Name: Jay Aston
Nationality: British
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Current release: As part of The Fizz (formerly Bucks Fizz) Jay Aston will be performing at London’s Indigo 02 on 28th June. For tickets, go here. Jay's solo catalogue is also available now via all streaming platforms.

If you enjoyed this Jay Aston interview and would like to know more about her music, visit her on Instagram, and Facebook.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in your voice and singing? How and when did you start singing?

My early musical experiences were probably performing on the stage after my parents had finished their end of the pier summer shows. I used to do this with Denise Waterman (from Tight fit) as her parents would work with my parents, so we put on our own shows. I was about 10.

I was always the kid that would get up sing and dance around the front room if any decent music came on TV. Later we then entered a talent competition age 14 in North Wales and came second. I was often doing exams at primary school in singing, dance and drama from the age of four. I was always very confident on stage.  

I was featured at school later on with my singing, but this was purely because I’d injured my legs from doing too much ballet and was unable to dance which was  actually my first love.

What were some of the main challenges in your development as a singer/vocalist? Which practices, exercises, or experiences were most helpful in reaching your goals – were there also “harmful” ones?

I should’ve trained more as a singer when I was younger. I used to really struggle with the amount of harmonies we'd have to do in Bucks Fizz because I was really a lead singer and had never had to learn much  harmony.

More recently as I had mouth cancer and I’ve had 40% of my tongue removed, I’ve had to learn to sing a different way. Bizarrely singing is actually easier than talking - so after a long conversation, my tongue gets tired.

How do you see the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody? Do you feel that honing your sense of rhythm and groove has an effect on your singing skills?

Harmony, rhythm and groove are all part of the same thing. You have to sing in tune in time in the pocket of the music or you should really give up!

So many singers have great voices. They can hit harmony, but they’re so out of tune and out of time it’s actually painful to hear. A lot of people are blissfully unaware of this, they think singing the notes is all that matters but if it’s out of time and out of tune literally it sounds like a cat chorus to me.

What are the things you hear in a voice when listening to a vocalist? What moves you in the voices of other singers?

What moves me in a vocal is probably perfect tuning perfect timing perfectly in the pocket and genuine honesty in what you’re saying. To convey the emotion in the words. Basically you’re actor!

When you're writing song lyrics, do you sense or see a connection between your voice and the text? Does it need to feel and sound “good” or “right” to sing certain words? What's your perspective in this regard of singing someone else's songs versus your own?

When I’m writing songs … it definitely makes a difference to how you sing when you have written the songs!

I used to be head of A-levels at ACM Guildford. I included in the course songwriting because the only way you truly access your own voice is through writing your own songs - your own words. I don’t know why, but it is essential to unlock your true self.

Then you can reapply as you wish or keep your own voice for your own material and use your other voice for covers.

Strain is a particularly serious issue for many vocalists. How do you take care of your voice? Are the recipes or techniques to get a damaged voice back in shape?

Strain is difficult on a long run if you’re doing something like pantomime and you’re doing 44 shows in three weeks it can be a lot if you’re singing a lot and obviously they’ll be lots of text.

The main thing is to try and get as much sleep drink plenty of water don’t eat the obvious no nos. You have to learn to pace yourself.

How has technology, such as autotune or effect processing, impacted singing? Has it been a concrete influence on your own approach?

With all the technology today they can autotune you and make you sound significantly different. This is a tool which some engineers use or perhaps need, but what it does do is it makes us the singer lazy.

At the end of the day it depends if you’re the producer of your own music or you’re just there is a higher hand, whether you have any say this.

At the end of the day, it’s usually the producer call to ask the engineer to create a certain sound. Just try to be as professional about it as possible and try and keep the tuning in. Do a decent warm-up and practice before you go in the studio just singing into your phone can help, hearing your own voice can really make a difference.

Motherese may have been the origin of music, and singing is possibly the earliest form of musical expression, and culture in general. How connected is the human voice to your own sense of wellbeing, your creativity, and society as a whole?

Music and singing I believe is essential for humanity. I know that sounds a bit far-fetched, but I really do think it’s connected to the soul.