Country Fried Rock 1510: The Bones of J.R. Jones Emerge from the Catskills Blues Scene
Summary
In this episode from 2015, we sit down with The Bones of J R Jones for a wide-ranging and honest conversation about his musical path and the making of his album Dark Was the Yearling. He shares how what seemed like a small, low-key performance ended up leading to a major connection, one that helped launch his debut record.
We talk about the deep influence of early blues on his sound, especially the raw, emotional energy of the genre’s pioneers. J R opens up about the challenges and rewards of the recording process, and how collaboration helped him shape and sharpen his sound.
Throughout the episode, you’ll get a real sense of the passion and persistence that fuel his work, and what it takes to stay true to your voice as an artist.
What We Wrote in 2015
The Bones of JR Jones is mostly a one-man band, although JR sometimes plays with a variety of setups. His recent album, Dark Was The Yearling, was made possible by a happen-chance meeting at an empty gig. The Bones of JR Jones is getting ready to tour the South and MidWest through the spring, so catch a show when he’s in your town.
Show Notes
- In this episode, Sloane Spencer talks with The Bones of J.R. Jones about his musical journey, one shaped by a deep connection to blues, introspective moments, and a few unexpected collaborations along the way.
- J.R. shares how his love for blues started early and really came to life during a key period living in the Catskills, where he began turning that passion into something tangible.
- He reflects on the powerful influence of early blues legends, artists whose raw emotion and grit helped shape his sound and approach.
- One standout moment: J.R. tells the story of a small, seemingly insignificant gig that led to a major break, a reminder that you never know which moment will open the next door.
- The conversation also touches on the importance of community and support systems, how fellow artists, friends, and even strangers have helped him keep going.
- J.R. dives into the making of his album Dark Was the Yearling, giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process and what it was like working with producer Charles Newman.
- He talks about the challenges of the recording process: tight timelines, careful planning, and the push to stay true to his artistic vision.
- By the end of the episode, what really stands out is J.R.’s dedication, not just to the final product, but to the whole journey of making music and growing as an artist.
Links
- Bones of J.R. Jones
- Bones of J.R. Jones on Bandcamp
- You may also like our conversation with M. Lockwood Porter
- After you buy music or see a show, we would appreciate your support with a few dollars in our Tip Jar
- Sloane Spencer now hosts a Gen X sleep podcast, Sleep with Rock Stars
Takeaways
- J.R. Jones’s musical journey shows how artistic growth can happen naturally, shaped by life, passion, and a love for blues.
- He shares the story of a lucky break, a random gig that ended up connecting him with the right people to make his first album. It’s a great reminder of how unpredictable and relational the creative world can be.
- Making Dark Was the Yearling wasn’t simple. It took a lot of planning, and the collaboration with producer Charles Newman added depth and direction to the process.
- J.R. stays true to his sound on stage with his one-man band setup. It’s a stripped-down, personal way of performing that gives him full creative control and really connects with audiences.
- He’s also big on keeping things personal with fans: selling physical copies of his music on Bandcamp, for example, shows his commitment to direct artist-to-audience relationships in a digital world.
- His upcoming tour isn’t just about promoting his work, it’s also a chance to test out new material, connect with audiences, and let the live experience shape the music as it evolves.
Mentioned in this Episode
- Bones of J R Jones
- Platform Music
- The Bunker
- Got a Groove Records
- Bandcamp
- Goodnight Texas
- Melina Cadiz
- Drivin n Cryin
Recommended If You Like
Country Fried Rock, Bones of J R Jones, Dark Was the Yearling, blues-inspired music, solo artist podcast, music discovery, American roots music, Catskills music scene, one-man band, indie music podcast, songwriting journey, music production process, Bandcamp artist, vinyl pressing, live recording techniques, music collaborations, blues music history, touring as a solo artist, small venue performances, artist interviews
Transcript
Speaker A
Welcome to Country Fried Rock. I'm your host, Sloane Spencer. This week I'm talking with the Bones of J R Jones, a moniker for a sometimes solo artist, sometimes band.
