Nowhere I’d Rather Be by Gregory Jones, a singer and songwriter from Oxford (UK), is a pleasant summer, sipping a cool one on the deck type of album. With influences such as Simon & Garfunkel, George Harrison, Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Jimmy Webb and Burt Bacharach, Gregory’s timeless sound and ability to tell a story will pick you up and drop you back down in places that feel familiar, but you’ve not been to before.
Nowhere I’d Rather Be is the title track from Gregory Jones’ debut solo album, released on 15 May 2023 on the Italian label Other Eyes Records, butIt’s not his first release by any means. It follows three successful singles as a solo artist and a critically acclaimed catalogue of work as a guitarist in the Bristol-based band Modesty Blaise.
Bristol is where the music all began for Gregory. Raised in a household of musicians, he played every orchestral instrument he could lay his hands on until he discovered the guitar and three chords to a Kinks song, setting him on a different trajectory.
Then came a meeting with Modesty Blaise’s front-man and songwriter, Jonny Collins, who taught him everything there is and isn’t worth knowing about rock ‘n’ roll. Jonny Collins also introduced him to his friend and namesake, Edwyn Collins (of Orange Juice fame), and a new world of music opened up before him.
Two tours of Germany and Spain followed as Gregory honed his stagecraft and tolerance for long journeys in transit vans and hanging around a studio drinking tea. Countless hours in the control room, learning from the best, shaped him into a highly accomplished engineer and producer.
Fast forward to Oxford 2023, another hotbed of indie music, and we find Gregory’s Nowhere I’d Rather Be. His first long-player, packed full of harmony-laden, melodic indie-pop tunes, with a generous helping of folk-rock and Americana for good measure!
It’s not a typical first album – not an eclectic creaming-off of the best songs he’s written. Instead, it’s more of a tricky second album, written with a beginning, middle and end, with a narrative that weaves its way from heartache to homecoming. It’s also an LP in the traditional sense, with two sides. An outbound and a homeward-bound journey through the experiences life throws our way. Sometimes uplifting and other times downright melancholy, there’s sure to be something we can all relate to in this story.
With influences such as Simon & Garfunkel, George Harrison, Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Jimmy Webb and Burt Bacharach, Gregory’s timeless sound and ability to tell a story will pick you up and drop you back down in places that feel familiar, but you’ve not been to before.
Nowhere I’d Rather Be was released on 15 May 2023 on Other Eyes Records and is available on CD, digital platforms and online at othereyesrecords.com/shop.
For press and other inquiries, please get in touch with other@othereyesrecords.com or @iamgregoryjones
Weathered Music 