10 Quick Ones with ALAN JONES of FIFTH FREEDOM – October 2017

According to a recent press release: “Portland, ME Southern Rock Band Fifth Freedom has released the Official Music Video for the single “Midnight Rain” off of their 2016, sophomore album Heartbreak & Hellfire. “Midnight Rain, is a bluesy ballad shouted from the very depths of singer, Alan Jones’ soul. It’s a song about moving on from a love lost by knife-twisting betrayal. Midnight Rain showcases the band’s earnest songwriting as well as their technical chops. – Fifth Freedom” We get singer Alan to answer our 10 Quick Ones about new music, his influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Heartbreak and Hellfire is certainly the most honest, genuine work I think any of us have ever been a part of. If you are a new fan or just getting to hear us for the first time. Know that we don’t hide anything. It’s all very real stuff that has happened for better or worse. We relive this stuff every time we set foot onstage. We wear our hearts on our sleeves and aren’t afraid of it.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Music has always been indirectly or directly the biggest part my life. I think I wanted to be a musician before I even knew! (Laughs) one of those “I didn’t pick this, it picked me” sorta deal. I started played piano at about age 3 or 4 and did theatre as a kid and fell in love with rock and roll.

3. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Black Crowes, Guns N’ Roses, Black Stone Cherry, and Alice In Chains.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be?

A song with Slash would be really badass!

5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

If Lynyrd Skynyrd, Guns n Roses and Black Label Society got into a bar fight and The Black Crowes came in and made peace between everyone you’d have Fifth Freedom.

6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

The friends you make and people you meet, and being able to truly express things you’d otherwise not be able to.

7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

I resemble all three of those things (laughs) I’d say we all sorta do. Gary and I love to cook. We are also the first two to get the drinks in. Ian always has a guitar in his hands, Seth goes with the flow.

8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

I wanted to be a pilot before I was a musician. I don’t know so much about that now…

9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”?

I think everyone has a lot of those. I see it all as a learning experience that you grow from, so really… No.

10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I’d love to be a fly on the wall for Second Helping by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Just to see how they really operated in the studio!! That record means a lot to me for so many reasons, they were still young guys in their early 20’s just coming into their own yet were laying down some serious stuff as if they knew they didn’t have much time.

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Category: Interviews