With a great blues inspired record called Dark Was the Yearling, you'll have to hear how J R hooked up with somebody who helped make his first record possible. It's a great story from what could have been a terrible gig today on Country Fried Rock. It's the Bones of J R Jones.
It's you like eavesdropping on these musician conversations. Tell a friend we appreciate you.
Speaker B
My guest today is the Bones of Junior Jones. We all refer to as Junior. Welcome.
Speaker C
Thank you so much for having me, Sloan.
Speaker B
So this is one of those records that I ran across kind of through friends of friends and then it was like I just didn't follow up. So my fault. But let's go back to the beginning because I don't know a whole lot about how you got into where you are now.
How did bones of J.R. jones develop?
Speaker C
It kind of happened organically, I guess is the best way to describe it. I've been playing music all my life, got turned onto the blues pretty heavily, probably about 15 years ago now.
But I guess I didn't really pursue it until I was living up in a Catskill kind of by myself and had some free time on my hands. Kind of developed this project that I'm working on now, the ones of J.R. jones.
Speaker B
What kind of blues spoke to you?
Speaker C
Definitely like old time, like Ruth blues, I guess, much as I love modern stuff or contemporary blues, you know, I was given a four disc set called American Roots Music and was Lion Lemon Jefferson Delta Blues, you know, slightly out of tune, off tempo type blues. And what spoke to me that echoed with me for some reason, you know. And I think part of it was just these guys who had very little training.
But the passion is what carried the music for me. Kind of changed my life.
Speaker B
I guess that is a similar way to which I discovered a lot of music. Box sets, compilations. Oh yeah, greatest hits records even.
Speaker C
I wish I could say that I was some sort of audiophile, you know, or something like that. I know what I love and the compilations are good for me to reach out and see what else is out.
Speaker B
There, you know, underappreciated method of music discovery for sure. Cool. So you've kind of been rooting around in this for a while. What ultimately led you up to recording?
Speaker C
A happy coincidence, I guess.
Living up in the Catskills for a while, moved back down to New York City after finishing some schooling up there and would do these or at least once in a month, or once every two months. And by chance I got a show back up in the Catskills on one random Wednesday night.
And I almost didn't go just because, you know, it was rainy, I think it was the middle of March, kind of very similar to today. I didn't want to drive all that there.
But anyways, I ended up doing it, visiting myself to get on the road and get up there and play this little show. And one of those stories where you say you should never turn down a show, no matter how small the room, I guess.
And I played for a room of maybe five people and one of them took me aside after the show and was very kind enough to say, you know, he's like, I have a little money and I'd like to put out your first album for you. So totally unexpected.
And then, you know, within a year my first EP was out thanks to this amazingly generous gentleman, motivated me and gathered momentum for the next one, I guess.
Speaker B
That's fantastic. How great to like unexpectedly find a benefactor like that.
Speaker C
Oh, it was, I mean, it's. It's not heavy handed to say it was life changing, I guess, you know, so it was something unexpected.
Speaker A
Hey, y', all, this is Sloan Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock. We've had an incredible year with more people finding us on the radio and our podcast than we ever imagined. Thank you all so much.
Careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
Speaker C
Hey, this is the bells of J.R. jones on Country Fried Rock.
Speaker B
You put out the EP and then what continued to develop for you?
Speaker C
Just kind of a one man operation, so to speak. So I didn't really know what to do with it. Tried to play as many shows as I could and garner some press.
Like one thing led to another, the next step would have been that I hooked up with a small licensing agency called Popcorn Music that put a little more gas in my tape, so to speak. They've been amazing, put me in touch with a lot of producers and motivated me to record as much as possible.
So it's just growing slowly as that, but they've been definitely a catalyst for the next stage for the full length. Absolutely.
Speaker B
Cool. So is that how you ended up having a song in the TV show?
Speaker C
Yes. Yeah, yeah. I've been very fortunate. They've done good by me. I've been working with them for almost two years now.
