If music serves as the building blocks for what Howard Jones creates, then optimism is the rocket fuel that drives the whole process for him. This philosophical north star has guided Jones since he released his 1983 debut single “New Song” and is at the heart of his current Things Can Only Get Better tour.
In headlining this package tour that also features full sets by fellow new wave stalwarts Wang Chung, The English Beat and Modern English, the synth-pop pioneer has put his personal touch on the tour, having curated the lineup. The title of the tour reflects the intent of the 71-year-old electronic music whiz whose career always embraced messages of empowerment and positivity.
The tour will make a stop at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 23.
“This is basically me having my own festival, which is something I’ve always aspired to do,” Jones said in a late-June interview. “We’re basically going to do this every year, and I pick the bands that come on tour with me. I’m super-excited about this. Calling it the Things Can Only Get Better Tour really sums it up. People really need a boost at this time, need cheering up and need to get together with other people to have a night off from some of the horrors that are going on in the world at the moment. That’s the whole vibe for me is to give people a bit of a boost, really. It’s what great music can do. That’s the thinking, really.”
He added, “I intend to do this going forward. Having done some of these things in the past, I want to do it really properly. I want the bands to have a really good time and have the equipment and people they need to put on a good show. It’s coming from a different place. I feel responsible for the other bands on the bill. I want it to go really well and for there to be great harmony between all the people and bands that we get on and send that message out from the stage. It’s taking responsibility. If there’s something you’d like to change in the music business, you’ve just got to stick your neck out and do it.”
As a heritage artist with a deep canon that overflows with hits, including the aforementioned “Things Can Only Get Better,” “What is Love?,” “Life In One Day,” and “No One is To Blame,” Jones could easily make his live show a synth-pop nostalgia act. But given his penchant for embracing new technology and zest for making new music, he’s thrilled to be able to hit the stage with a new band featuring electronic drummer Doug Yowell and piano-playing nephew Phil Jones, a drum-and-bass producer who also has significant classical music chops.
“There are a lot of songs to play that people know, so I’ll do that,” Jones explained. “But I always want to be throwing some new stuff in there because I’m always upgrading. Some people will say you shouldn’t do that and only play the stuff people know. I know my fans really want to hear at least a couple of new things. I’m going to start the show with a brand-new piece and it’s called ‘Stand Up.’ It’s very much written about the times we’re living in and that we have to be engaged. We can’t be bystanders anymore. We can’t let things drift in a way to becoming a way we don’t want to live in. I thought I’d start the whole of my set with that. We will release it on streaming before, so people can get to know it first because I want people to sing along with it as well.”
As “Stand Up” suggests, creating new music remains a significant driver for Jones, whose earliest musical memory dates back to being around three years old and having to keep with the Welsh tradition of singing and performing for family while visiting relatives with his parents and siblings. And while Jones started out playing Bach, Brahms and Beethoven on piano when he was seven years old, pop and rock music were a major inspiration, whether it was playing records on his “little $25-dollar record player” or keeping his ears glued to his trusty transistor radio. Two inflection points shaped him early on, including purchasing his first long-player, the Blood, Sweat & Tears self-titled sophomore album.
“I don’t know why I chose that album particularly, but it was actually a very good choice for me,” Jones said. It was a very eclectic blend of styles they gave us. There was jazz, blues, rock and roll, classical, even. There were great keyboard players in the band. But a major moment came for me when I was about nine years old. I heard the Sandie Shaw song ‘Puppet On a String’ on the radio and then went to the piano and was able to pick out the tune. From then on, I was able to do that all the time and (was) copying music I heard on the radio by ear. I was still doing my classical music practice, which was good for technique. It was a real breakthrough moment.”
Jones eventually embraced a broad swath of influences ranging from the inimitable Stevie Wonder to prog-rock virtuoso Keith Emerson. As much a fan as he is a professional musician in his own right, Jones’ passions also find him embracing more contemporary artists, including Eric Whitacre, a modern-day classical composer known for his vocal arranging and including interpretations of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” and Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” in his repertoire. In the meantime, Jones continues creating and is targeting 2027 to release new material.
“I’m in the studio every day working on the next album,” Jones said. “Four tracks are really taking shape now and I obviously want to end up with 10. I’m really, really inspired because sometimes you have to wait to get the energy to do that. Making an album for me takes forever because it has to be something I’m totally, totally proud of. It’s my legacy. This album is going to be very electronic. I’m using my old analog synthesizers too. I’ve got the [Roland] Jupiter 8 and the Prophet 12. I’m doing a lot of physical playing and manipulation and not so much MIDI programming. I’m doing performances and giving myself a different take on things.”