photo courtesy of Simon Fowler
In an age of fleeting fame and disposable culture, Howard Jones stands as a testament to artistic longevity. At the age of 70, the electronic music pioneer continues to embody the hopeful philosophy that made "Things Can Only Get Better" an anthem for generations: facing life's challenges with unwavering optimism and compassion.
From his early days performing in small London venues to signing with Warner Brothers at age 28, Jones has maintained a refreshing authenticity throughout his career. Beyond his musical innovations, it's perhaps his life philosophy, heavily influenced by three decades of Buddhist practice, that offers the most compelling layer to his artistic legacy.
In this exclusive interview, Jones shares insights on sustaining vocal health, maintaining wellness during the rigors of touring, balancing family life with a demanding career, and the daily practices that have allowed him to thrive creatively well into his seventies and nurture his passion for music.
Angela Williams: You've been performing since the early 1980s. Can you share how you got your start in music?
Howard Jones: I was playing in tiny venues in High Wycombe and around London for about two or three years with my one man electronic show until one of the record companies finally came to see me. It was just one guy who liked the songs and saw what I was doing–a completely original thing–and that was my break. I ended up getting signed to Warner Brothers, one of the top companies in the world, and that was my start.
AW: Now at 70, what reflections do you have about your musical journey?
HJ: I got signed when I was 28 years old and that’s rather late for a pop artist so I had quite a lot of life experience during my 20s. I was ready to write a lot of songs about how you cope with being a human being and navigate through the difficulties of life and develop a philosophy that can help you do that.
That’s what my work has always been about. I’ve always seen my music journey as a serious chance to inspire and encourage people and help them to get through the difficult bits in life, to be hopeful and to live with kindness and respect for others.
"I've always seen my music as a chance to inspire people, help them through difficult times, and encourage hopeful living with kindness."
AW: Your song "Things Can Only Get Better" reflects an optimistic worldview. After all these years and changes in the world, do you still believe this sentiment holds true?
HJ: Yes, the song “Things Can Only Get Better” is very much about having an optimistic view about the future and having a hopeful view regardless of what is going on around us. If we wait for a perfect world with no difficulties and problems and obstacles, it will never come. You know, the song admits: ‘Do you feel scared? I do.’ But I’m not gonna let that fear stop me from going forward and being hopeful. This is my philosophy and how I try to live my life. You never know what’s around the corner so you better have a good philosophy in your head to cope and deal with it.
AW: I understand you practice Buddhism. How did you first connect with these teachings, and do you maintain a daily practice?
HJ: Yes, I’ve been practising Buddhism since 1993, and I connected with the teaching in a couple of ways. Fans were sending me books on Buddhism because of the kind of lyrics I was putting in my music. I also met some Buddhists who I thought to myself, ‘I really like the way these people interact with other human beings and they’re always optimistic and positive about their lives.’ Then I realised that they practice Buddhism. And yes, I have a daily practice—I chant in the morning and in the evening and that’s been the rhythm of my life for 32 years.
AW: How has your Buddhist practice influenced your music and approach to the entertainment industry over the decades?
HJ: My Buddhist practice has really helped me to cope with the ups and downs of being a music artist, you know. I mean–coping with success, people screaming and shouting at you and suddenly earning a lot of money. Then there’s the other side, which is the criticism that you receive from the press.
When you stick your head above the parapet, you’ll become a target. I was writing songs about how to live your life with a sense of caring for others and yourself and being respectful to others while also realising the great potential that lies within each of us. My extreme experiences were different to most people. I mean, it’s a funny position to be in, a weird position to be in–the spotlight on you, everything you do is noted and under the microscope. So having my daily practice to keep grounded has given me the sort of strength and backbone to cope with all these different things.
Then of course there’s big stuff like when you know the record company doesn’t want to re-sign you and so what are you gonna do? Suddenly your world is falling apart, but with my practice I was realising that actually this was a fantastic opportunity to do something new. I started my own label and started booking my own tours and really taking responsibility for my life. This is one of the great parts of Buddhist philosophy–taking ownership of your own life and circumstances, and creating something great with it.
Lyrics have always been the most important thing to me because the music flows fairly easily but the message that the music carries is very important. You have access to people’s consciousness, and they may be drawn in by the music but I wanted to make sure that the lyrics were of use and were nourishing and encouraging. I’ve always sweated over the lyrics to make sure that I’m saying something of use, and that’s really where my Buddhist practice has influenced my work.
Buddhism is very much about taking responsibility for your life, respecting others, putting the work in to improve oneself, realising your unique potential while seeing that potential in others, caring for the environment, caring for yourself and others, realising how interconnected we all are, how linked we all are. These are the themes that I’ve tried to put into my music.
"If we wait for a perfect world with no difficulties, it will never come. I'm not gonna let fear stop me from being hopeful."
AW: You're vegetarian, or is it vegan? How long have you maintained this diet, and how has it supported your health while performing?
HJ: I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 21. My brother had a friend who worked in an abattoir and I heard the stories coming from his experience. Overnight, I thought I have to be vegetarian. It’s 50 years veggie. If you are a vegetarian/vegan, you have to be a bit more careful about getting the right nutrition, which is a good practice for anyone to have.
I realise that it’s not always possible for everyone to do that kind of diet so I’m not gonna be an evangelist, but I think at 70, I’ve proven that you can live a long healthy life on this kind of diet and be a bit kinder to the planet, and you know I’ve always loved animals. We’ve always had dogs and always had this incredible friendship and relationship with animals around us so that’s really been my motivation. Health was a secondary consideration, but I do think that it can be good for your health. It’s not always possible for everyone to do this so I won’t be judgemental or evangelistic about it.