You know, I've had a couple of placements in TV shows and commercials and did a Theme song for Nat Geo and it's nice to know that I can kind of make a living doing this. I guess just going out and meeting people and trusting people that know the business, I guess is the best way to say it.
Letting them help them guide you.
Speaker B
I guess you've had these interesting and wonderfully supportive things going on in the background. What were the details of getting the songs ready? That became dark was the yearling.
Speaker C
It was definitely a slow process and I was trying to do it. The first EP was just me gathering the seven strongest songs I had at the time and just trying to lay them down as quickly as possible.
This one I was working with producer Charles Newman and kind of just a one man operation. I didn't have much money so we were trying to like basically do a lot of pre production stuff which took two months or so.
And we basically only reserved a studio for two days. Got into the studio.
We basically premiere six songs for two to three months and then go into the studio for about 10 hours and record those six months live as best we could and then do the next six songs for the next three months and go into the studio for another 10 hours. It was nice to have an extra hand to help me, guide me through the process because it was the first time I ever really had to do anything like that.
I really, really edit out the weaker songs, the weaker links. I guess I feel like, you know, full lengths and this is my personal taste. I always showed brevity is very strong.
I've been feeling things that are long winded. I'd love to have a 10. So that's just 10 songs with great stuff as opposed to like 15 songs of just okay material.
Speaker B
So how did you and Charles Newman connect again?
Speaker C
You know, it was a licensing company. Platform Music is up together. They've worked with him through the years and we both happen to live on the east coast in New York.
Met up and kind of just hit it off. And he's a very chill guy in terms of music sensibilities. I think we come from different backgrounds completely.
You know, he doesn't really have much experience in the blues, at least the genre as far as I see it. I guess it was really kind of nice to bounce some ideas off a sounding board with a different. That has a different perspective across the board.
Definitely challenged me in ways and push the album in a direction that I probably wouldn't have taken it by myself. But I'm definitely happy with the outcome. I think a collaboration for sure is like. It's a give and take. And it's a compromise.
Hope the best thing kind of boils to the surface after digging on it hard enough.
Speaker B
So what studio did you all go to?
Speaker C
Well, we went to one here in Brooklyn called the Bunker. They have two or three rooms in their little space in East Williamsburg here, and we were only in there two days total.
But it was this huge, gorgeous room and, you know, vaulted ceilings, stuff like that. Something as opposed to my first album where I was basically recorded in my. In an apartment somewhere.
You know, this was definitely more intimidating for me to feel like I had to get it right this time or it wasn't going to happen again.
Speaker A
Hey, y', all, this is Sloan Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock. Those of y' all who listen on our podcasts, it's a quick hit of just the conversation.
If you want the full radio program with all the songs that we talk about, ask for it on your local radio station, joining 20 other stations across the country. Get the goods@country friedrock.org hey, this is.
Speaker C
The Bones JR Jones on Country Fried Rock. You can find my music and all my happenings on the bones ofJ R journals dot com.
Speaker B
You all basically went in at two chunks of time and got everything laid down live. Then what happened with the songs? Like, did you add layers and how did that happen?
Speaker C
Yeah, we definitely did. We did as much pre production before going to the studio as possible. So, like, just like mapping out, arrangement structure going in.
And then I hired kind of a set musician, a bass player named Matt, and he came in and laid down the bass lines for me. And then we. My live show is basically kick drum, a hi hat, and me with a guitar or banjo. And so we tried to do as much as that as possible.
Straight to tape, I guess, having that energy as opposed to like multi tracking, laying things, like, you know, you lose a little bit of that ambiance. We basically did almost everything live and then definitely like, you know, we went back in and added some accents to it.
You know, maybe a violin here or there, you know, some drums.
Speaker A
Who mixed it for you?
Speaker C
Charleston's been mixing, I guess we mastered it with a guy named Donna Virginia. Tone Masters. There's a learning curve to it, and I'm still, still learning for sure. You know, I've never been technically gifted.
You contact these vinyl companies and you get quotes and stuff like that, but there's a whole level of files that you need to get over there. And, you know, they need to create the hardware to press the vinyl and stuff like that.
