Haunted Nights // Haunted Nashville
Soaked In Fog
Riding the speed train around Germany is a special gift. It means that I get to zig zag around the country and soak in the green and yellow countryside. The sun just began to emerge from the clouds about an hour ago but most of the landscape that I've passed by today has been soaked in a heavy, delicious, fog. The whole world looked like a dream.
I've hit that part of the tour where I've really started to ride into an artistic stride (just as the tour is about to draw to a close). It took me a while to find my sea legs, as I'd taken an extended break to recover from the blessed and cursed events of 2016. I've started to realized that there are some really big things I haven't recovered from in the 11 years since they occurred, and it's time to finish. So, when I get home I'll start some of that work.
But, in the meantime, I have the pleasure of meeting wonderful people, drinking great wine, laughing with friends, dreaming about the future, letting my flaws haunt me just enough to invite change, and playing wonderful show after wonderful show.
The performances with Sally Grayson of Black Swift have been a special gift to both of us. We have this really natural report that doesn't seem like it should actually be possible. Since nearly the beginning we have felt more like sisters than new friends, and now that we're 2 1/2 years into our relationship, it feels like we're more like war buddies. Each having similar inceptions in our careers. We are growing and changing artistically in similar ways. And it's a special gift to perform with her. Plus, our voices sound like magic together. It's almost eerie.
Essen and Berlin were also very special shows for very similar reasons. The art gallery that I playing at in Essen, Statt-Mahler, is composes almost entirely of flat cement surfaces. Singing in the space is like walking into a heavenly bathroom or stairwell with tons of reverb. There is also a winding staircase leading up the wall, interesting windows I can sit in, and the art on the wall was amazing, with just my kind of sense of humor. I got to play the room like an instrument and it was so inspiring. The people who joined us were so wonderful. It was magic.
Photo By Juan Lopez at Statt-Mahler Gallerie in Essen, DE
I then took the train back across the country to Berlin to play at Prachtwerk, which is one of my favorite venues in the world (I don't say that lightly). I mean, Berlin gives Music City a run for it's money in terms of artistry and musicianship. I've never seen a performance that didn't really blow my mind while I was watching. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I think it's probably the kind of people who gravitate to the city. Truly amazing.
Mirna Stanich, is also one of my favorite sound technicians that I have ever had the pleasure of hearing mix a room. She's got this intuitive quality that is truly special. I am always moved when she's behind the board to gush over her ears and instincts. During sound check I was mentioning a problem that I have whenever I play that room and she stood behind me, asked me to sing, and then went behind the board, now knowing firsthand what to do about the problem, and dialed that frequency out of my mix. The result was one of the best monitor mixes I have ever had, and I got to play the room AGAIN!!!! I wish I'd had the forethought to record the performance. But I did not. I have to really give a special shout out to those of you engineers who know how to make a monitor mix enjoyable for the artist. It is SO MUCH EASIER TO PERFORM WELL WHEN OUR MONITORS ARE BALANCED WELL. You guys are an overlooked part of the process that really deserve some recognition. I appreciate you and I appreciate Prachtwerk for having me again!!!
As the train barrels toward one of my last shows on the tour I am struck by how ready I am to go home and start unpacking my new apartment, and how truly short this tour has felt. I'm playing twice as many shows as I did last time, so I'm sure that factors into things, but I wish I had more time! Maybe next time!!
Xo
Kat
Strange Things Falling From The Sky
I woke up this morning in a grey haze. The weather in Germany over the last 3 days has grown decidedly winter-like. It is that funny transition between winter and summer. The temperature is schedule to rise again in two days, but for now, the sky is offering up all kinds of strange objects. Snow this morning, rain a little later, and just an hour ago this thing, not-quite-sleet, not-quite-hail, definitely not snow, started falling rapidly from the sky. Windows in the office started opening across the street. People sticking heads and and hands out. All of us noticing each other in the windows across the streams of white plummeting to the ground. The "storm" lasted about 15 minutes. These not-quite-ice, not-quite-snow, objects melting the moment they hit the ground. And now the sun is struggling through the clouds. Fighting for a voice and a name in a world where it's natural state is to shine.
The tour with Orion Walsh was wonderful. As it always is. Watching him grow as an artist and a person has been a profound experience. Especially as we began the world as accidental adversaries. Fifteen years ago, from across the room, we each decided that we didn't like the other person. Eight years later we had become friends and I found myself asking him if he'd recently had a lobotomy because his countenance had so totally changed. He smiled, explained what had happened (a total change of life-style and heart, basically), and we have been friends ever since. Years later he is one of my best friends. My door will always be open to him and I am so grateful to him for inviting me to Germany with him two and a half years ago so that I could start performing in what had been described to me so many times as, "my market."
People had been explaining to me ever since my voice changed (about 6 years ago) that Europe would probably be the most receptive to my style of music and sound and that I should start focusing my touring over in that area. They were not wrong. I LOVE touring in Europe. I get to spread my artistic wings in a way that I am not afforded in the states. And this frees me up so much that when I am in America I get to focus on really exciting collaborative opportunities.
Some of my best friends in the world are also out here. I have a couple of friends that I have been allowed to stay with in Offenbach whenever I visit. These women are so wonderful. Their home has come to feel like a home away from home. I arrive to a litany of gluten-free snacks that they have purchased in leu of my arrival, and we just drink wine and laugh for days. When my mom visited on the last tour I brought her out here just to meet them and it felt like I was extending my family. I love these women. I could never even begin to pay them back for their generosity. I am truly grateful for this relationship.
In a few days I'll be in Cologne. I'll be walking through one of my favorite cities in Europe and getting ready for a series of performances in the area. Myself and a contra bass play that I met on the last tour will be performing together for these shows and I'll be making some new friends. I am excited about these shows as well! Here is a list of dates. If you would like more information you can visit the Tour section of my website at katjonesmusic.com. :-)
Then I'll be joining Sally Grayson (another close friend) of Black Swift on and off for a few days between art gallery and garden shows. There are about 15 shows left on the tour, maybe a couple more.
I am about to celebrate my 20 year anniversary as a performing artist and so I've been feeling very nostalgic. Looking back at my career, looking forward to what is to come. (A finch in the tree opposite the window ids jumping from branch to branch and trying to get my attention.) As the year chugs forward I'll be releasing quite a bit of music. I'm presently working on getting "Muevete" and "I Can Feel It, You Can Feel It" released on 7 inch vinyl. Andrew Collins (of The Prophets) and I have been working on mixing some live performances to be released this year. I am working with one of my favorite artists to release a meditation on peace during the apocalypse and we've been going back and forth on two brand new songs. I'll be performing these with Joshua Dent (cello player and collaborator) later this year at a special performance art event. I've also been accepted onto an Entrepreneurial Artists program in Nashville called, Periscope. It's strange to be planning my career two years in advance, but that is definitely happening, which is scary. And I have changed so much as a person that it's hard to keep up to be perfectly honest.
If you live in Nashville there's a cool collaboration that we at abrasiveMedia started working on with the Nashville Opera at the beginning of the year. They have some great things happening for their 2017 / 2018 calendar and will be announcing some of those at the next Art Crawl at abrasiveMedia on May 6th!!! I won't be able to be there but I have been stoked on this for months. It's going to be really special. If you can make it out we would love to see you there!!!
It's probably time I join the land of the living and get some errands done before I have to leave for Cologne this week. I've been writing a tour diary as well!!! Some of this will be available on my website and some will be available at abrasivemedia.org as I'm doing a blogging collaboration with them right now. More later! I hope to see you all soon!
Kat
The Calm Between Storms
Archive: May 8, 2013
– WELCOME EVERYONE –
Well, I hardly know what to say. It’s been a crazy, whirlwind 2 months… Let’s face it… for me it’s been more like 5 as all the planning for a tour requires a great deal of work beforehand.
THANKS!
I just want to start by saying thank you to all of you who came out to shows, put Minor Birds and I up in your homes, provided meals, answered emergency texts, bought merchandise, said so many encouraging things, supported our Kickstarter campaign, took amazing photos, recorded video, blogged about us, and supported Chelsea through her stollen and then reclaimed guitar drama. I want to thank Minor Birds for coming out on what was a lovely tour. I enjoyed working with you, joking with you, and getting to know the two of you better. I am glad to have known you both for so long and I look forward to seeing where your careers take the both of you. You are truly talented. I also want to thank my friends and family who supported me on this tour. You are all amazing. Thank you for your encouragement and your prayers. I love you each dearly.
OK… So now we’re done with the sappiness. It REALLY was a wonderful tour. On to the future!
