annabel jones
written by sadie bell photography by kyle blatchford
Annabel Jones recorded an entire EP— only to throw it all away; it was a work that failed to feel like a true reflection of herself. “I had to turn around to my team and say, ‘I’m really sorry, but I don’t want to release this EP,’” said Jones. “I said, ‘Just give me a chance to write some new material. I know I’ve got it in me and I’ve got other things that I want to say.’” And she certainly did have it in her, as shortly thereafter, she wrote her wonderfully elaborate, willful pop single “Magnetic”, discovering the strong voice inside of her that she had kept quiet for so long. “That was the moment I was like, ‘Whoa, actually, you can do this. You do have something to say. You do have this in you.’” With her pristine, vibrant voice, keen perspective, and cunning lyrics, budding pop singer Annabel Jones is bound to flourish in the solo spotlight, a position she has always dreamt of for herself, but feared actually embracing. But after past projects of the indie rock variety that did not feel fit and a harrowing point in her life following the death of her father, Davy Jones of The Monkees, Jones discovered a glimmer of empowerment within herself— and held onto that spark to let her light shine.
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After leaving her previous band to pursue a solo career, she said, “It was scary to step out and reveal myself and be alone— the only one that’s responsible for anything, the only that’s driving anything, the only one whose thoughts are on the page— but essentially, I think that when we put ourselves in these situations, it’s because we feel we’re ready to do so.” And ready, she was. In this transition, Jones signed to the major label, Atlantic Records and began writing her own solo work, scrapping songs until she found what felt truly right when she wrote “Magnetic”. Since then, Jones has released her debut EP, Libelle, an innovative collection of alternative power pop tunes that highlight her vocal capabilities over celestial production that is worth dancing to.“The biggest surprise to me was that I could do it,” she said. “I think any time you have to step out, hold your hands up, raise your voice, and say here I am, [it] is scary for most people. It was like stepping into my own power, knowing and finding out how much was there,” she said, realizing that there was another side of herself that she did not know existed— a side that she discovered through the empowerment of songwriting and accepting herself for the independent, strong artist that she is.