But it's a lot of fun, you know, to order a vinyl and then like, you know, a month in you'll get. You'll get the test pressing and you get to listen to like six different versions of it. That's where the masters from there. It's a lot of fun.
Speaker A
Where did you end up having that vinyl pressed?
Speaker C
This last one, I used a company out in Cleveland called, Got a group records. They were great. They do a lot of very responsive.
And I placed my order and like within 10 minutes I got an email and a phone call from the guy just, you know, walking me through it, make sure everything was correct. It was a good experience, for sure.
Speaker B
I'm of that era where I still like physical product related to music, and vinyl has been a great way to have that happen. What did you do in order to work on both the artwork and the rest of the physical experience with the vinyl?
Speaker C
I did all the artwork for it. My background's in printmaking and fine arts and stuff like that. So I try to do as much of that as I can. I really enjoy that, I guess.
And so with that in mind, I guess it's like going into a candy store when you see what the possibilities are in terms of pressing, you know, in terms of like embossing them or getting like gold inlay or if you're a fan of Jack White, the stuff that he does with his records, you know, it's such an experience just to buy one of those things. But unfortunately my budget, my overhead is I can't afford something like that.
So I try to make it as personal as possible, you know, like this last one I did with a small pressing and in the sleeve, I made sure that everybody knew that it was kind of this one off special thing. And what they were getting is one of 300. Only because of the way like mass marketing is these days. You know, you want to.
You want to try to contact somebody or touch somebody in an individual and not just have them feel that they're just one of many. Trying to do that on a budget is tricky. But yeah, you do what you can, I guess.
Speaker A
I'm your host, Sloane Spencer. You can keep in touch with us on Facebook.
But I really like Twitter, where we are at Country Fried Rock ending with R O K. And if you want to see pictures of my shoes, my dog and my lunch, stop by Instagram. But whatever way you like to hang out, stop by and say, hey.
Speaker C
Hey. This is the Bones JR Jones on Country Fried...
Transcript
Welcome to Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Sloane Spencer.
Speaker A:This week I'm talking with the Bones of J R Jones, a moniker for a sometimes solo artist, sometimes band.
Speaker A:With a great blues inspired record called Dark Was the Yearling, you'll have to hear how J R hooked up with somebody who helped make his first record possible.
Speaker A:It's a great story from what could have been a terrible gig today on Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A:It's the Bones of J R Jones.
Speaker A:It's you like eavesdropping on these musician conversations.
Speaker A:Tell a friend we appreciate you.
Speaker B:My guest today is the Bones of Junior Jones.
Speaker B:We all refer to as Junior.
Speaker B:Welcome.
Speaker C:Thank you so much for having me, Sloan.
Speaker B:So this is one of those records that I ran across kind of through friends of friends and then it was like I just didn't follow up.
Speaker B:So my fault.
Speaker B:But let's go back to the beginning because I don't know a whole lot about how you got into where you are now.
Speaker B:How did bones of J.R. jones develop?
Speaker C:It kind of happened organically, I guess is the best way to describe it.
Speaker C:I've been playing music all my life, got turned onto the blues pretty heavily, probably about 15 years ago now.
Speaker C:But I guess I didn't really pursue it until I was living up in a Catskill kind of by myself and had some free time on my hands.
Speaker C:Kind of developed this project that I'm working on now, the ones of J.R. jones.
Speaker B:What kind of blues spoke to you?
Speaker C:Definitely like old time, like Ruth blues, I guess, much as I love modern stuff or contemporary blues, you know, I was given a four disc set called American Roots Music and was Lion Lemon Jefferson Delta Blues, you know, slightly out of tune, off tempo type blues.
Speaker C:And what spoke to me that echoed with me for some reason, you know.
Speaker C:And I think part of it was just these guys who had very little training.
Speaker C:But the passion is what carried the music for me.
Speaker C:Kind of changed my life.
Speaker B:I guess that is a similar way to which I discovered a lot of music.