MAY 20th IS MY BIRTHDAY
I will be taking the month of May (my birthday month, incidentally) off of the tour to rest and recover from the last tour, officially re-release La Rosa, La Calavera, and hopefully work on the last song for I Am Warm Young Blood. I am looking forward to the time off with friends and the opportunity to invest in the people I love. May 27th will send me back out on the road and I am SOOOO EXCITED! A good portion of the tour has already been booked thanks to Gabriel at Happy Family Productions. So I will get to see many of you again.
SUMMER TOUR 2013
I am in the middle of booking the last half of the tour. It’s essentially going to cover WA, OR, ID, CO, UT, NE, MO, IL, TN, KY, OH, NY and back from June to the middle of July (maybe more states). If you would be interested in having a house show or helping out with any of these regions… please shoot me an email at katjonesmusic@gmail.com
LA ROSA, LA CALAVERA
Thank you again to everyone who donated to the Kickstarter and supported myself and Minor Birds! Because of you I was able to get La Rosa, La Calavera re-mastered by the genius Bobby Spangler (Interesting fact: Bobby’s Dad invented sonar while he was in college and sold it to the US Military. He also invented most of the components used in modern recording equipment). There is instrumentation in the record that I had forgotten was ever recorded but can now hear thanks to him. He did impossible things in re-mastering this record and I am grateful and indebted to him. I would recommend him for any mixing or mastering job that anyone could throw at him. AND! He’s especially great at live sound. One of the best engineers I have ever heard and seen work. So somebody hire him before I do.
I have updated my Bandcamp page with the remastered versions of the songs. Feel free to go listen to and/or buy the tracks that are featured. I would even love to hear your feedback. I am really really excited to own the rights to this record now and would love to hear from you guys about it!
MUEVETE
On the tour I heard from so many of you about how much you love the new single, Muevete. This makes me so happy to hear. We recorded a music video of the song while I was at SxSw in Austin, TX. We’re still doing some filming and editing but you will know as soon as it goes live. However, you can hear and/or buy the single at my bandcamp page as well! Again, I would love to hear your feedback! The artwork for that song is also going to be the artwork for “I Am Warm, Young Blood,” my NEW album, slated for release in late August. Thanks go to the talented Sebastian Rogers for producing this song. He’s glorious. I am so grateful to work with him. If you purchased a pre-order of the album on tour be expecting an email any day with a link to download the song! I just have to get all my paperwork in order
LAKE GHOSTS
Then! I will be meeting with the wonderful, talented, and far too unknown Gary Murray from LN, to work on writing some songs for a side project we’re drumming up called Lake Ghosts in July, while I am in Nashville. You may know him as a former label mate of mine when we were working with Velvet Blue Music. We’ve been talking about doing this side project for YEARS and it’s finally a priority for both of us. I am really looking forward to it. He’s one of my favorite songwriters and has one of my favorite male singing voices of all time. So the opportunity to make a duets record with him will be something I’ve wanted for a very long time. Right now, we’re just in the writing stages. So hopefully it’ll work out!!!
This will be followed by my touring home and then another break to work on releasing I Am Warm Young Blood (yes, I changed the title back to the origional!).
GOLD WOLF GALAXY
Some of you know that I also do some singing in a band called Gold Wolf Galaxy. My friends Johnny Roger Schofield and Spencer Ramsey make sexy viking dance music. It’s pretty wonderful. We’ve been collaborating for a couple of years and 2 of the songs that we’ve worked on together made it on to their new album WHICH WAS RELEASED 2 WEEKS AGO!!! The time vortex that is touring dragged me under or I would have let you know then but I only just realized what day it was about 3 hours ago You can listen to the new album on Spotify if you like! And you can download it at their AMAZON page.
VIDEO
Also – on a fun note: I make a little tutorial about how I make the plaster skulls that I have been selling on tour and using as a Kickstarter incentive. You are welcome to look at it on my Youtube Page.
WRAP UP AND AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT YOUR DOWNLOADS
I suppose that about covers things! If you have ordered something that comes with a download over the last 3 months… check your email box. That download may have gotten lost in your spam filter.
Email me with anything you like guys! I really appreciate all of you and hope you are having a lovely day! Welcome to the new Kat Jones Mailing List!
xo
Kat Jones
http://www.katjonesmusic.com
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“Kat Jones, a singer-songwriter who writes damn good songs and who’s new album, La Rosa, La Calavera, should have no trouble convincing you.” – Esquire Magazine
Wow! There is just so much...
Archive: March 7, 2013
I write this from the living room of my best friend, Whitney Williams. Around me Chelsea & Joel Wilde (of Minor Birds) are packing their things and getting the van ready for our jaunt out to San Diego to play our next show. Last night was Hotel Cafe, a beautiful space, and kind staff. We enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Good news! Over the last 2 days our Kickstarter was fully funded! I just wanted to thank everyone who contributed and let you know how kind it is for you to have invested in our art. The art table has been a HUGE hit. Every day we have someone coming up and playing with the typewriter or going through everything and marveling at the different pieces we have on display. That has so much to do with you and we really appreciate it!!! There’s still an hour left on the Kickstarter so if you bid last time and it slipped your mind this time around you still have a minute to do it! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/katjonesmusic/kat-jones-and-the-band-minor-birds-nuclear-migrati
So we’re 7 days in and about to migrate through the middle of the state on our way to ten whole days in Texas. Crazy. But so exciting. We can not wait to see all of you.
And yesterday marks a first for me! I spent some time at my friend Amanda Bear’s fashion design studio, working on finding and fitting me for a dress to wear for my video shoot in Austin! We’ll be working on Muevete and it was so amazing of her to loan us one of her fabulous pieces for the shoot! You can find her at http://www.Facebook.com/larkspurla – Please go and check out some of her designs. She also designs lingerie and is a wonderful person. If you came out to her house show with myself and Gayle Skidmore last year you know how amazing she is!
That is me in the studio trying the dress on
Well, we’re now in a hurry and the band is waiting for me to get my stuff together! So I should head out. But thank you again!!! You are lovely people and I can’t wait to see you!!!! More photos to come!
Here’s a list of tour dates!!!
Thursday, March 7 San Diego, CA – House Show TBA w/ Special Guest Gayle Skidmore
Saturday, March 9 Albequerqui, NM – Orchid Chamber
Sunday, March 10 Amarillo, TX – The 806
Monday, March 11 Lubbock, TX – Robbie Sanders House
Tuesday, March 12 SxSw
Wednesday, March 13 SxSw – VIDEO SHOOT FOR MUEVETE!!
Thursday, March 14 SxSw
Friday, March 15 SxSw
Saturday, March 16 SxSw – Cobra Studios – w/ Special Guest Insomniac Folklore!
Monday, March 18 Houston, TX – Brasil Cafe w/ Special Guest Dewveal
Tuesday, March 19 Denton, TX – J&J’s Pizza
Wednesday, March 20 Wichitah, KS – Vertical Violet w/ Special Guest Insomniac Folklore!
Thursday, March 21 Little Rock, AK – Vinos
Friday, March 22 Nashville, TN – The Anchor
Tuesday, March 26 Cincinnati, OH – Southgate House w/Shiny and the Spoon.
Wednesday, March 27 Columbus, OH – Kobo Live with Weight of Whales and William Reach
Thursday, March 28 Buffalo, NY – Kickstarter House Show – Thanks Patrick!
Friday, March 29 NYC, NY – Pending
Saturday, March 30 Cleveland, OH – Market Street Wine Bar
Sunday, March 31 Detroit, MI – Pending
Monday, April 1 Chicago, IL – Elbo Room Lounge 9pm w/ Special Guest Jordan-Morgan Lansdowne
Tuesday, April 2 Omaha, NE – Louis Bar & Grill w/ Special Guest Orion Walsh
Wednesday, April 3 KC City – TBA
Thursday, April 4 Denver – TBA
Friday, April 5 Ft. Collins – Pending
Saturday, April 6 SLC, UT – Kilby Court w/ Special Guests TBA
Sunday, April 7 Boise, ID – Pending
Monday, April 8 Boise, ID – The Red Room w/ Brown Shoe & St. Helens
Wednesday, April 10 Seattle, WA – Pending
Thursday, April 11 Olympia, WA – Pending
Friday, April 12 Nuclear Winter Ball @ The Bird House to celbrate the end of the tour (Possibly GRIMM viewing) – Kat Jones will not be performing but she will be dressed to the nines
Saturday, April 13 – Longview, WA – Pending w/ Special Guest Paul Mauer
Tuesday, April 16 – Al’s Den w/ Matt Hopper (minor birds will not be playing this show)
Wednesday, April 17 – Medford, OR – TBA
Thursday, April 18 – Fresno, CA – TBA
Friday, April 19 – San Francisco, CA – TBA
Saturday, April 20 – Sonoma, CA – TBA
Sunday, April 21 – Sonoma, CA – TBA
Tuesday, April 22 – Sacramento, CA – TBA
Wednesday, April 23 – Sonora, CA – TBA (FINAL SHOW OF THE TOUR!!!!)
