By Daniela Capistrano
U.K. television star, fashionista and Afro-Punk-embracing songstress Ebony Thomas, a.k.a. Ebony Bones, is no stranger to the movement's DIY aesthetic, having crafted all the songs on her upcoming Spring '09 debut album — tentatively titled Bone Idle — in her bedroom.
"Different people wanted to be involved," Ebony explained. "Major labels were excited and driven by all the positive press, but the only way I could keep to my set ideas for sound and inspiration was to be the main producer myself."
Influenced by the punk credo of "Do It Yourself," Bones described the album as "schizo-sounding" and "like me, a collection of contradictions and subjects close to my heart."
During our phone interview, Ebony was working on the album art herself and described her creative process.
"The one thing about taking my time and not rushing into anything is I've been able to have so much more control creatively of the whole project, and that's the real magic for me. I love bands like Funkadelic who made their costumes in their own van and put them on the same night — very DIY."
(You can watch Ebony in our Afro-Punk news brief below.)
(More from Ebony Bones PLUS exclusive video from her recent shoot, after the jump!)
Although her debut album will be filled with dance-y post-punk tracks, like "I'm Your Future Ex Wife" and "Don't Fart on My Heart," Bones notes that there are definite political connotations weaved throughout.
"I remember waking up and hearing the bass line for the '1984'-inspired 'We Know All About You' and recording it that very day," Ebony explained. "I played it for my cousin, who said I should put it on MySpace, and from there it kind of took off."
Took off, indeed. Having already played SXSW, CMJ, the last McCarren Park pool party and numerous festivals around the globe on the strength of tracks uploaded to MySpace, Thomas has a rapidly growing fanbase and counts Mark Ronson as both an influence and fan.
"I recorded my latest single 'The Musik' in New York with my friend Andrew Wyatt, who is Mark's writer," Ebony explained. "Ronson heard the demo and he was like, 'Who is this?' and played it on his radio show live that very day."
Bones recently wrapped up her video shoot for "The Musik," which was inspired by Ebony's friend Mike Long from Canada. "He did a project this year where he performed a different song with crazy dances in it in a different city every day for a year and put it on YouTube. So, in [The Musik], we have different people from all over the world — from Los Angeles to New York to Japan — dancing to the track."
(Check out our exclusive clip from "The Musik" featuring Mike Long!)
Ebony said "The Musik" will definitely have a "Spike Jonez-inspired edge to it" and will "probably be leaked on YouTube and MySpace" in early January '09, with the official video release on multiple networks to follow. Bones is definitely a fan of how word-of-mouth can be spread on the Internet, but is also quick to point out how so much information can be dangerous in the wrong hands.
"I am always inspired by what is going on politically in the world as well as the phenomenal apathy. '1984' was a book I read as a child that is still relevant." She mentioned the way that the average London resident is recorded over 300 times a day, adding, "[the album] was definitely influenced by the book and what goes on in today's world."
Bones sees music as a universal connector that can reach over political divisions — with a great beat.
"The last line of 'The Musik' is, 'All we have is each other and the music to keep us warm,' and everyone we've met so far is really embracing that."
Can't get enough Ebony Bones news? Visit the MTV Newsroom blog tomorrow! We'll have an exclusive track from her debut album and it may help you win a prize fit for a warrior...