Jonney Ford AKA JOYRYDE is one of those rare artists that goes against the grain but keeps it cool, strives to be different but stays true to his artistry, sounds old school and new school at the same time -- and he's made a name for himself in doing so!
Recently, he sat down with Your EDM to talk music, inspirations, working with OWSLA, and of course, cars! Check out some of the highlights!
On playing at Shaky Beats...
A lot of people build different sets for different places. For me, I kinda want to give everyone my personality. I’m not trying to win them over, I’m trying to win them over on my terms. This is now the most progressed version of my show that I have. It’s the furthest I’ve lived, so this set is the most up-to-date version I’ve ever played. I’m sure a year from now it will be even more perfected.
On how JOYRYDE started...
I loved the words. I’ve always associated music — bass music specifically — with cars. It’s just something you grow up with. Your friends — you’re in the car, you listen to records. You park the car, you open the back with the speakers and you listen to records there, in the parking lot or at the festival. I’ve always seen that correlation between cars and music. I don’t need to try to see it. When I started JOYRYDE, I just liked it for the name.
On sounds that shaped him...
A lot of the original UK garage records — that scene is never really any one artist. UK garage as a scene changed me a lot. Just that simple fundamental rhythm and bass and pitched up vocals. We’re talking like a 20-year gap between the old school music that I found and got into and then artists like Jauz came along and he wrote “Feel the Volume.” It didn’t sound just like the old stuff, but it felt like the old stuff.
On working with OWSLA...
They’re great! They’re really chill. Very professional. Very driven. Very connected. Good taste. Most importantly, they listen to me. They allow me to be myself. Artists — we’re weird — sometimes we need things this way. They’re sympathetic to that. I like the music they release. They’re a tasteful brand. They inspire. It’s very hard to display your achievements and not look like a show off, and OWSLA does that in a very special way. They’re able to portray their talents without it looking too pretentious or too snobby.
On playing so many car reference tracks...
There is a theme… Most of those tracks I like anyway! I put records in, and then I notice in the tracks — I hear a skrrt skrrt. Well, f*cking sh*t! It works! [Laughs] It’s more than half. So, it’s gotta be somewhere around 50?! It’s gotta be up there! Even little references. Someone even tweeted to me once, “It’s amazing how you played so many car reference tracks and it wasn’t corny at all.”
[If JOYRYDE were objectified into a car] Maybe a ’72 Pontiac Firebird. It’s small, it’s fast, and it looks super menacing. I’ve always thought JOYRYDE, more than anything, it was a menace. That car has got it for me! It’s got the right look, and it’s also a bit mean. I know exactly what color — there’s a very amazing one — black and gold.
On his HOWSLA track, "New Breed"...
I see this track as itself, and it affords me the ability — because it’s different — to do something different. If it sounds like everything else, we have a parameter of what we want to see with it. With a track like, “New Breed,” there’s no preset. You’re allowed to go crazy. I’m glad we didn’t get afraid, and just put it out. We really went behind it. That’s my whole thing now — I want to get behind every release I do full-heartedly. I want to care for them. That means I only want to release tracks I really love, and “New Breed” is one of them.
There's no slowing down for this producer! Check out the full interview from Your EDM!