Joss Stone talks about what it’s like to go on tour pregnant and recalls an act of solidarity from her last visit

There are artists who have come to Argentina very few times, while others always have the country in mind on their tours. And despite almost seven years have passed since his last show, Joss Stone is quickly approaching the second group: next Tuesday he will make his fourth visit, again at the Luna Park.

On this occasion the pretext is the presentation of his new album never forget my love, which launched just four months ago, and which once again confirms itself as one of the great voices to emerge over the past two decades. Your debut The sessions of the soul it continues to be a true classic and each work confirms its talent.

In any case, beyond the recordings, seeing her live is a real event, for her voice, her smile, her bare feet and her ability to combine her songs with some historical hits of the genre.

She’s sold more than 15 million records, but in a Zoom chat she looks relaxed and down to earth. He listens in his living room, regardless of the backlight of the window, and immediately recounts an indelible memory of his visit to Argentina: “I especially remember that I went to visit an orphanage on the outskirts of Buenos Aires and it was a wonderful unforgettable experience because people were so nice.

-It’s not normal for you to do that, right?

-No. In general I do the show and nothing else. At most I go to a restaurant. Nothing more! And I know perfectly well that life is not just what you see in a show and a hotel; That’s not how life is lived. So that time it was nice to get out of town a bit.

-What did you do there?

-That day they were helping the boys with dental visits in the villages where they didn’t even have running water. We also distribute school supplies. Everyone was very open and kind.

The speech

-I read that you were on tour in the United States, but it seems that you are at home. How?

– (silence) Wait for Grandma to take my daughter to the zoo. I wanted to make sure you had everything … (pause) Hello! Yes, I’m actually home because I now live in the United States. I gave a recital in Nashville last night and came back.

-You are singing some very interesting covers on this tour. Tell me how you chose them.

– We have a little mixed bag with Midnight train to Georgia by Gladys Knight, I said a little prayer What Aretha Franklin sang and also It is the world of man of man of man by James Brown. It depends on what kind of audience there is. sometimes we do I put a Spell on You by Screamin ‘Jay Hawkins, Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield o Cleaning woman by Betty Wright. These are the possible covers, but that doesn’t mean we always play them all. They are the ones we have prepared.

-Tell me how you were integrating the new songs into the repertoire.

-These songs are very nice to do live; they are almost composed with concerts in mind. They don’t just rely on a groove, but they flow well and have good dynamics where they grow and shrink in intensity. It’s ideal for singing something like this live.

-How did the idea of ​​re-recording with Dave Stewart as a producer come about?

-We are always in touch. In fact, I was working with him on a theater project called The time traveler’s wife.

Is it a comedy or a musical?

-It is a musical that will premiere in October. It’s not like making songs for a record, because it’s a different style, more suited to theaters. While we were writing those songs I told him I wanted to make a new album and make it sound like old Dusty Springfield records, with a Burt Bacharach type production. He got excited and proposed to do it together. And since he has a record label, he even offered to release it.

-That’s why they recorded everything live, with a very organic sound.

-I actually recorded this way from the beginning of my career, instead of recording each instrument separately. We had worked with Dave like this before when we made it LP1 in 2011. This way of working was nothing special for us, but perhaps it is for other artists. What was different was the way each song was constructed, with a lot of drama injected into the melodies.

pregnant again

-How are you organizing yourself with being a mother and going on tour around the world?

-It’s a new experience and it’s great. Being a mother is hard and exhausting, but wonderful work. And now I’m even more tired because I’m pregnant again. Yesterday I was in bed with my daughter in my arms, before the show, and I remember all I wanted was for her to fall asleep, but she suddenly stretched out and she stroked my hair and gave me kisses. It was the best! Guys are the best, even if you’re falling for exhaustion!

Do you go on tour with her?

-Yup. It’s very small for now, so touring is easy. I know it will be more complicated afterwards because she will go to school. I will have to do a lot of tours while they are children, because then maybe I will stop. Or I will do very short tours during your summer holidays!

-I was about to ask how you went through quarantine, but I think the answer is “Pregnant”.

-Exactly. And it was great. It’s easier to get pregnant during a lockdown, where they won’t let you go to work. Of course, at the beginning of the pandemic we were all a little scared because it looked like it was going to kill us all. And it was awful that it killed so many people, so it wasn’t an unfounded fear. I was far from my family: my father and my brothers were in England and I wanted to have them close. Now it’s over and I feel like we don’t have to be afraid anymore.

His “A Happy Cup” podcast

-Why did you decide to make a podcast?

– It was because of the pandemic. I felt that I was deprived of my job and that I was not allowed to make people happy, because the only way I could do it was to be together and sing together in a recital. This is what I do! And suddenly I realized that singing is just an instrument I have and that I can do other things.

-And the podcast appeared.

-Yup. I thought about how to reach people who were at home, and that’s how the podcast was born, to help others and myself. I also ran cooking classes on Facebook which was fun. I felt I had put together a small community.

-A few years earlier you starred in the “Empire” series. Did you have fun?

-Yup. He came out by chance. They just wanted a girl who was English and annoying. “I can do it”, I said! I was there for a short time and it wasn’t a big role; just a cameo. It was fun and it was good to do something different. On the other hand, before, when I was inside The Tudors he was more serious and I learned something new. I’d like to do something like this again.

Work with Mick Jagger

-What was that Superheavy band integration experience with Mick Jagger like?

I was actually in the same room with four legends: Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, AR Rahman and Damian Marley. He was so crazy! I think the really crazy thing was the concept, come to think of it, but basically it was something common and everyday, where some people that people put on pedestals worked together.

-But it was Jagger!

-The funny thing is, we were working to create some magic for people, and Mick has been doing it for decades and that’s why there are so many people under his spell. But you have to remember that it’s just a spell, because he on a daily basis he is a lovely guy with a big heart, smart and funny. It was great spending time with someone that people think is untouchable.

mfb