“I
don’t really think about my instrument too much, I never
have, I just sing. I grew up in a family that was always
singing. It’s part of the Maori culture. It’s been natural
to me since I was three or four.”
You’ve heard Jon Stevens sing. You’ve heard the sonic boom
of Noiseworks and INXS; the dramatic versatility of Judas in
the blockbuster ‘90s version of Jesus Christ Superstar; the
alternately tender and tearing voice of five solo albums;
his powerhouse work with John Farnham and the Black Sorrows.
You’ve heard Jon loud and clear for 20-odd years – longer if
you grew up in New Zealand. But you’ve never heard him like
this.
“I’ve
spent most of my life in loud rock bands where a Iot of
times I couldn’t even hear my own voice,” Jon says. “In a
band like Noiseworks or INXS there’s so much energy on the
stage that you’re running on pure instinct. Working on this
acoustic album was quite a revelation. It’s so nice to
settle into an acoustic set-up and hear every note.”
The
Works is the culmination of Jon’s last year on the road with
the acoustic trio of Tony Kopa, Chris Bekker and Simon
Hosford. It’s a tight and emotional re-crafting of tunes
from three Noiseworks albums, his most recent solo record,
Ain’t No Life For The Faint Hearted, and some old favourites.
“Some
of these songs, Noiseworks rarely played,” he says. “Love
Vs. Money we never played live but it translates really well
in this form. Take Me Back we kept pretty true to the
original; Freedom and Touch are a little bit different.
“I
really surprised myself with R.I.P (Millie). Noiseworks only
did it a couple of times cause I couldn’t handle the emotion
of it (it’s dedicated to Jon’s mother, who died of cancer).
“Over
the years I’ve had so many people tell me how much R.I.P
(Millie) has helped them deal with their own loss in their
lives. To be able to impact on peoples lives in such a
positive way is incredibly inspiring,” says Jon.
Even
at low amps, the band’s chemistry is amazingly potent. It
ranges from the R&B groove of Light My Fire (that’s Tony’s
rap in the breakdown) to an incredible bass/ vocal
arrangement of Jealous Guy to a scorching finale of Hot
Chilli Woman – one of three tracks captured live in Sydney
in February.
With
one of the mightiest voices ever heard in Australian music,
Jon Stevens is captured here at a new peak of power and
intimacy.
