Glasgow flat.
"The album was blinding; one of the best albums I heard in ages" - Carol Cunningham, Music News Scotland
Jim Gellatly made “Sentimental Anarchist” album, and “Stuck in the City” single of the week on his show. The guerrilla-approach video for “Stuck in the City” reached no.83 most watched UK music video on YouTube, and went on to win Jono first place for UK Undiscovered 2010 in association with Muzu TV.
"I like Jono's song 'Stuck in the City' a lot! It's REALLY catchy!" - Alex Zane, TV and Radio Presenter
With a full band for the album launch, Jono packed out the 450 capacity Classic Grand, then embarked on a UK acoustic tour in his estate vehicle (come bed). BBC and local radio stations got behind him; every day Jono would be on the air for interviews/sessions prior to his evening gig. He has been touring regularly ever since.
"Jono holds his own in the company of Jack Johnson and Newton Faulkner" - David Esson, Sunday Express
Features in local and national press also included The Daily Record, The Evening Times, The Metro, and radio stations such as Q Radio (Russell Kane), BBC6 Music (Tom Robinson), BBC Radio Scotland (Jim Gellatly), BBC Radio Wales (Alan Thompson), Myspace Radio (Alex Zane), Kerrang! (Alex Baker), XFM (Martin Bate)...
"Jono's voice has this texture to it that makes everything seem alright" - Alex Baker, Kerrang! Radio
Jono has been compared to many prominent singer/songwriters like John Mayer, Kelly Jones, Jeff Buckley, Jason Mraz, Paolo Nutini, Jack Johnson, Newton Faulkner, James Morrison and even Paul Simon. But while there may be some similarities, Jono maintains a distinctive style shaped by eclectic influences such as: The Police, Bob Marley, Guns n Roses, Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against the Machine, Underworld, Daft Punk and Basement Jaxx.
"The rasp in Jono's voice gives Paolo Nutini a run for his money" - Alan Morrison, The Sunday Herald
On a skiing break at the beginning of 2009 Jono suffered a violent fall, coming inches from death, and smashing up his left shoulder. He flew home for an operation with no guarantee of being able to play guitar again. Jono had already been invited to the Red Stripe Awards so he sang in a sling, using a laptop with his guitar parts on it.
"With one of his wings seriously clipped Jono managed to pull off a mesmerizing set" - Clare Dixon, RedStripe
Following intensive physiotherapy, Jono is now singing, playing guitar, gigging and touring again with a vigour like he has never known, happy that he is still alive and able to play the guitar. With this renewed energy Jono’s solo performances leave new audiences stunned, while familiar crowds in his hometown of Glasgow scream out lyrics. At the moment his time is constantly filled with either writing, recording, producing, gigging and/or touring.
"Jono's live performance smacked me right between the eyes and ears!" - Jim Symon, Radio Clyde2
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