When this writer last spoke to Howard Jones, the general atmosphere – for reasons beyond our control – was decidedly glum. Aside from the very welcome reissue of Howard’s criminally overlooked Cross That Line LP, there was no particular cause to celebrate. The world was frozen in perpetual lockdown: live music was off the cards, international travel was a distant memory. Jones had just streamed a poignant audienceless solo performance to raise funds for out-of-work roadcrew. Amidst the prevailing doom and Zoom, we pondered the dubious future of live music.
Fast-forward to the present, HoJo finds himself in the middle of a successful US tour (complete with band, crew and audience), enjoying sold-out gigs and rave reviews. Oh, and there’s a cracking new studio album on the way, Dialogue, opening with the buoyant electro-pop banger, Celebrate It Together.