Daniel Ahearn and Mindy Jones make music that everyone can identify with in one way or another. In our recent discussion, the two described their sound as, “music for falling in and out of love” that expresses restraint while feeling and moving in an emotional process. Following up their Electric Love EP, DA & The Jones prep their Sirens full-length for release March 4, with an exclusive listen to the title track. As noted by the duo's work appearing in television and Moby's recent Innocents album; DA & The Jones' musical metaphors express a versatility that is both at home on the screen and in other collaborative contexts.
“Sirens” is a sparse duet that marries together Mindy's hum on a loop, with acoustic caresses of guitar, piano, horns, and slight electronic touches. Introductory sustained notes underline Ahearn's sea plotting course that is interrupted by Jones' memorable lyrical hook of, “got a bad heart, got a mean streak, a good way of leaving you weak, got time to kill, but time don't equal love, it just reminds you of the water.” The two switch off, and occasionally harmonize on the chorus as they describe songs as a ship vessel finding ambiguous and troubled waters. Daniel's opening word of warning combines tales of the fantastical mired by the perils of reality. “I stayed true to the course as I could, but the sirens are hard to ignore, once you open up to the song, you go down, down, down, before long.” The mariner song of “Sirens” tackles the complications of earnest affection and notions of time, with a degree of caution against the beckoning call of mythological mermaids.
Daniel Ahearn and Mindy Jones give us a personal tour behind the various collaborative exteriors of DA & The Jones in our following interview.
How did the DA & The Jones project begin?
Daniel: We met loosely in LA. Everything made more sense when we sang together. The songs became more than songs. We felt there was no way to get to the emotions we were after alone. So we followed the way it told us to go and focused our energy on this.
Describe the creative synergy, and how that contributed to the ebb and tide vibe of “Sirens” sea song.
Mindy: No one has more vibe than Mocky (Sirens producer who has also worked with Feist, Peaches, Jaime Lidell). We started with the driving beat, which were a set of keys that were lying around, then Daniel laid down some sweet guitar as Mindy set the tone with her “Hmmmm” sample, and finally, one lone grand piano note …
It feels how it sounds: aquatically hypnotic.
The song is about the experience of following that muse: whatever it may be. The “Sirens” can be so many things in life that you love, but that are ultimately bad for you and are constantly trying to drag you down to it's logical, expected but classically disastrous end…I think everyone can relate to that.
Tell us about your contributions on Moby's Innocents, what was that process like?
M: It’s been an experience of a lifetime! I still go to Moby's on a regular basis to record with him, whether it be a David Lynch track or a cover for Amnesty International, but for Innocents, I never knew which songs would make it or what parts he would use, so I was ecstatic to find out I was on 4 tracks and featured on the single “The Perfect Life” with Wayne Coyne. I am incredibly proud to be a part of Innocents, and can’t wait for the next one.
Future Moby projects, collaborations, tours?
D: This week DA & The Jones are featured in Moby's first LA art show at The Project Gallery, and next week they will be performing with Moby at the Avalon for the Global Green Charity Event Pre-Oscar Party with The Crystal Method.
We had a 3-day “Tour” for Innocents in October at the Fonda Theater. It was amazing! We've recorded a couple tunes with Moby [with ‘Mercy’]… and there’s always room for more. Stay tuned!
Other collaborations in the works?
M: Daniel is always busy writing, writing, writing, with all walks of life… He never stops. You can catch any number of his collaborations on TV at any given time.
D: Mindy is hoping to release her 2CD EP or even a full-length album in 2014 with some or many tracks produced by Moby.
Further thoughts on the making of Sirens, and what we can expect from it on March 4?
M: Making this record was an incredible and emotional process and I think you can tell by the result. The goal was to make music that feels and moves, while expressing restraint. Basically, it’s music for falling in and out of love. I think there is a little something for everyone.
DA & The Jones' album Sirens will be available March 4.
Catch DA & The Jones on the following LA dates:
February
25 – Little Joy (1477 W Sunset Blvd.) – FREE
03 – The Satellite (record release show)
10 – The Echo