Speaker B:Box sets, compilations.
Speaker B:Oh yeah, greatest hits records even.
Speaker C:I wish I could say that I was some sort of audiophile, you know, or something like that.
Speaker C:I know what I love and the compilations are good for me to reach out and see what else is out.
Speaker B:There, you know, underappreciated method of music discovery for sure.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:So you've kind of been rooting around in this for a while.
Speaker B:What ultimately led you up to recording?
Speaker C:A happy coincidence, I guess.
Speaker C:Living up in the Catskills for a while, moved back down to New York City after finishing some schooling up there and would do these or at least once in a month, or once every two months.
Speaker C:And by chance I got a show back up in the Catskills on one random Wednesday night.
Speaker C:And I almost didn't go just because, you know, it was rainy, I think it was the middle of March, kind of very similar to today.
Speaker C:I didn't want to drive all that there.
Speaker C:But anyways, I ended up doing it, visiting myself to get on the road and get up there and play this little show.
Speaker C:And one of those stories where you say you should never turn down a show, no matter how small the room, I guess.
Speaker C:And I played for a room of maybe five people and one of them took me aside after the show and was very kind enough to say, you know, he's like, I have a little money and I'd like to put out your first album for you.
Speaker C:So totally unexpected.
Speaker C:And then, you know, within a year my first EP was out thanks to this amazingly generous gentleman, motivated me and gathered momentum for the next one, I guess.
Speaker B:That's fantastic.
Speaker B:How great to like unexpectedly find a benefactor like that.
Speaker C:Oh, it was, I mean, it's.
Speaker C:It's not heavy handed to say it was life changing, I guess, you know, so it was something unexpected.
Speaker A:Hey, y', all, this is Sloan Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A:We've had an incredible year with more people finding us on the radio and our podcast than we ever imagined.
Speaker A:Thank you all so much.
Speaker A:Careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
Speaker C:Hey, this is the bells of J.R. jones on Country Fried Rock.
Speaker B:You put out the EP and then what continued to develop for you?
Speaker C:Just kind of a one man operation, so to speak.
Speaker C:So I didn't really know what to do with it.
Speaker C:Tried to play as many shows as I could and garner some press.
Speaker C:Like one thing led to another, the next step would have been that I hooked up with a small licensing agency called Popcorn Music that put a little more gas in my tape, so to speak.
Speaker C:They've been amazing, put me in touch with a lot of producers and motivated me to record as much as possible.
Speaker C:So it's just growing slowly as that, but they've been definitely a catalyst for the next stage for the full length.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:So is that how you ended up having a song in the TV show?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:I've been very fortunate.
Speaker C:They've done good by me.
Speaker C:I've been working with them for almost two years now.
Speaker C:You know, I've had a couple of placements in TV shows and commercials and did a Theme song for Nat Geo and it's nice to know that I can kind of make a living doing this.
Speaker C:I guess just going out and meeting people and trusting people that know the business, I guess is the best way to say it.
Speaker C:Letting them help them guide you.
Speaker B:I guess you've had these interesting and wonderfully supportive things going on in the background.
Speaker B:What were the details of getting the songs ready?
Speaker B:That became dark was the yearling.
Speaker C:It was definitely a slow process and I was trying to do it.
Speaker C:The first EP was just me gathering the seven strongest songs I had at the time and just trying to lay them down as quickly as possible.
Speaker C:This one I was working with producer Charles Newman and kind of just a one man operation.
Speaker C:I didn't have much money so we were trying to like basically do a lot of pre production stuff which took two months or so.
Speaker C:And we basically only reserved a studio for two days.
Speaker C:Got into the studio.
Speaker C:We basically premiere six songs for two to three months and then go into the studio for about 10 hours and record those six months live as best we could and then do the next six songs for the next three months and go into the studio for another 10 hours.
Speaker C:It was nice to have an extra hand to help me, guide me through the process because it was the first time I ever really had to do anything like that.
Speaker C:I really, really edit out the weaker songs, the weaker links.
