Jon Muq
Home is Where The Music is
Words Abby L. Johnson | Photos Baptiste Despois
As a universal sunshine-infused pop artists, Ugandan songwriter Jon Muq writes for everyone, drawing on his experiences growing up in Africa and constructing a new home for himself in Austin, Texas.
When 24-year-old Jon first moved to Austin in March 2018, the young musician initially connected with the community by volunteering for East Austin nonprofit Casa Marianella. It was a fitting partnership. The organization helps displaced immigrants by providing shelter, legal services, and strength in camaraderie. Jon lent his musical talents and sunny disposition to one of their fundraisers, excited to throw his abilities towards a worthy cause.
“Honestly, it was fun because everything was new, and I didn’t have a plan. [The fundraiser] was my only plan when I moved here. And I just remember they left me. Everyone left the fundraiser after I was done; I was just there by myself at the venue, and I didn’t know where to go. So one drunk guy who had passed out woke up. I got into his truck, and he drove me to nowhere,” laughs Jon. “We went to his house,” he clarifies with a smile. Jon’s the kind of person who has learned to take things one step at a time.
He didn’t grow up dreaming of a music career; he simply chased sound. “I was not really exposed to music in an organized way. I knew I was musical growing up, but in Uganda, you don’t get a chance to see ahead of your life, you know? When I moved here, people ask, What’s your dream? Is this your dream?” Jon explains, “[In Uganda], no one ever asked that… I’d never seen ahead of my life before.” Though he wasn’t consciously working towards making a living as a music man, Jon’s art took on a life of its own. He collaborated with local artists, reaching out to everyone he could to write songs together.
Jon’s music career propelled forward in earnest when Dan Auerbach, one half of The Black Keys and a well-established producer, came across one of his Instagram videos and reached out. He brought Jon to his Nashville studio, Easy Eye Sound, where the pair collaborated to bring his debut album, Flying Away, to life.
“It’s really authentic and happy music. Each song derives from a real time experience of life. We really didn’t focus on the genre making the music,” Jon notes, adding, however, that he does hear Americana and Afropop influences in the album. The 12-track album explores universal feelings, and he hopes that many people can connect with and find joy in his words.
These days, Jon certainly sees ahead of his life. His newfound forward vision, however, doesn’t disconnect him from his past. “One day I want to open up a small hospital or clinic for pregnant mothers in countries that can’t afford [healthcare]; I want to save lives. Because where I grew up, most of my classmates died because they were giving birth to kids,” he says frankly.
For now, he is focused on reaching as many people as possible, building a communal space through the joy of music where all are welcome.
Favorite Track: Jon’s favorite song on the album is “Bend,” explaining, “It’s about self-reflection, the dark side and the light side of a human being…It’s only when you come and see yourself in the mirror that you can reflect all about who you are, the mistakes you have made, and the good stuff you’ve done…So many people look in the mirror, but they don’t actually see inside.”