See you there!!!
xo
Kat Jones
One More Hour To Go!
Archive: February 17, 2013
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR YOUR HELP WITH OUR KICKSTARTER PROJECT!
I don’t think I realized how much energy this was going to take in the long run. But you all are WONDERFUL and myself (Kat Jones) and Minor Birds are so thankful for all our friends and fans who have gotten involved and pitched in on this project! I am laboring over the last moments of this project, packing my things to leave my beautiful home for 2 months, and tomorrow I’ll be going to get the lava rocks for the Lava Buddy incentive on the Kickstarters! I’ve been crafting skulls like crazy and even sold one 2 nights ago at our show!
By the way, those of you who came to the show on Friday, thank you so much for coming out! That was such a special evening for me. Your support, kindness, and encouragement really blessed me and made it a wonderful time to perform for you. I really appreciate each of you for sticking it out in a very warm room filled with strangers. You are all wonderful.
Anyhow… that note aside, I just wanted to thank all of you and let you know that we will be launching another fund raiser on the end of this so make sure that everyone gets their incentives. It’s been a learning curve for sure and we’ll have to figure out how to cut back on some costs for the art table as a result of not meeting our goal (unless $2,500 comes in the next 3 hours… which isn’t impossible!) but we will accommodate you all and get you everything you were so excited about in these incentives. Thank you for your feedback & your support. I know most of you personally and as the names of supporters have been coming in it has brought a smile to my face to think of each of you. We are so grateful!
I will be leaving for California on Tuesday and look forward to seeing even more of you over the coming months and weeks. Again, thank you for everything. We’ll be sending out notice about our fundraiser re-launch over the next day or so. Please continue to spread the word over the next three hours. It’s still possible to meet our goal! And then we can all just take a deep breath and relax.
Again, we are sooooo grateful for your support! You will hear from me shortly.
But I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone!
Sincerely,
Kat Jones
Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!!!
Well, I am pretty excited today. My friend Lacey came over, we’d worked most of the day away in the craft room and have ended up with these:
All of them are painted w/ chalkboard paint btw… so you can write whatever you like on it as well These guys are the La Calavera section of the Kickstarter and come with a free download of the re-mastered “La Rosa, La Calavera,” which, the glorious, Bobby Spangler finished last week. So please tell your friends to come by and check the page out… we’re about $2500 away from our goal with 2 days left. Not impossible but definitely not easy.
Love you guys! Thank you for everything! Happy Valentines Day!!!
xo – Kat Jones
Just click below to get your own!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/katjonesmusic/kat-jones-and-minor-birds-nuclear-migration-spring
The Sounds of Exhaustion
Archive: February 12, 2013
Hi everyone!
I hope this letter finds you all well. You will find me very well but also very tired. Just as I closed the chapter on my winter, off-season income, Minor Birds and I launched a Kickstarter page! and I got selected to be an extra on GRIMM! I am very excited about both. Happily, as I have a lot of work to do on the tour and a lot of practicing to do to get ready for next week’s show at The Thorne Lounge in Portland, shooting for GRIMM drew to a close today and it was a GREAT time. I was surprised to discover that I’ll have pretty prominent placement in the episode (provided that editing doesn’t leave me on the cutting room floor entirely). The episode I will be on is “Episode 17: One Angry Faucsbaux.” I wonder if I’ll get to see it if I’m on the road when it comes out? Hmmmmmmm. Anyhow, here’s some proof I was there. I have a gag order in regard to anything about the episode, so please forgive the lack of further details.
Anyhow… now that we’re done I can end that distraction and move back to what really is my heart: Music. I am happy to announce that a couple of days ago Trevor Rodgers from the band the Clumsy Lovers posted an interview he did for me a while back. http://ninequestionsformusicians.com/
The man was kind enough to sit on it until our Kickstarter launched. But now that it has he’s been helping us promote a little bit. Feel free to look around. I loved the interview, he had great questions (a bunch of my friends contributed to one of my answers) and is a very nice gentleman. You can listen to his band HERE.
Now: I am going to start featuring incentives for our Kickstarter. We worked sooooo hard on coming up with really good incentives and this one I am especially eager to promote. It’s the Kat Jones “LAVA BUDDY.” And here is a link to a video to explain it by yours truly.
Kat Jones Wants To Help You Help Her Guide You Through The Apocalypse
A FEW DAYS LATER
I’m going to be ready for a vacation once the tour prep is finished. About 16 hours of work a day have led to complete and total exhaustion. I thought I was tired after the GRIMM shooting… oh no… I was not. But neither am I complaining. It’s a joy to be working so much.
Anyhow… We only have 4 days left for you support our Kickstarter page. And a common question we’ve been coming up against is “How Do I Get More Than One Incentive?” Basically, you can choose the amount that you end up giving us. Just let us know through the page which incentives the money goes to and we’ll make sure you get it! A couple of people have done this so far and it’s a great option as there are soooo many cool things available on the page. Like this:
By Chelsea Wilde
This is Chelsea Wilde’s amazing GORIGAMI that she designed. You can make your standard origami swan look like a pterodactyl!!!! And she’ll send you a pre folded swan in case you feel the package is too precious to open and use. It’s a genius design and one of the many things we’ll have featured on our art table!!!
I am pretty excited. I have been pouring plaster mould after plaster mould to make the skulls that I’ll be selling with the re-mastered version of “La Rosa, La Calavera.” I am pretty excited about that. And tomorrow I will be taking a trip to Mt. St. Helens to excavate the lava for the Lava Buddies that I’ll be making to sell as a single for the song “Muevete.” The first single off of the new album, “Dear Apocalypse.”
I have not had a busy season like this in YEARS and I’d forgotten how it makes one feel or the intense desire to sleep for a week that hits in the middle of a long work week. But I’d have it no other way. I just have to figure out how to be kind to myself in the middle of all this. Maybe I’ll take myself to a $2 movie tonight at the Academy.
FREE MUSIC!
BTW… if you share the Kickstarter page with your friends let me know. Both Minor Birds and I will send you a free song. Mine is a demo for a brand new song that I recorded in my back yard in August and Minor Birds have a single that they have just released at minorbirds.bandcamp.com that you’ll get a free download of! Here’s the link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/katjonesmusic/kat-jones-and-minor-birds-nuclear-migration-spring
TOUR:
It looks like the tour is almost finished with booking. Again, if you’d like to grab the $300 Kickstarter incentive for the house show please email me at katjonesmusic@gmail.com and we’ll route the tour to you if we can. There are some open slots on the tour… so just give me a heads up We can make it work, I am sure of it. Here are the updated tour dates. We’ve tied up almost all the loose ends so I’ll let you know as soon as we have all that. If you need more information: addresses, etc…. Just click on the SHOWS link on my website and you’ll see all those details as I get them, if we have them
Wednesday, Februaruy 27 – Sonoma, CA – Epicurean Connection
Thursday, February 28 – Sacramento – Old Ironsides w/ Reggie Ginn
Friday, March 1 – Fresno, Ca – Fresno Brewing Company w/ Brother Luke & The Comrades
Saturday, March 2 Sonora, CA – The Greater Good
Sunday, March 3 San Francisco, CA – Brick and Mortar Music Hall
Wednesday, March 6 Los Angeles, CA – Hotel Cafe w/ Special guest Gayle Skidmore
Thursday, March 7 San Diego, CA – House Show TBA w/ Special Guest Gayle Skidmore
Friday, March 8 – Phoenix, AZ – TBA
Saturday, March 9 Albequerqui, NM – TBA
Sunday, March 10 Amarillo, TX – The 806
Monday, March 11 Lubbock, TX – Robbie Sanders House
Tuesday, March 12 SxSw
Wednesday, March 13 SxSw
Thursday, March 14 SxSw
Friday, March 15 SxSw
Saturday, March 16 SxSw – Cobra Studios – w/ Special Guest Insomniac Folklore!
Sunday, March 17 San Antonio, TX – TBA
Monday, March 18 Houston, TX – Brasil Cafe w/ Special Guest Dewveal
Tuesday, March 19 Denton, TX – TBA
Wednesday, March 20 Wichitah, KS – Vertical Violet w/ Special Guest Insomniac Folklore!
