Ian Jones comes to Steve’s Guitars on March 25

On March 25, Washington state artist Ian Jones will perform at Steve’s Guitars to promote his upcoming album, “Results Not Typical,” which will be released on April 7.

Jones has been writing music since before high school; he has played for over 30 years with a variety of bands, The Livingroom Allstars most recently, and has been releasing music as a solo artist for the past decade. Although his sound is inspired by a myriad of genres like country, folk, blues and rock, he has blended the whole of each to create a sound that is entirely his own.

When Jones spoke with The Sopris Sun, he had just returned home from playing several shows in and around Nashville, Tennessee, and Luckenbach and Austin, Texas. Having lost his wallet during the travels, he did not lose his spirit and excitement for upcoming tour dates. Delving a bit into his performance in Luckenbach, a revived ghost town, he said it was a “magical” experience in a place with a rich, infamous history.

His official biography states that Jones “grew up in the shadow of Mount Rainier,” and was raised by a single mother and a record player. He credits his mother as a “supermom” having raised him and his siblings after his father left the family behind. His “other parent,” so to speak, was cranking out the works of some of his biggest musical inspirations: David Allen Coe, Waylon Jennings, Bob Dylan, The Mamas & the Papas, Joan Baez and Jim Croce.

“If we didn’t have the records, I didn’t know anything about anyone, which has come up from time to time in my story,” Jones shared. “I met a friend later in life who introduced me to Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, David Bowie,and some of that late ‘70s punk rock. My base, however, was already in the roots of folk and things like that.”

Jones explained that if he could pick anyone, dead or alive, to have a jam session with, it would be Warren Zevon, Tom Petty, James Taylor or Sir Paul McCartney, and he would love to hang out with either Willie Nelson or Keith Richards.

Elaborating on his process for writing his songs, he said that those who have had the most interesting lives tend to be some of the best writers. He also joked that “about 85%” of his writing comes to him all at once. 

“My life was pretty interesting growing up, and based on how my life was growing up, that’s where my writing comes from. It’s like putting your heart on a platter now as opposed to trying to be clever. I think a majority of songs are already in existence and floating around in the universe as some form of energy, and if you’re lucky enough to be one of those people that can interpret that energy and be open to it, they come in,” Jones stated. “And then it’s your job to interpret it, polish it up and then put it out!”

As for coming to Steve’s Guitars, Ian Jones said that he is excited for many reasons, from hoping to score a 12-string acoustic guitar to adding memories to his travels.

“I’m here to have fun and play my music,” Jones said. “I’m excited to play for new people and turn them on to my music. I hope that they like it, and I hope that they come up afterward and ask me questions about it, because I love talking about it.”

For more information about Jones’ upcoming album, tour dates and new projects, check out www.ianjonesmusic.com

For tickets to the show at Steve’s Guitars, visit www.stevesguitars.net