Racquel Jones is multi-talented, beautiful, sexy, irreverent and unapologetic. This former Miss Universe Jamaican runner-up has been carving her own niche as a member of the world-renowned group Thievery Corporation with whom she has been touring the world for more than three years. The pandemic has shut the tours down, but the Portland-native has been keeping busy.
She sheds some light on what has kept her occupied during her ‘down’ time.
1) How long have you been playing with Thievery Corporation?
I did my first show with them in December of 2016, then officially started touring with them in February the following year.
2) How did you link up with them in the first place?
I was at Geejam in Portland recording where I met Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation while he was on vacation at the villa.
3) When and where did you tour with them before the pandemic?
I have been all over USA, possibly every state if I check, Europe, Greece, a few countries in South America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada; even countries as unique as Macedonia.
4) What have the experiences been like? Do you care to share some of your more memorable moments?
The experience has been better than I could ever imagine. A few months after the release of Letter to The Editor, I was in Greece for a show with roughly 10,000 people and I had no idea anyone knew the song until I came out and could not hear myself when I started singing.
Another memorable moment was my first show with Thievery. It was my first show outside of Jamaica and with an audience of that capacity. It was at the 9:30 club in DC, a very famous concert venue. I was nervous until Hash, our bass player, stripped down when I came out to do my song “Roadblock”, and played that song and the rest of the show naked.
5) Because of the pandemic, you have not been touring; what have you been doing to pass the time?
For the first half, I was happy for the break. I was touring non-stop for three years so I was happy for the rest, the time to regroup, have some normalcy, and most importantly, I got a chance to work on my visual art. For my album, I had this idea to do an art exhibition to accompany the record where I do a piece of painting for each song, so during the pandemic I had a chance to work on that. I also got the chance to sit with myself, sort through my thoughts without the noise, and do some self-healing work.
6) You have an album coming out, your first major solo project. What is the album called, what is it like, what was the inspiration behind it and is there a theme?
The album is called ignoRANT and it comes out on the 23rd of April. It’s a blatant and riveting exploration of stereotypes facing marginalised people in an attempt to provoke and initiate conversations sounding that.
7) We hear you have a new single coming out as well. Is it from the album and what is the song about?
The new single coming out is called QUEEN. It is a feel good and empowering song for women that highlights, empowers and glorifies every aspect of femininity; both the regal and the edgy side without imposed masculine constructs.
8) We also hear you have an art exhibition coming up. Speak about the pieces you have created and what are the stories they tell?
So the art pieces are basically the visual interpretation of the album. It is really just me bringing to life what I hear and feel through visual surrealism, iconography and modern contemporary aesthetics.
9) When is it scheduled to be and will this be a first for you?
Given the pandemic, nothing is written in stone right now, but we are hoping to launch this in the month of May, a month after the release of the record. We hope to do the first showing in LA (Los Angeles), then another in Miami.
10) What other projects do you have in the pipeline?
The next album.
11) Are you hopeful of going back on the road with Thievery soon or are you moving in a different direction?
Both. I hopefully will rejoin Thievery on the road, as well as take my own project on the road.
Comments