AW: How do you protect your vocal health before and after performances?
HJ: I’m very fortunate to have an amazing vocal coach, James Windsor, who has given me some wonderful exercises to do before I go on stage to warm up my voice and get it in good shape. It’s like an athlete that has to prepare their body before they step onto the field for their activity. I see that in the same way with me, with my voice, so I want to hit the ground running. I don’t want there to be warmup time on stage, so it’s wonderful to have 20 - 30 minutes of vocal exercises before every show to strengthen my voice and get it all working. I feel very grateful to have such a great teacher. I like to have a bit of honey as well to soothe the voice and lubricate the cords, you know, and no alcohol because that dries the vocal cords out.
AW: What recovery practices have you found most effective between shows to prevent burnout on extended tours?
HJ: I think it’s very important to try and get as much rest as possible and not drink too much alcohol. Make sure that you eat between 10am and 5pm to give your body a good rest from digestion and also not be bloated when you go on stage. Drinking plenty of water is good and trying to get fresh fruit and veg which is not always easy on the road. But sometimes you just have to feast on pizza!
AW: Touring presents unique challenges for maintaining routines. What specific strategies have you developed to maintain your wellness while on the road?
HJ: I think maintaining your wellness on the road has so much to do with what you do when you’re at home. Jan, my wife, and I do Pilates to keep being flexible and, you know, build bone strength and core strength. We know that when we get on the road, there are very few opportunities to actually do that. It’s all about the preparation before a tour, getting your fitness levels up so you can cope with the relentless travel and night after night on stage. I’d love to say that we have a chance to get in the gym or even go for walks but it’s pretty difficult managing to do that on the road, so really it’s all about the background work at home.
I’m conscious of trying to keep fit and healthy. While I’m on stage, I’m doing an hour and a half of aerobic exercise every night. I’m sweating and my heart rate is going up. It’s intense exercise every night. The best way to keep fit is drinking plenty of water, trying to get the best food you can, and resting as much as possible so you can put as much dynamic energy into every show.
AW: In instances when you're not feeling at your best due to illness or other circumstances, how do you still manage to deliver a quality performance for your audience?
HJ: I’ve been very fortunate during my career. Of all the thousands of gigs I’ve done, I’ve only had to cancel two shows in all that time because I literally couldn’t get out of bed or I literally had no voice at all. But even when I did a show, and I had no voice, I still did it and the audience joined in completely with me and sang all the vocal lines. I explained to them that I was having a bit of an issue.
I also remember when I flew to Australia, which is a very long flight as you know. I had to do the show as soon as I arrived and halfway through the show my voice literally just stopped working. I had to come off stage and go to the dressing room. I just sat down, tried to relax, drank some water and somehow the voice came back. I went out and finished the show, but these things happen. I think the audience understands that you can’t always be 100%. I think enlisting their help is a wonderful thing, and I found that audiences really love to do that. It feels like that makes them even more engaged in the show.
"It's amazing to be born as a human being. I want to cherish that and nurture health so I can live a good long happy life that inspires others."
AW: What health or other advice would you give to younger musicians who hope to sustain their wellbeing through decades of performing?
HJ: I think a career in rock ‘n’ roll and pop is challenging because when you perform, a huge amount of adrenaline is flowing through your body. It’s one of the most exciting and exhilarating things to do, I’m sure. Then when you come off stage, it takes hours to actually come down from the high of the show. People resort to alcohol and substances—you have to be really, really careful of that because of the damage that does long-term to your brain and your body. So everything in moderation. I think this is the key to it so that we don’t burn out and we can still be doing what we love when we’re in our 70s and 80s. If you look at people like Mick Jagger who train physically for every tour and look so spritely and youthful, it’s a great inspiration and I intend to follow in those footsteps.
AW: You've maintained a long marriage and strong family connections throughout your career. How have you balanced the demands of the music industry with your commitment to family life?
HJ: One of the reasons I think that I’m still able to be so active, touring and everything, is because of my wonderful relationship with my wife, Jan. We’ve known each other since we were kids, and we’ve grown up together and gone through all the ups and downs together. It’s been the most wonderful part of my life really, providing me with the biggest joy—even through the difficult times.
When the kids were young, we took them on tour. They saw the world as young children. Then, of course, they had to go to school. So Jan stayed home while I was out on the road, and that was the most difficult time. We got through that and reaped all the benefits such as financial security. Now that the kids are all grown up, Jan joins me on the road everywhere we go.
I’ve seen a lot of people in rock ‘n’ roll split up. It's a sad thing. It is. It puts a real strain on relationships so one has to be really careful that it’s balanced and you don’t leave the other partner with this huge burden to bear.
AW: Our blog Greetings, Earthling focuses on the power of daily micro-habits and the philosophy that "you become what you do everyday." Is there one daily practice or habit that has made the most significant difference in your life and career?
HJ: I think it’s very important to take your health and mental health seriously and to have practices you do daily. I’ve got my Buddhist practice. I practice in the morning and evening, chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and reciting parts from the Lotus Sutra every day. I study the philosophy and try to do some kind of exercise every day–either walking with the dog or doing Pilates.
It’s important that we don’t take this life for granted. It’s so amazing to be born as a human being and to have consciousness. I want to really cherish that and nurture health and mental health so that I can live a good long happy life and for that to be an inspiration to others and to younger generations. I think as I’ve gotten older, I’ve been more conscious of that. I want to make the most of this brilliant opportunity of being born as a human being at this time.
