Jon McLaughlin says a flashback to the 1980s set in motion his second album for major-label Island Records.
The Hoosier native shared a bill with Rod Stewart, Debbie Gibson and Richard Marx last November at a Los Angeles nightclub.
The occasion was a benefit concert for ailing guitarist Don Kirkpatrick, an in-demand studio musician who played on McLaughlin's first Island album, "Indiana."
McLaughlin played early in the lineup, and he caught the other performers from a fan's perspective.
"It was awesome," says the 25-year-old, who grew up in Anderson. "They were playing these songs, and I thought, 'Oh, I forgot about this.'
"It sent me back to my neighborhood swimming pool when I was 10 years old. After that, I was way into the music that was my childhood upbringing."
McLaughlin's new album, "OK Now," showcases bright melodies and pop arrangements reminiscent of MTV's early days, with USA Today comparing the recording to vintage work by Daryl Hall and John Oates.
"OK Now's" producer, John Fields, helped craft the chart-topping Reagan-era sound of the Jonas Brothers.
McLaughlin is no rival of the Jonas Brothers, but his popularity is on the rise. "OK Now" debuted at No. 49 on Billboard magazine's Top 200 chart, and current single "My Beating Heart" was listed at No. 23 on the Adult Top 40 chart at press time.
Branching out
Known as a keyboard ace, McLaughlin wrote the songs of "OK Now" on guitar.
"I think that changed my ear," he says. "I was so used to writing on piano and playing piano. You write a song on guitar, and you hear different stuff."
"Indiana," released in May 2007, framed McLaughlin as a sensitive singer-songwriter. When he sang at this year's Academy Awards ceremony, performing "So Close" from the "Enchanted" soundtrack, McLaughlin was introduced to millions of television viewers as a ballroom crooner.
The Anderson University alumnus still marvels at his experience at the Oscars, where he sat in the third row in close proximity to Harrison Ford and John Travolta.
"There are rows of 10 seats or so, and you're packed in there," he says. "It's surreal. You don't even know what to think about it. You sit and wait for someone to come and say, 'You can't sit there. You have to leave.'"
Although McLaughlin moved to California this year, he displays a fondness for his home state on "OK Now" track "The Middle."
"Hollywood is just another place I don't belong," he sings. "Let's go to the middle ... live a little closer to what is true. I'll be me. You'll be you."
Scheduled to perform during halftime of today's Colts-Patriots game at Lucas Oil Stadium, McLaughlin says he hasn't spent an extended length of time in Indiana since signing to Island three years ago.
"I have to write songs like that, because I miss it so much," he says. "It's like anything. If you're in love with a girl, you write a million songs about that girl. The songs come out."
McLaughlin adopted a new look to accompany the release of "OK Now," and fans have noticed his shorter hair and more formal wardrobe.
Although he insists he simply grew tired of having longer locks and wearing T-shirts onstage, some observers speculate that Island executives are behind the changes.
"It's funny when people write in (to claim) L.A. Reid is forcing me to wear this shirt," McLaughlin says.
Then and now
Committed to the contrast between "OK Now" and "Indiana," McLaughlin cites the challenge every artist faces when making a high-profile sophomore album.
"You're always caught between a rock and a hard place," says McLaughlin, who made his first recordings for Orangehaus Records, an independent label run by Anderson University students, in 2003.
"If you make the same record, you're going to be criticized for being stale. But if you do something new, people are going to criticize you for not being the same."
McLaughlin says he's happy with the measured pace of his career growth.
"We haven't sold 10 million records, but we haven't taken any steps backward," he says. "It's given me time to form really great friendships with the people who work (at Island). That takes a little bit of the business out of it.
"It makes us feel like this is 'our' second record. It's not this one artist from Indiana who's on our roster."
Upcoming Jon McLaughlin performances
Nov. 2, Lucas Oil Stadium as halftime entertainment of the Colts-Patriots game.
Dec. 1, Murat Egyptian Room as part of "Jingle Jam," presented by WZPL-FM (99.5). For more information, visit www.jonmcl.com.
Source:
http://www.indy.com/posts/12928
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