Thursday, March 21 Tulsa, OK – Pending
Friday, March 22 Little Rock, AK – TBA
Saturday, March 23 Nashville, TN – Pending
Sunday, March 24 – Nashville, TN – TBA
Tuesday, March 26 Cincinnati, OH – Southgate House w/Shiny and the Spoon.
Wednesday, March 27 Columbus, OH – Kobo Live with Weight of Whales and William Reach
Thursday, March 28 Buffalo, NY – Kickstarter House Show – Thanks Patrick!
Friday, March 29 NYC, NY – Pending
Saturday, March 30 Cleveland, OH – Pending
Sunday, March 31 Detroit, MI – Pending
Monday, April 1 Chicago, IL – Elbo Room Lounge 9pm w/ Special Guest Jordan-Morgan Lansdowne
Tuesday, April 2 Omaha, NE – Louis Bar & Grill w/ Special Guest Orion Walsh
Wednesday, April 3 KC City – TBA
Thursday, April 4 Denver – TBA
Friday, April 5 Ft. Collins – Pending
Saturday, April 6 SLC, UT – Kilby Court w/ Special Guests TBA
Sunday, April 7 Boise, ID – Pending
Monday, April 8 Boise, ID – Pending
Wednesday, April 10 Seattle, WA – Pending
Thursday, April 11 Olympia, WA – Pending
Friday, April 12 Nuclear Winter Ball @ The Bird House to celbrate the end of the tour (Possibly GRIMM viewing) – Kat Jones will not be performing but she will be dressed to the nines
Saturday, April 13 – Longview, WA – Pending w/ Special Guest Paul Mauer
Thanks everyone for your continued support. I’m going to go take a nap
xo
kat
Here’s a picture of my dog sleeping during the long drive home from my last tour in September. She’s not coming along this time. I already miss her sweet face
The Kat Jones & Minor Birds Kickstarter is LIVE!
Archive: February 3, 2013
Hey Everyone!
I hope this email finds everyone extremely well. I’m going out tonight to see My Brightest Diamond play so I’ll make this note quick. I just wanted to let everyone know that the Kickstarter package for Kat Jones & Minor Birds Nuclear Migration Tour went live today. We did a lot of work to make the incentives for this project really special (including a re-release of my last alubm, La Rosa, La Calavera (feat. Richard Swift from the Shins!) and a single from my new album called “Muevete”. I get recued by birds in that song. So please check it out!
I’m off. Have a great evening everyone!
Here’s a link to the project! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/katjonesmusic/kat-jones-and-minor-birds-nuclear-migration-spring
Poster by Chelsea Wilde of Minor Birds
Nearer To Dreams
Archive: January 30, 2013
My dog is sleeping at my right side next to the couch I presently recline on in my Portland home. She’s been whining at me all evening in regards to her not being allowed on this very couch, for great reason, I might add. I suspect roommates break the rules every once and a while… I won’t bother to disclude myself from that statement thought I know I’m not alone in this and perhaps not the primary offender… and so when we are sticklers in regards to these rules about the couch it makes Daisy really quite sad. Poor thing.
It’s been a long but good day and I am growing weary. However, I wanted to post before I fell off to sleep, or curled up to finish Pride & Prejudice.
Things are good. Really really good. I am making deeper friendships in Portland, I have a place to stay with roommates that I love and can securely say love me in return, my dog is happy, and I am in the middle of quite a shift professionally. My days and nights are filled with music, with practicing, with writing new songs, with art in general, with film, and with words. Last week was my first show trying out a duo with Tyson Kingrey. He’s been playing in the band for almost a year now but we’re stripping things down for a moment to re-invent what Kat Jones & The Prophets are. It was a really fun show and here’s a video of a new song I wrote when I moved into the house. Click the guy below to see that
You Got My Head Tied Up In Knots
At present I am enjoying getting ready for touring with my friends Minor Birds from Sonora, CA. http://minorbirds.bandcamp.com
Chelsea and Joel from Minor Birds are good friends that I have known for years and years. Last summer we decided to do this tour to SxSw and I mentioned to Chelsea that I thought she would really hit it off with Gayle Skidmore. And they did in a big way. So it will be fun to re-connect with Gayle at different junctures in this tour as well. As a matter of fact, I’ll be seeing quite a few friends. My good friend Bobby Spangler, who engineered the new album to be known as “Dear Apocalypse” and is remastering “La Rosa, La Calavera” for me is getting married. Weirdly, and without former planning, it appears I will actually be in his neck of the woods for the wedding. So I get to go! Felicity! The drummer for “Dear Apocalypse” is also going to be at SxSw with my friends Dewveal and as we are picking up a few shows with them in Texas there will be a little hanging out that I look forward to. Not to mention being in Nashville and going to the Soul night at the 5 Spot with my friend Bex. I really look forward to this tour! Both Chelsea and Joel designed great posters for the tour as well. Here’s Joel’s version:
Poster By Joel Wilde
So far the tour is shaping up well. We have some holes to fill but I am excited about the way things are panning out and I have to say that musicallyI think the Minor Birds and Kat Jones tour might be the best match I’ve ever toured with. So much so that we’ve concocted an idea to turn what would be a musician’s merchandise table into an art table. I am really looking forward to it. And don’t worry, I can’t divulge too much get, but even if we’re not coming to your side of the US or the world, you will still be able to buy what we’re selling. For starters, we are going to have a Kickstarter for the tour to help us offset the cost of making so much art over such a short amount of time. You will be able to pre-order a great deal of what we’re taking with us! The rest I can’t speak of just yet. But I am pretty excited about all of it.
I am looking forward over the next couple of months to re-mastering and gaining the rights to, my last full length album, “La Rosa, La Calavera.” I will be redoing some of the art-work as well. As I’ve been exploring some of the photos that didn’t get used for that art work, I have discovered some really pretty items. I am looking forward to walking down those memories again. And so it’s been hour after hour of listening to the album and re-imagining what it should sound like, as well as re-imagining the album artwork. The first 200 copies will be hand made by me, numbered, and signed.
Next I’ll be releasing a “Lava Buddy” with a digital download. It’s not a pet rock and I love the way I describe it on our Kickstarter page. But it’s my answer to releasing a cassette with a digital download. Only this piece will be a slice of kitch art you can display in your room. Also limited edition and hand numbered. PLUS! The download that comes with it will be your first taste of the new album. The first single I am releasing will be a song called Muevete. I sing parts of it in Spanish (or – Mexican really – I was harshly criticized by one of my best friends, who speaks Spanish the way Spaniards speak spanish and I had to explain that my pronunciation was due to the way I had heard the word spoken in California by migrant workers and that I was going to stick to that pronunciation) and I play a variation of flamenco guitar. I recorded the song with Sebastian Rogers, here in Portland. We had a wonderful time and this lovely gentleman named Skip came to play cello on the record. Never before have I had someone do a call and response with my voice through their instrument. It was lovely and I can not wait for everyone to hear the finished product!
So those are three very great things. I’m about to away to bed. But! You should know that any day we’ll launch the new Kickstarter page so please be on the lookout for that! I will have new reasons for you to pay attention almost every day that is running. It’s going to be a fun couple of weeks with lots going on.
Also – Since we’re in the middle of booking a tour I will give you a list of the dates we have and the dates we don’t yet have. Please help us out if you can or if you want us to come to your town let us know. Anything that says TBA on it can be swayed this way or that, so give us a heads up as to your ideas! I look forward to seeing all of you this year!
Also! Keep your head in the game. I’ll be going on tour with Catherine Feeney this year http://www.catherinefeeny.com/. There’s a great documentary on the page about the making of Catherine’s new record, “America.” It’s a fantastic record and her music is very inspiring. Plus you get to see Sebastian Rogers work a little bit. They are married. I love watching them work together. I met Catherine and Sebastian at a show that I played with them and Chris Caserez from Hanford, CA was backing me up on guitar. We had a great time and have forged a friendship out of that show. I love them all. Plus Catherine plays with one of my favorite drummers in town. Watching him play makes me want to jump out of my seat and sit behind him like a weird freak to see if I can absorb his movements.
It’s also likely I’ll be playing a series of shows with Joshua Hoke. He’s on his first tour now. So if you have some time to stop by one of his shows, he’s a lovely young gentleman. http://joshhoke.tumblr.com/
That’s it for now. Here’s those tour dates I promised. Addresses and the like can be found on the Tours page.
Contact Suzanne at greenhillpromotions@gmail.com to fill the open dates or if you have questions
Thursday, February 15, 2013 – Portland, OR – Thorne Lounge w/ Insomniac Folklore!
