Treasure Fingers Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 9th 2010 5:41PM by Tom Walsh
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Ashley Jones has been playing music for so long, he doesn't remember learning certain instruments. His father, a musician, started Jones on instruments early in life, which in turn led his son to join a band in high school. When the band didn't pan out, Jones started experimenting with different beats, electronics and computer software. Under his new name, Treasure Fingers, Jones has consistently toured for the past three years and is in demand by some of today's top DJs, including Will.I.Am. With U.K., U.S., Asia and Russian tours under his belt, Jones fills us in -- prior to his SXSW appearance -- on what it is that he does and why he does it.

Describe your sound in your own words.

I think it's funky, and I think it's an underground sound but still accessible to a wide audience, meaning there's a few pop elements in there. There may be some catchy vocals or a big synthesizer lead or something like that that people can relate to. Overall, I think it's just really fun dance music. The vibe that I go for is high energy and party-type stuff.

How did your band form?

I actually started it when I was around 16, because the band that I was in had to break up because the drummer moved away. I lived in a really small town, so there wasn't anyone else into the same type of music I was into -- or anyone that even played drums, I think, at my high school. This was even before Evol Intent. So when that stopped, just to continue making music, I found samplers, keyboards and all that type of stuff so I could do it all myself. I went to a few warehouse parties or rave parties or whatever and started deejaying. So that's actually how it kind of got started. Treasure Fingers is more of a recent project that I've been doing probably the last three or four years.

What are your musical influences?

Mainly it's early- to mid-eighties funk and house music and kind of fusing those two together. So you get this kind of funky, really synth-y element with a strong house beat.

How did you come up with the name Treasure Fingers?

This was just by chance. I was just throwing around a few names with some friends and deciding which one kind of fit the project the best. It was a catchy name that no one else had. I know when I've had bands before, we would sit around trying to think of a name, dwell on it for a few weeks, and then decide to go with the best one everyone came up with. It was kind of the same process, but it was with friends since I don't have band mates. It's just a random name, really. I wish there was more to it.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Well, for one, I got my hotel downtown instead of five miles away. So I can easily walk anywhere and walk back to the hotel room and not have to depend on a cab. I think probably the number one thing would be to have a friend with a car, because if you want to get a cab late at night, there are so many people.

What is your biggest vice?

Actually I don't have too many vices. I can't really think of anything. There is one thing that makes me kind of crazy if I don't have and that's some down time. Last year when I was at SXSW, you leave the hotel and you're out all day checking out bands, going to lunches or, you know, doing whatever you're doing. Then you probably have to play a show that night, and you can kind of take a break and chill a little. But I kind of miss going back to the hotel and taking a break for a couple of hours. Just trying to get a break before a gig means a lot.

What are your musical guilty pleasures?

You know, I listen to so much guilty pleasure stuff that I'm not even guilty. My friends just kind of accept it. Probably the one thing that I get made fun of the most for is early '90s R&B. Like Jodeci and early R. Kelly and all that type of stuff. For some reason I'm strongly attracted to it.

Beatles or Stones?

I would probably go with The Beatles. I could see more people being inspired in all genres. With the Rolling Stones, they are obviously monumental, but I think it's more of a rock movement. I think The Beatles kind of spread across into R&B and everything, actually.

Tom Walsh is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.