Singer/songwriter Jason Fountain is preparing for the release of his latest album, Ne Parcas Nec Spernas, on Friday (Sept. 27th).
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Jason about the new music, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I am from Atlanta, GA. My music is a blend of acoustic stuff like folk mixed with some heavier styles like punk or even metal and it has other elements such as oldies style backing vocals and such. There’s also somewhat of a Celtic element there as well which you can hear in songs like “I’m Not Sorry.” I wanted to achieve a somewhat heavy sound without distorted electric guitars. I think the vocal style and lyrics were important for achieving that kind of sound.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I’ve been playing for years ever since I was a teenager but this year I removed all of the shackles that held me back in years past and have the freedom to peruse new opportunities and my dreams. I had a shaky start to this year but channeled all of that heartache into something productive that I could really look back on and be proud of.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
This is actually my first release. It’s funny that it only took me 31 years to get around to something I’ve been wanting to do all my life but I can say that I’m really proud of this being my first release and am completely okay with it having taken so long for me to get around to it. It’s been a long time coming. The irony is that while it’s taken me this long to get on with it and do something with my music, all of the songs on this album were written this year in 2019 even though I have tons of stuff from the past. I guess I am a new person now and wanted to start fresh.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
Well people’s attention span is very short these days with everyone posting content that competes with everyone else’s content on social media and it happens constantly on a minute by minute basis. It really helped me to hone my style here for this album and make songs that can grab your attention quickly and hold it hopefully for the entirety of the song. With the latter being a factor I also took song lengths into consideration and several of the songs on the album are under 3 minutes. I think short songs can be an asset in the social media age more than ever. I am also guilty of having developed a short attention span due to browsing social media and so I just wanted to create music that I know I would stop and listen to if I was browsing through Facebook or YouTube. Some of my favorite songs of all time are short and it makes me want to listen to them over and over. I hope others can feel that way about my music as well.
What was the last song you listened to?
Ha, Actually I was listening back to something I just finished writing but before that it was a Necrogiblikon song if I remember correctly.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Well I PREFER vinyl because it’s just fun to pull a record off of the shelf, drop a needle, and kickback listening to some great tunes while admiring the album art, however, I most often just stream stuff online because it’s more efficient and I can do that anywhere on my phone without having to lug a turntable around with me. But definitely vinyl is my favorite method of listening to music.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Well I’m currently using a 6 month free trial of Apple Music which is cool to just listen to albums in their entirety but I actually like apps like google play if I’m interested in discovering new artists because they mix them in there with whoever you are listening to that has a similar sound.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Definitely my Facebook music page. I try and reply to everyone there and just develop a good, fun relationship with my listeners there. I also will post other stuff about me there besides music stuff. The page can be found at Facebook.com/musicjasonfountain
Anything else before we sign off?
Really I just hope you enjoy what I’ve created here. I wanted to create something different and from the feedback I’ve gotten thus far, it seems I have done just that. Some people might not get it and that’s cool. I did it for the people that will get it because you are my type of people. Also I just wanna say thanks for giving me the opportunity to discuss what I’m doing and for giving it a listen. Enjoy!