Nuclear Migration Spring Tour w/ Kat Jones & Minor Birds
Wednesday, Februaruy 27 – Sonoma, CA – TBA
Thursday, February 28 – Sacramento – Old Ironsides w/ Reggie Ginn
Friday, March 1 – Fresno, Ca – Fresno Brewing Company w/ Brother Luke & The Comrades
Saturday, March 2 Visalia, CA – TBA
Sunday, March 3 San Francisco, CA – Brick and Mortar Music Hall
Tuesday, March 5 SLO, CA – TBA
Wednesday, March 6 Los Angeles, CA – Hotel Cafe w/ Special guest Gayle Skidmore
Thursday, March 7 San Diego, CA – TBA
Friday, March 8 – Phoenix, AZ – TBA
Saturday, March 9 Albequerqui, NM – TBA
Sunday, March 10 Amarillo, TX – The 806
Monday, March 11 Lubbock, TX – TBA
Tuesday, March 12 SxSw
Wednesday, March 13 SxSw
Thursday, March 14 SxSw
Friday, March 15 SxSw
Saturday, March 16 SxSw – Cobra Studios – w/ Special Guest Insomniac Folklore!
Sunday, March 17 San Antonio, TX – TBA
Monday, March 18 Houston, TX – Brasil Cafe w/ Special Guest Dewveal
Tuesday, March 19 Dallas, TX – TBA
Wednesday, March 20 Wichitah, KS – Vertical Violet w/ Special Guest Insomniac Folklore!
Thursday, March 21 Altus, AK/ OKC – TBA
Friday, March 22 Little Rock, AK
Saturday, March 23 Nashville, TN – TBA
Sunday, March 24 – Nashville, TN – TBA
Monday, March 25 Day Off
Tuesday, March 26 KY – TBA – TBA
Wednesday, March 27 Columbus, OH – Pending
Thursday, March 28 Ohio – TBA
Friday, March 29 Detroit – TBA
Saturday, March 30 Chicago – TBA
Sunday, March 31 Madison – TBA
Monday, April 1 Des Moines – TBA
Tuesday, April 2 Lincoln/Omaha – Pending
Wednesday, April 3 KC City – TBA
Thursday, April 4 Denver – TBA
Friday, April 5 Ft. Collins – Pending
Saturday, April 6 SLC, UT – Kilby Court w/ Special Guests TBA
Sunday, April 7 Boise, ID – Pending
Monday, April 8 Day Off
Tuesday, April 9 Olympia – Pending
Wednesday, April 10 Seattle – TBA
Thursday, April 11 Eugene – TBA
Friday, April 12 Nuclear Winter Ball @ Kat’s House to celbrate the end of the tour
Tuesday, April 16 – Portland, OR – Al’s Den – w/ Matt Hopper
Friday, April 26 – Olympia, WA – Reality
Alright – Now I am headed off to dream land
xo
Kat
Christmas Storming
Archive: December 1, 2012
Merry Christmas Everyone!
This, as many of you know, is my favorite time of the year. I love buying chocolate oranges to crack open, walking downtown in the snow, smiling at strangers, and wishing people Merry Christmas. Our tree has been decorated for over a week already. My roommates and I are continually adding new bobbles to the rooms in our home. I have a purple tinsel Christmas tree that I need to pull out of it’s box and install in the craft room. I love this time of year.
I won’t be able to drive down to Fresno this year and visit my family, and it looks like for the first time in, I have no idea how long, I won’t be doing a Christmas tour either. Instead I’m hunkering down in Portland trying to get the new album out as fast as possible. Little tweaks to be made here and there. I hope this season is finding you all well… and if not… I hope I can make an offering that will help it shape up to be just a little better. I have tried to go to every site I could think of today (except Myspace… too slow – I’d waste my whole day on that thing) to bring you some free music for the holiday. So… here are some options for you! I have posted the “He’s The One I Need The Most” e.p. online and am offering for free or whatever you’d like to pay for it.
Art By Craig Garrison - thanks Craig!
Just visit these links
or!
http://noisetrade.com/katjones
Both, I think, will give you the option to tell your friends about how to download the album. Please do share the news! I would love to get this out to as many people as possible this holiday I am excited that the internet has made it possible to share music for free to people who want to listen. I hope it blesses your holiday
I also spent all day scouring the internet for free Christmas music. I got both the new Rosie Thomas and Sufjan Stevens Christmas albums and am sure that other things will present themselves as I keep scouring through. Now all I have to do is go through some of my cd boxes and upload my other Christmas albums to I-Tunes.
THE NEW ALBUM, SXSW, AND NEW MERCHANDISE:
Members of my band and I have been wracking our brains for 2013. I am really excited about what’s coming in the future. We’ve already started to hit the ground running for a tour with The Minor Birds from Sonora, CA to SxSw this year. If you’re interested in picking up one of those dates, now is certainly the time to get a hold of us. We’ve got openings from the Northwest, Southwest, and parts of the Midwest available in March, so please let me know and we can work our hardest to rout ourselves to you
With any luck the new album will be coming out just before or just after SxSw but no matter what I will be releasing a new single before that tour. And the format is still a secret… but it will make you smile. We’re also going to have a lot of really fun merchandise available on the tour. Chelsea from Minor Birds is an INCREDIBLE artist and will have a lot of fun things to sell you. I am in the middle of crafting and brainstorming a bunch of new ideas as well. So our merch table won’t just be full of the usual CDs and T-Shirts that most bands carry around. It’s going to be a full art show with limited edition pieces in theme with the musical art we’re making. I am super excited about what’s going to be available. I have frequently brought crafted items to sell to shows before (purses, pin cushions, drawings, well illustrated t-shirts and cds) but I am hoping you will find what we’ll have even more exciting than anything I’ve put out for sale before. I’ll start featuring items on the blog once the tour gets closer and I have a better idea of when the album is coming out.
SHOWS:
Hopefully there will be another show that we can call The Kat Jones Christmas Show! in Portland before the holiday arrives but I am playing this next Friday if you’d like to come out.
Portland, OR
The Bridge
Friday, December 7th, 2012
Kat Jones & Levi The Poet
8747 SE Foster Road, Portland, Oregon 97266
https://www.facebook.com/events/116579515172936/?fref=ts
Free! All Ages!
I also found this today! Chelsea linked me to it. I figured I would share it with you
I guess that’s it for now. I have a bunch I’ve got to get done this weekend, so I’d better go Feel free to contact me if you need anything!
xo
Kat Jones
The Quickest and the Quietest of Quicksands
My website has needed an update for months now. I don’t know why but words have not been coming as they have in the past. I suspect that the year and a half of homelessness has converted into a tired mind and words will slowly reappear as I root myself more deeply in the city. For now, I will let others say it for me. Like Scott Walker. I love this man:
It will likely work better if you ignore the photos playing. It’s such a lyrical song that I feel the pictures playing on this YouTube video will distract you from how beautiful this song truly is. And clocking in somewhere around 1:50 I have to say he’s a genius in saying everything he sets out to in just a few lines. It’s truly gorgeous grey weather walking music. This song is off of Scott Walker 4 and is available on I-Tunes in case you fall in love and suddenly acquire the need to own this peace of gorgeous art.
I would like to say more. But for now, I haven’t really anything to say… So here’s another Scott Walker song…
Halloween was fun. It was filled with a lot of busy little pieces of life: job interviews to help pay for my off-tour winter, helping my friend Elise with a project, escorting teenagers through the madness of Halloween, and yesterday I was lucky enough to play a show with Insomniac Folklore in Roseburg, OR. I tried out a song I haven’t played in years on a guitar I haven’t played on live since the Nashville Flood and have been re-aquatinting myself with. This photo was taken of Dr. Folklore just before I went on. He was probably singing something along the lines of “Kids listen to your parents but don’t trust the government. That’s just a good idea.” A super fun. It’s clear why those crazy anarchist conventions always want to have hime around
Dr. Folklore
This is all I can muster for now. Where did all my words disappear to? Well, more sooner than later
Kat
The End of One Season Brings Rest... But Then What?
Archive: August 15, 2012
Many of you have been following my journey through Nashville, out of Nashville, to Portland, through Portland, and now to… well… Portland. I am happy to announce that after 1 1/2 years of homelessness and sojourning around the country (and Portland, really) I will be getting my things together in 10 days and settling in a home with my guitar player Tyson, his wife and my keyboard player Jessica, and our friend Michael. It’s a cute house, well situated in SE PDX and has a place for us to set up a practice space, a craft room, and dare I say it: My own bed?
