How many recording artists do I know that will agree to do an interview at 12:30 a.m., to accommodate my schedule? That answer would be just one and his name is Jiggley Jones. That just gives you a little insight into his commitment to his art and his flexibility and dedication for his music.
We had so much to talk about but because it was so late I was pretty determined to get right down to business and start asking questions. This interview went like this.
Q Hey Jiggley, you have a lot going on. A new CD getting released to iTunes, you’re a husband and a Dad. Can I ask you how old are your kids?
A I have a 13 year old daughter, a 10 year old daughter and a 3 year old son.
Q Wow, you have three?
A Yeah and the little one is feisty too.
[Laughter]
A It is amazing the difference between the girls and the boy even when they were younger.
Q Do you think so?
A Yeah, I mean there are different things about them that are easier if they were girls and vice versa. Like potty training was easier with the girls but he’s easier to deal with on the one to one basis.
Q Emotionally he’s easier to deal with? Girls can get so emotional right?
A Yeah, you got that right.
[Laughter]
A They are sort of cute though when they are little and you can work them and stuff.
Q Are they Daddy’s little girls?
A I wouldn’t say so. I know he is Daddy’s little boy, that’s for sure which is cool because the girls were more Mommy’s girls. I thought I wasn’t going to get that chance to have a little one that screams and yells when I come home. This little guy does.
Q That’s different because it’s usually the little girls that do that for their Daddy’s.
A I think they are coming around a little bit as they get older. I laid back and let them do their thing and I think as they are getting older they are starting to appreciate me a little more.
Q Has music always been a part of your life?
A I took a hiatus from music for a few years when I started my family. It was my wife that talked me into getting back into it. I was pretty much burned out. I was done with it. I put my guitar in the closet and it sat there and collected dust for a few years. After we had my first daughter and we bought a house and all that stuff, I was trying to live the normal life, so to speak, and she talked me into getting back into it. I started back up in 2007. This project is 7 years in the making.
Q It took you 7 years to record and release?
A I wrote and then I was figuring out where I fit in and I did some demo stuff and then I finally decided to put out my own record a few years back and that played out and now I am here.
Q I have to ask you about your name?
A It’s Brian.
Q No, the name Jiggley, what the heck?
A Jiggley is a real nickname. I didn’t make it up for this project. It’s a nickname that I have had for over I’d say fifteen, sixteen years or so.
Q Are you Jiggley?
A You mean physically am I?
Q Well where would the name come from? How could somebody come up with a name like that?
A You know to this day I really don’t know. Let me start back at the beginning. I was in a band up in New York and we were at a party or something and that word was floating around the party. Somehow it just got stuck with me and everybody thought it was funny. I was sort of not liking it at first but it sort of spread like wildfire and the next thing you know, anybody that was in that circle of friends knew me as Jiggley. When I brought the project down I was thinking that everybody likes the name so I will just use that. It is something that they will remember a lot easier than my real name and so far it has seemed to work. People seem to like it so.
Q Well it makes me giggle. It makes me giggly. Jiggley makes me giggly.
A The funny thing is that lots of my music is serious, it’s not always silly.
Q Okay well that is my next question. I was going to say I expected you to be a comical songwriter. I almost expected you to be more like a Ray Stevens kind of tongue in cheek type of music or bluegrass and banjos?
A I got you. Some people come up to me and say you know what, I saw your name and I thought you were going to be a girl.
[Laughter]
Q I get that. You know I didn’t even think that. I wasn’t told whether you were male or female when I was first presented with your name.
A I don’t know if the nickname really fit me or not and I don’t know why it got stuck with me but it did and everybody liked it and it seems to work out for me. Everybody now calls me Jiggley. My friends, my family and everything like that and I call my son Wiggly so.
Q Oh that’s so cute. Is your last name Jones though?
A No.
Q So the whole thing was made up?
A That part was made up because I thought it sounded pretty cool.
Q So that’s your stage name basically?
A Yes.
Q And when people hear it they don’t forget it.
A Right. That was the whole concept basically.
Q When I went and viewed and listened to your music video for, “Walk on Me,” it’s a real serious sad song.
A Yeah, I mean on the last record the songs weren’t quite as sad but ironically that was the song that my label picked to be the single. I think it’s a strong song as far as the layout of it and the emotion that it creates but it’s certainly not jiggley in nature.
Q No, it’s very serious. I was almost like waiting at some point where there was going to be some kind of joke in it and it just didn’t happen.
A Yeah, like that new Blake Shelton video, have you seen that? It sounds like a serious song where he is talking about doing everything for his wife and here he burns the house down by accident?
Q I haven’t seen that. So the music video has been released, has the single been released?
A It’s on iTunes now and it has been released to radio so I am sort of waiting around for three or four weeks to see how that plays out. That’s the most exciting part of releasing something is to see if radio picks it up.
Q Right and you said the album is being released on May 6th?
A May 6th, yes. That will be the iTunes release. I don’t know about the physical CD. They haven’t given me a date on that yet. I imagine that will follow up within a couple of weeks of the iTunes release.
Q Are you going to have physical CD’s available?
A Yeah, they are going to give me a bunch.
Q So you’re label is Lamon based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Your management is MTS Management Group and you have a bunch of radio interviews lined up. Are you going to CMA Fest?
A I am supposed to attend. I know Lamon has a booth and I am awaiting confirmation of all the details. I am definitely going to be there and I should know the dates soon.
Q Is there a message you would like to get out there for the people reading this interview?
A I always use the word perseverance. Know where you stand and you have got to keep pushing. It’s a 24-7 thing. I would say that as far as my music goes, give it a couple of listens. Give all music a second chance.
Q Here’s fun question for you. Pretend you own a road survival kit. What has to be in that kit?
A I would say a Five Hour Energy drink and a whole bunch of CD’s to listen too.
Q You mean other people’s CD’s?
A Yes.
Q That’s pretty cool. Are you writing all the songs on your albums?
A Absolutely. I do it all.
We talked about lots more but I am only allowed a certain amount of room for my articles. I am going to wrap this up by telling you all to go check out Jiggley Jones at http://jiggleyjones.com
