By: Ashkon Hobooti

Jonas Bonnetta has a knack for bringing an audience’s chitter chatter down to silence; this inherent ability is what characterizes him as one of those artists who leave lasting impressions.

From the mysteriously cozy city of Peterborough, Bonnetta has taken his soft, melancholic style of indie pop and branded it in his immediate surroundings. His April 20 performance with The Kent Boys at Rancho Relaxo was one of those euphonious Friday-night episodes of down-to-earth pluck, strum music that fixated everyone with rapt attention.

“The kinds of shows where everyone is hanging onto every word are really special,” says Bonnetta. “And those kinds of shows remind me why I do it.”

He sings sweet, original serenades lamenting the joys of love and the unforgettable simplicities of growing up on a farm. A subject virtually blank to some, Bonnetta draws references to wilderness almost subconsciously in his songwriting. This theme sprouted an unexpected level of request, expectation and outside recognition that brought him to realize the need to perform.

“People started coming out just to see me play the open mic, so I said, ‘fuck, I need to start playing shows,’” recalls Bonnetta.

His craft speaks at a tone and level everyone can understand—quiet, rhythmic, four-minute acoustic songs that brought him from ground zero to a reasonably established local setting.

“Along the way I met a lot of great people who got behind [his self-titled music project], which really helped me out playing shows,” says Bonnetta. “I got to play with some wicked bands and I almost sold 500 copies. It’s pretty wicked how well it’s done and people have been responsive to it.”

The incredible thing about being a one-man orchestra is the ability to mesmerize the crowd. He layers several guitar tracks together with the help of pedals and other gadgets, playing several instruments simultaneously to bring multi-instrumentalism to life. A soundscape is built around his songs to an impressive level. Let’s just say that if a blind man attended any given show and heard all the different instruments played in unison, he’d think Bonnetta had six arms.

Aside from his solo project, he partially devotes his time to another skill: producing. Shuffling Feet Studios today stands as a sort of side career, one that has slowly developed into a successful underground endeavour. His own solo project, launched last year, was a gateway into this rediscovered recording career.

“People heard my record and knew I was a producer, so they asked if I would record them. Now it’s kind of snowballed,” says Bonnetta. “It’s my only source of income next to doing shows and it’s pretty amazing.”

For Bonnetta, producing and performing is a nice mix, and he proudly refers to himself as a starving artist; however, when he’s finished recording a band’s album, he doesn’t just turn around looking for a new “client.” He becomes buddies with them.

“As soon as you become part of that family, the better your record does and the better I do. It just spreads the love, which is an important thing,” he says.

As far as the next array of soul-seeking tunes, there’s much to prepare for. He’ll draw more from local bands and everything will be served with a bigger bang. Through networking, he says, a handful of other musicians will be incorporated into making the pop record of his dreams.

While the title for the new effort remains nameless, his solo project will also change. Don’t get too comfortable with Jonas Bonnetta: he’s ditching the name and unveiling a new sound.

The chatter at Rancho slowly subsided to a mellowness that consisted of delicate, warbling melodies that rang through the room, bringing him exactly what he wished for that night.

http://myspace.com/jonasbonnetta
http://www.shufflingfeet.com

This entry was posted on Monday, May 7th, 2007 at 11:09 pm.