I come to this time with joy and a great deal of hesitation. It will be the first time I have ever set up a new home with 3 other people. Usually my roommates have already moved in, or I have had the whole space to myself (once it was a 3 story, glorious loft), but I haven’t yet had the slightly scary opportunity to choose paint colors with a group of friends, unpack and have to decide what stays in boxes and what homes out and sees daylight, but I also haven’t had the opportunity to build a creative space for music in my home, or to live with my band members. Even better? Two of our neighbors are deaf. I wonder if I’ll ever experience silence again with so much freedom to be noisy.
I can not wait to see my grandfather’s kitchen table again. I can not wait to put my art on the walls. I can not wait to have friends come and visit from Nashville, from Fresno, from San Francisco, from ???. I can not wait to stay up till all hours of the night and just write. Pen and ink. Legal pad an inky fingers. It’s going to be glorious. I can not wait for Daisy to have her own home.
Until then though, there are things to do and things having been done. I leave on a short Northern Californian tour tomorrow. I have 4 days with the road and 4 days planned with my mom in Napa. I am pretty tired, and a lot overwhelmed so I am going to try and get some sleep. Sorry to cut this rant short everyone! Here are those tour dates you’re looking for!
Upcoming Shows:
Thursday, August, 16, 2012
Sacramento, CA
The Naked Lounge
8:30pm
1111 H Street
All Ages
$5.00
w/ Jeff Campbell
& Natan Rodriguez
Friday, August 17, 2012
Tuolumne, CA
River Ranch Festival
6:00pm
http://www.riverranchmusicfestival.com/
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Sonoma, CA
The Epicurean Connection
7:30pm
112 W Napa Street
http://www.theepicureanconnection.com/
w/ Ezekiel Hampton
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Sonora, CA
The Greater Good
1 E Linoberg
7:30pm
$5
w/ Minor Birds
Monday, August 27, 2012
Portland, OR
Hawthorne Theater Lounge
9pm
$5
w/ Emily Wilder
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Corvalis, OR
The Wild Goose Festival
More Info TBA
Friday, September 7, 2012
Fresno, CA
FUSE Festival
Fulton 55
The Coffeehouse Stage
875 Divisidero St.
9:30pm
Weirdly enough, after that, I don’t have anything planned. The goals in place are to take 2 weeks off and breathe deeply. No band practices or anything. Then, I want to figure out when the new record is coming out for sure and get into some deep practices. I love my band but we have A LOT of work to do if we’re going to be at the place I’d like for us to be. Until I can catch a moment to get my breath and SEE what’s coming. I am not saying a word. Until then, hopefully I’ll see you at one of these tour dates.
Much love everyone!
Kat
Juneuary Days Stretching Out Warm But Grey
Archive: June 20, 2012
Here is your interesting fact for the day: In Portland June is frequently referred to as Juneuary. The characteristics of this oddity of a month require that one should keep a fall to winter jacket in their car at all time as at any moment the 80 degree sunshine could turn into a 50 degree rainfall. It’s nice for my voice. The humidity does very kind things to it. But, well, the days of sunless sky are becoming noticeable. I have come to correlate feeling groggy and tired with cloudy weather and I am starting to wish for two straight weeks of sunny, even hot and dry, weather. I think maybe it’s time to visit Fresno. I find solace in it being so close. However, my mother, who I am endlessly proud of, is on tour in England right now. She is off singing with her choir in York. Congratulations Mommy!
By now most of you know that the new album is going to be called “I Am Warm Young Blood” and that it should be in your hands any month now. We’re just doing some post production and then I have to record “Muevete” and possibly a couple of instrumental tracks for the finishing touches on the album. But all that is left are things I am doing solo most likely. The band in Nashville has done a bang-up job at recording and re-recording and filling in empty holes. If you noticed the artwork on the splash page for this website http://www.katjonesmusic.com – then you have seen the album cover, completed by David Landry (Who is one of my favorite artists of all time and one of my closest friends. I am very blessed.), and he has done the most wonderful job. I am so proud of everyone that has contributed to this project. Thanks to Dani K. Johnson for the website and thank you to my band in Nashville for working so hard and kicking so much ass and to my band in Portland who are busting their butts to get the songs down in time for a July-September blitzkrieg of playing and promotion in preparation for the album release (by the way, we are still auditioning bass players and drummers if you’d like to be considered).
As it just so happens, I am in the studio right now, with Peter Rodocker (Yellow Room Recording in Portland, OR). The band with the help of engineer Bobby Spangler (an absolute sound genius) did most of the work for the album in a Victorian mansion in Nashville. As we talked about using this mansion (I was house sitting there at the time) for recording it seemed like we might be getting what would only be an archive of the fact that Andrew Collins, Tim Denbo, Jacob Thornton and I had been playing together for two years and working on these songs. By the time we were done we knew we had the new album on our hands. Thanks go out to Patrick and Holly Murphy as well, who let us use their wonderful home as an instrument. You can hear the hundred years of wood in every note on the album.
Today we not only work on cello for the song that is presently known as “Molasses” but myself, Jessica, and Tyson (from my band in Portland, keys and guitar) recorded some background vocals for Bullets and Bruises. I actually really like producing and working with people to get the desired effect for the album. It’s fun to grab singers’ faces and stomachs to attempt a clearer vocal tone.
Last weekend was the anniversary of my father’s death. It falls right after my mother’s birthday and before Father’s Day every year. So one can imagine that things can be a little intense around that time. I have a yearly tradition which has developed of going on an adventure to celebrate my father every anniversary. It usually comprises of me grabbing my dog, Daisy and jumping in my car. I frequently decide what direction I am going in and then just start driving. This time I was trying to choose between going to Skamania and crossing the Bridge of the Gods for dinner and a walk through a sort of mid-western town, going to Cannon Beach (which has not happened since I’ve moved here, strangely enough) or going to Mt. Saint Helens. I chose the most apocalyptic option and left for Mt. Saint Helens.
The trip amounted to about 5 hours total in driving with an hour or so actually staring hard at the charred mouth of the volcano and marveling at the stratus of ashes mixed with snow on the mountain. But it was well worth it. I realized the moment that I drove into Lava Canyon that I had made the right decision. I spent the hour of time studying the mossy marsh under my feet, the strange bugs hovering over the ashes mixing in the water of a small stream, and the young trees, some of them smaller than Daisy struggling to stay alive.
I realized on this trip that I frequently end up doing something pretty mind blowing on these trips. One year I marveled in a cave over how the tears in the limestone over my head actually sealed themselves. That trauma of earthquakes within the heart of the mountain having a tendency of healing over time. Another year I was nearly struck by lightening as I watched an electrical storm move across the water into Paducah, KY. I screamed and laughed simultaneously as the hair on my arms stood on end and the back of my neck grew warm and electrified right before a lightening bolt tore over my head and struck the tree next to me.
And then there was Mt. Saint Helens. I imagined myself one of the few that was left of humanity. Daisy and I somehow surviving a great disaster. We now on a treck to find the others in the world. Learning how to forage for food and make shelter. Hoping for some kind of contact eventually. The moss was the color of photographs left in the sun and the river bed was filled with grey, sparkling ash. I sat on a rock that had not been around 30 years previous and meditated on how warm the lava rock had grown in the sun. I picked up 3 pieces of lava to take home from my journey. I noticed that the rock I was sitting on matched my dress perfectly. Then Tyson, Jessica, and I went out for chocolate and wine. It was a great day.
It is a few hours later. I have left the recording studio after a long day at the “office” and went to practice with my guitar player Chris Cesarez (who happens to be a fellow Fresnan by co-incidence). We walked the dog in the brief glimmer of sunshine and talked about how much we miss the sunlight and heat of Fresno. It was a quick trip to his house. Now I’m drinking tea at my favorite tea house and about to wind up for the evening.
Welcome to the new website everyone. I anticipate big announcements about the future over the coming months. I am glad you’re along for the ride.
Sincerely,
Kat Jones
Be My Winding Wheel
Archive: April 4, 2012
This is my first day. And my second.I have been trying to force ways to unpack and relax since I have moved. To try and process all that has happened in such a short amount of time. Each event filled day blurring into the next, drawing lines to other times and other places, asking me to pay attention. Believe me I do my best but each moment is becoming a wisp of fog on a late night drive through the mountains. I can drive really slow and try to appreciate each one for what it is but sometimes you have just got to get to where you’re going. That sums up this tour pretty well.
I began the tour with tragic news being delivered to me by a former tour manager. Paul Harper, my first touring bass player had passed away suddenly, and even more I realized I would be just barely out of range to make the funeral. I spent the first 2 days of the tour grieving deeply. I called his parents to express my condolences, I cried, and I hung out with my good friend, Ryan Garner to try and process some of the information. I thought I would have to wade through the tunnel of grief through the whole tour, as I have never just walked out of that process before, but upon driving to his town to deliver some flowers and a note to his family and making some plans to visit them on my way back to Portland, the grieving was set aside and I was able to move forward without that weight. Though I did spend quite a lot of the tour remembering him with good friends who knew him well. So he was not at all forgotten.
