The guitarist who came to the country with the former Pink Floyd member released a psychedelic work full of classical influences
His long hair, unshaven beard, and disheveled way of dressing remind us of the great musicians of the 60s and 70s. Jonathan Wilson , a name that might not immediately ring a bell, came to Brazil this month to accompany Roger Waters on his tour here.
At 43 years old, the guitarist and producer has already worked with numerous other names such as David Crosby, Elvis Costello, Father John Misty , and Lana Del Rey . All his work with these artists – and many others not mentioned here, as the list would be long – hasn't stopped him from pursuing his solo career.
A former member of Muscadine , Wilson draws influences from a wide variety of sources. His father is a musician who played in bands for three decades. With guitars occupying large spaces in his home, he instilled in his son his passion for music. "My parents gave me a guitar for Christmas or something and I broke it," he recounts during an exclusive interview with Wikimetal , "They told me I wouldn't get another one and that made me want to play even more and I never stopped."
Wilson participated in the album Is This The Life We Really Want? by the former Pink Floyd and has performed in over 160 shows with the musician. Between one crazy project and another, he released six studio albums, the most recent being Rare Birds , released in March of this year. Full of rock and psychedelic influences, the album was very well received by international critics.
“I needed this album to be sincere and have my sound, so it took time to put together the right songs,” he says, explaining why he started working on it in 2013 and only finished five years later. “And I had several other side projects, and that consumed me. In the meantime, I had to stop to do Pure Comedy and then the project with Roger Waters, so it took time, I needed to stop a lot. But now I can look back and see that all that time helped me create something good, something that sounds good.”
Rare Birds is a mix of profound tracks about failed loves and psychedelic elements that seek to bring lightness and fun to fans. "There isn't a single concept in it [the album]. The process was about writing a lot and trying to put together as much as I could to create the right harmony."
With influences ranging from classic Beatles songs to jazz and a touch of Laurel Canyon – the Hollywood area famous for being home to big names like Frank Zappa , Joni Mitchell , and David Crosby – Wilson admires all the processes involved in creating music: composition, recording, production, and promotion. “But I feel most comfortable on stage playing, because that’s what I’ve been doing most lately.”
When the show starts, I know I'm in the right place. All these shows I've done have shown me that doing this is something I'm very lucky to be able to do, because not everyone gets to. Being able to travel the world and see people singing your music is something very special.”
Jonathan Wilson continues to accompany Waters on his Us + Them , performing some acoustic sets in Argentina, Chile, and Colombia.