The leg of the tour where the talented Gayle Skidmore was with me was a great time. Gayle is a fantastic musician and a wonderful songwriter. I am SURE that she is on the brink of being a major force to be reckoned with and I am so proud of her. I got to know her really well on this tour and would absolutely go out on the road with her again. And we are planning on it later this year.
SxSw by all accounts was a great success as well. I so enjoyed my time with my Fresno friends. I introduced Gayle to everyone I knew and those who did not know Gayle yet accepted her with abandon. It was wonderful to see. I had to turn down a couple of shows over the weekend, due to other shows booked on the tour, but it was nice to add a couple of show, meet some incredible people, and hang out with old friends that I know and love deeply (Paul Chesterton (Old Tire Swingers), Mathr DeLeon (Fierce Creatures), Johnathan Hadden (Rademacher), I am looking at you). I also got a really fun photo shoot in. I am waiting on those photos. But here are some others:
I had to leave SxSw early for a performance with abrasiveMedia. Also known as some of my favorite people in the universe. It was a multi-genre art show and with Jason Goforth backing me up on his lap steel we played one of my favorite shows of all time, with modern dancing, aerial dance, and people making art as we sang. I have got to say… it was pretty amazing.
I then played in Nashville with my band, The Prophets. Yes, I have changed their name. It was probably my favorite full band show of all time.
I left Nashville shortly after that and began the tour home, stopping in Phoenix to discuss the concept for the upcoming Kickstarter video with my good friend Craig Garrisson. Who is also the man who designs my awesome t-shirts.
Los Angeles consisted of some business at ASCAP and some other things, among hanging out with my best friend, Whitney Williams, seeing Central Valley natives, The Stone Foxes for the first time, and trying to get a mocking bird to mimic me with Mark Luebbers. It was all pretty great.
I drove back to my birthplace of Fresno, CA for a reunion of one of my favorite bands of all time, The Soma Holidays, with whom I had the immense pleasure of playing with, and then played in Sonora, CA with Minor Birds (who are bad ass). The tour is nearly done now, with 2 shows in Portland at Vino Vixens to play on Saturday and Sunday. Then I will begin the journey of finishing the album and trying to continue to build a life in Portland. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S COMING. But I have my hunches that whatever it is… It’s going to be huge. And I am sooooo looking forward to it. What a wonderful 5 weeks it’s been. I look forward to the rest of the year.
BTW! You can hear a rough mix of the first track on I AM WARM YOUNG BLOOD here (not to mention see some more of my experience at SxSw through Ryan C. Jones’ eyes: http://www.ryancjonesphoto.com/blog/street/sxsw-2012/ Thanks Ryan!!!
AND here is a retrospective on two of my touring vehicles. I think you will enjoy them
http://www.firstcarstory.com/story/21030
http://www.firstcarstory.com/story/21012
xo!
Kat Jones
Nashville Show Tonight!!!
Archive: March 21, 2012
The tour has been AMAZING SO FAR and with over 2 weeks left on it I can not wait to see what it has in store I will have more information on the rest of the dates in a couple of days… but for now I wanted to remind the Nashville folk that I am playing The Basement in Nashville tonight!!!
This is basically going to also be my HI FRIENDS!!! Party! I haven’t seen very many people since I arrived as I’ve been trying to complete a ton of personal business. But please come by at 9pm. The Show is Free. I will be playing with my whole band. We will go out and get food and drinks after. Love you!
1604 8th Ave S Nashville, TN 37203
Kat 🙂
Just a Quickie!
Archive: March 7, 2012
Well, friends… I don’t have a lot of time. We’ve got to get on the road to Albuquerquie, NM right now but I wanted you to know that I just added some information on the Tour page for Lubbock, and Dallas. Dont forget about that Amarillo show coming up too! Can’t wait to see all of you.
Other interesting factoids of the tour:
– I went wine tasting with my friend Ezekiel Hampton. I have never done that before and we had such a good time at the show that night. Thanks Zeke!!!
– Seeing Amanda K. Bear in LA was awesome! She is such a lovely and funny girl. I love getting to know her better. And the house show she through was so incredible. Thanks Amanda! You kick ass.
– I also got to see my good friends Mark Lubbers, Summer Oakley, Luke Passmore, and Rheanna Downey! And I got to meet Rheanna’s new son Eden. It was such an amazing treat. I love you guys!
The tour with Gayle is going great. We are having a really good time. People in every city have been so gracious in helping us to spread the word about our music and we are so thankful to The Fixx in Tempe for getting us a later show last night at Long Wong’s in Tempe as well. Thanks to Long Wongs Too!!!
A lovely lass from Lubbock, Tx , Casey also did an interview with me this week. It was pretty fun! Here’s the link:
http://newslangtakeover.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/new-slanged-kat-jones/
And I got a fun little writeup in the San Diego, CA blog Discover San Diego:
“And Kat Jones, she has got some pipes. Check out her site at katjonesmusic.com. If you scroll down a bit, you can find her song “Losing”. What’s absolutely great is how authentic it is: the homemade video (she is recording herself in what appears to be a back patio), the intensity with which she sings the lyrics while rocking out on herguitar, and her dead-on eye contact with the camera just, well, work. “
You can read the whole write-up here: http://blog.discoversd.com/san-diego-entertainment-blog/unsigned-sundays-live-at-house-of-blues.html
I also got to do an interview with Sophie 103.7 on Sunday. It was so much fun. Mookie was nice and so rad and had great things to say about the music. I really like him. You should go out of his way to shake his hand
http://radiosophie.radio.com/2012/03/05/unsigned-sunday-playlist-w-mikey-wax-kat-jones/
All in all it’s been awesome. Gayle is rad. She’s such a prolific and wonderful songwriter and getting to see her perform every night is a real treat. You can discover her, if you haven’t already at http://www.gayleskidmore.com
Love you guys! See you soon!
Kat
Oh!!! There’s also this! Thanks to Spencer Ramsey in the other project I sing in: Gold Wolf Galaxy. These are going to be my business cards
Let The Adventure Begin Today
Archive: February 26, 2012
Well, here I am. At the beginning of another beginning. I am packing my things, moving out of the house I’ve been staying in for the last month, cleaning, becoming acquainted with Season 5 of Dr. Who (Oh my goodness, I FINALLY understand what all the fuss is about), and saying goodbye to my sweet dog Daisy, whom I have to leave in portland but who I will be re-united with in 5 weeks. I can not WAIT to see her again. I had forgotten how hard it was to leave animals when I was leaving on tour. My last dog, Dutchess, was very hard to walk away from when I would leave, and she was always mad at me when I got home, but would get over her anger soon enough, and we would have a great time until I left again. Daisy is sad when I leave but never mad when I come home. Just hungry for a nice cuddle. So it will be nice to come home, road weary, and snuggle up with my wonderful dog.
I leave early-ish tomorrow for Northern California. Wine country. And I am really looking forward to it. Monday, I am going wine tasting with the kind gentleman who booked this show for me and then the tour begins! I may or may not make a stop in San Fran on the way to Fresno, CA to see friends. I am sort of flying by the seat of my pants. And then I get to stop off in one of my favorite cities, Fresno, to see family, some friends, and kick around by myself in downtown Fresno, before playing one of my favorite venues: the beautiful and historic Tower Theater. Trying to decide what I am going to wear for this occasion. But I know this! I am looking forward to seeing all of you. The rest of the shows are listed bellow. What is listed as TBA I will email out next week. I am just waiting on the actual details. If you see an open date (as in a gap between shows) and you would like to fill it – please email greenhillpromotions@gmail.com . Otherwise – I will see you very soon.
Wish me luck. I am so excited about this year! We have completed a three song demo of the new album and I will be personally handing it to people at SxSw in hopes that we can either get funding for the release, pick up a label to distribute the new album, or make friends to go on tour with in the future. Maybe all of the above I haven’t EVER done this before and I’m mostly going to be depending on devine appointments – those of you who know me know well that I am terrible at elbow rubbing and hob-nobbing. Mostly, I just want to make friends and maybe get lucky and extend that group of friends who I call family. 🙂 I am even going into the inner bowels of Nashville to get some music business junk sorted out (I have historically avoided Music Row like the plague. Even when I was living there). If that’s not proof that I’m excited about the new album, I have no idea what is. 🙂 But I am most excited about seeing my friends that I call family in Nashville, going to the 1960′s dance night with Bex, and hugging. I am planning on doing a lot of hugging. I will also be trying to spread the word about a potential Kickstarter page that I am gearing up for. If we fail at picking up manufacturing and distribution for the new album then I think this is going to be the way we end up going to bring this baby of an album through the gestation period.
I look forward to seeing all of you. Please spread the word. And again – if you post one of the videos of me performing (either Muevete, or the newest one of Losing – both are bellow this post) I will send you free music. Thank you guys!
Kat Jones
TOUR KICK OFF!!!
LIVE IN SONOMA, CA!!! FEBRUARY 28, 2012
Kat Jones @ Murphy’s Irish Pub In Sonoma!
464 1st Street East
Sonoma, California
8PM 21+
Thursday, March 1, 2012 FRESNO, CA Tower Theater 7pm $5 Saturday, March 3, 2012 Los Angeles, CA The Purple House 327 S. Avenue 20, Los Angeles, CA, 90031 8pm $5 Suggested Donation w/ Gayle Skidmore Sunday, March 4, 2012 San Diego, CA Hard Rock Cafe w/ Gayle Skidmore 4-7pm Free Tuesday, March 6, 2012 Phoenix, AZ TBA w/ Gayle Skidmore Wednesday, March 7, 2012 Albuquerque, NM TBA w/ Gayle Skidmore Thursday, March 8, 2012 Lubbock, TX TBA w/ Gayle Skidmore Friday, March 9, 2012 Amarillo, TX The 806 w/ Gayle Skidmore Saturday, March 10, 2012 Oklahoma City, OK We need help on this one guys!!! 🙂 w/ Gayle Skidmore Sunday, March 11, 2012 Dallas, TX TBA w/ Gayle Skidmore Tuesday, March 13, 2012 Austin, TX SxSw TBA Wednesday, March 14, 2012 Austin, TX SxSw TBA Friday, March 16, 2012 Nashville, TN Brick Factory Cummins Station Suite 126 “Works In Progress” – An abrasiveMedia Showcase Featuring works by David Landry – Visual Artist Rebekah Hampton – Fall Dance Company Kat Jones – That’s me y’allNichole Lim – Living Manequins Robert Cortner – Metal Worker 7pm $10 in advance / $15 at the door Purchase tickets here: http://abrasivemedia.eventbrite.com/ Wednesday, March 21, 2012 Nashville, TN The Basement 10pm Free Kat Jones & The Oscillators Kat’s first full band show in 4 months!!! This is also going to be the place of her… “Hey! I am in town! Come and hang out with me!” Party. 🙂 Still booking the 22nd – 28th! Email greenhillpromotions@gmail.com if you’re interested in booking a dateMarch 30, 2012 Fresno, CA Audie’s Olympic Tavern w/ the Soma Holidays 9pm $6 21+ Tickets Available Here: http://www.ticketfly.com/event/85769/
Big Announcements And The Tour Is Coming!!
Archive: February 16, 2012
So guys… There’s a lot changing in my world right now. I am taking the day off-ish to rest because I am freakin’ exhausted today.
LIVE VIDEO FROM THE YELLOW ROOM IN PORTLAND
But first things first! Big thanks to the guys at Live From The Yellow Room for letting me be a part of their video project! I got up bright at early to film this video with my good friend, Peter Rodocker (a musician I met in Nashville, whom I had mutual friends with from Fresno, CA). He has always been a super encouraging and kind person for the year that I have known him and has been a great friend to get to know as we have both moved to Portland. He’s also helping out with the post production and bits of recording that we still have to get done for the new album to be ready. Anyhow, we got together with about 7 other artists and bands and recorded these videos. I made some good friends and also made a good friend in Namoi Hooley, a fantastic songwriter who likes to channel the 1970′s and who we recorded some piano with for the song Without A Sound yesterday. I am looking forward to getting to know both of these people better and having them be a part of my life. But for now, here is my video with Peter and the guys from Live From The Yellow Room. You can also view more of the videos that they have filmed with other artists. Naomi Hooley’s video will be up in the next week and there are tons of amazing Portland artists, including some of the bands that Peter works with on a regular basis being showcased. This is a truly incredible music scene. And the Live At The Yellow Room videos only capture a part of what’s going on here. Check it out
For some reason I'm not allowed to post this video... so here's the link. :-)
https://youtu.be/AheKDp_asy0
http://yellowroomrecording.com/livefromtheyellowroom/
BY THE WAY… IF YOU “SHARE” THIS VIDEO ON FACEBOOK I WILL MESSAGE YOU A FREE SONG DOWNLOAD FOR HELPING ME TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THESE VIDEOS!!! Just make sure you link me in the message I really appreciate your support guys
Other news! Well, there are all kinds of shows coming up as I am going to be on tour soon. But highlights are this Tuesday I am playing at the Hawthorne Theater Lounge with the glorious Rich West Blatt, whom I had the pleasure of recording some background vocals for about 2 weeks ago. I am looking forward to seeing how the song turns out. But in the mean time you should head over to the show next Tuesday if you find yourself in Portland.
The tour that starts in less than a week and a half (I am not ready. I can hardly believe it’s coming up so fast.) I am excited about it. And there are some really fun shows on the lineup to be excited about.
TOUR KICK OFF!!! LIVE IN SONOMA, CA!!! FEBRUARY 28, 2012
Kat Jones @ Murphy’s Irish Pub In Sonoma!
464 1st Street East
Sonoma, California
8PM 21+ LIVE AT THE TOWER THEATER IN FRESNO, MARCH 1ST
I will be playing the Rogue Fringe Festival in Fresno, CA. at the Tower Theater. This is one of my favorite stages and the show is only $5.00 with many artists on the bill. So don’t miss that if you can help it.
ON TOUR WITH GAYLE SKIDMORE!!!
It is true that I will be on the road with Gayle Skidmore for the first part of March. We’re working on ironing out the finer points of these dates right now. But I can tell you that I will be playing in Downtown Los Angeles with her at a rare house show perofrmance on March 3rd!! https://www.facebook.com/events/210521069044243/ for event details.
ABRASIVE MEDIA MULTI-GENRE ART SHOW IN NASHVILLE, TN MARCH 16TH
Other exiting news is that the art co-op, abrasiveMedia that I work with in Nashville is going to be having a multi-genre art show. If you live in Nashville and you have been wondering about what we’ve been doing there this is a great event for you to come check out. There will be art everywhere, David Landry will be showing some of the costumes and props he’s been using to paint The World’s Largest Graphic Novel, I will be playing an acoustic set, and there will be arial dancing to enjoy. Ticket’s are $10 in advance and $15 the day of the show. You will be able to purchase those on Monday and I’ll have a link for you at that time. But in the mean time feel free to visit abrasiveMedia’s website at http://www.abrasivemedia.org
LIVE PERFORMANCE AT THE BASEMENT IN NASHVILLE, TN MARCH 21ST. FREE!!!
I am also excited to announce that me and my band The Oscillators will be playing a show in Nashville on March 21st at 10pm at the Basement! This is going to be a free show, and my main party to see friends.
THE SOMA HOLIDAYS REUNION SHOW AT AUDIE’S OLYMPIC IN FRESNO, CA MARCH 30TH!
I have to leave town for a Soma Holidays reunion show that I am really excited about in Fresno, CA. There’s not a poster for it yet, that I’ve seen but you can grab tickets for the event at http://www.ticketfly.com/event/85769/ and read about the bands if you don’t know much about them. They were one of my favorite bands about 6 years ago and Ben is probably one of my biggest influences. Eli Reyes also used to drum for me about 5 years ago and occasionally they both join me for full band sets in Fresno. You’ll have to come to see what tricks we have up our sleeves.
2 SHOWS AT VINO VIXENS IN PORTLAND, OR ON APRIL 7TH & 8TH!!!
Ultimately, Portland, OR will be my last round of shows for this tour with two shows in a row at Vino Vixens on April 7th and 8th.
http://feeds.artistdata.com/iframe.shows/artist/AR-7C2EC25E9E952115/iframe
I will post more information as I get it from my booking agent. But as always, if you see something you’re interested in booking and it’s nearby to one of these dates feel free to shoot an email to Suzanne Greenhill @ greenhillpromotions at gmail dot com
A new website is coming any day. I will let you know when that arrives as well Thanks to Dani K Johnson for that. What a woman!
Sorry I can’t be more insightful today. I am literally exhausted. Maybe tomorrow. But in the mean time I can not wait to see you guys around the towns!!! I will have an official tour list posted in the next week. I will let you know as soon as it’s up.
Thanks for everything guys!
Kat Jones