Speaker C:I guess I feel like, you know, full lengths and this is my personal taste.
Speaker C:I always showed brevity is very strong.
Speaker C:I've been feeling things that are long winded.
Speaker C:I'd love to have a 10.
Speaker C:So that's just 10 songs with great stuff as opposed to like 15 songs of just okay material.
Speaker B:So how did you and Charles Newman connect again?
Speaker C:You know, it was a licensing company.
Speaker C:Platform Music is up together.
Speaker C:They've worked with him through the years and we both happen to live on the east coast in New York.
Speaker C:Met up and kind of just hit it off.
Speaker C:And he's a very chill guy in terms of music sensibilities.
Speaker C:I think we come from different backgrounds completely.
Speaker C:You know, he doesn't really have much experience in the blues, at least the genre as far as I see it.
Speaker C:I guess it was really kind of nice to bounce some ideas off a sounding board with a different.
Speaker C:That has a different perspective across the board.
Speaker C:Definitely challenged me in ways and push the album in a direction that I probably wouldn't have taken it by myself.
Speaker C:But I'm definitely happy with the outcome.
Speaker C:I think a collaboration for sure is like.
Speaker C:It's a give and take.
Speaker C:And it's a compromise.
Speaker C:Hope the best thing kind of boils to the surface after digging on it hard enough.
Speaker B:So what studio did you all go to?
Speaker C:Well, we went to one here in Brooklyn called the Bunker.
Speaker C:They have two or three rooms in their little space in East Williamsburg here, and we were only in there two days total.
Speaker C:But it was this huge, gorgeous room and, you know, vaulted ceilings, stuff like that.
Speaker C:Something as opposed to my first album where I was basically recorded in my.
Speaker C:In an apartment somewhere.
Speaker C:You know, this was definitely more intimidating for me to feel like I had to get it right this time or it wasn't going to happen again.
Speaker A:Hey, y', all, this is Sloan Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A:Those of y' all who listen on our podcasts, it's a quick hit of just the conversation.
Speaker A:If you want the full radio program with all the songs that we talk about, ask for it on your local radio station, joining 20 other stations across the country.
Speaker A:Get the goods@country friedrock.org hey, this is.
Speaker C:The Bones JR Jones on Country Fried Rock.
Speaker C:You can find my music and all my happenings on the bones ofJ R journals dot com.
Speaker B:You all basically went in at two chunks of time and got everything laid down live.
Speaker B:Then what happened with the songs?
Speaker B:Like, did you add layers and how did that happen?
Speaker C:Yeah, we definitely did.
Speaker C:We did as much pre production before going to the studio as possible.
Speaker C:So, like, just like mapping out, arrangement structure going in.
Speaker C:And then I hired kind of a set musician, a bass player named Matt, and he came in and laid down the bass lines for me.
Speaker C:And then we.
Speaker C:My live show is basically kick drum, a hi hat, and me with a guitar or banjo.
Speaker C:And so we tried to do as much as that as possible.
Speaker C:Straight to tape, I guess, having that energy as opposed to like multi tracking, laying things, like, you know, you lose a little bit of that ambiance.
Speaker C:We basically did almost everything live and then definitely like, you know, we went back in and added some accents to it.
Speaker C:You know, maybe a violin here or there, you know, some drums.
Speaker A:Who mixed it for you?
Speaker C:Charleston's been mixing, I guess we mastered it with a guy named Donna Virginia.
Speaker C:Tone Masters.
Speaker C:There's a learning curve to it, and I'm still, still learning for sure.
Speaker C:You know, I've never been technically gifted.
Speaker C:You contact these vinyl companies and you get quotes and stuff like that, but there's a whole level of files that you need to get over there.
Speaker C:And, you know, they need to create the hardware to press the vinyl and stuff like that.
Speaker C:But it's a lot of fun, you know, to order a vinyl and then like, you know, a month in you'll get.
Speaker C:You'll get the test pressing and you get to listen to like six different versions of it.
Speaker C:That's where the masters from there.
Speaker C:It's a lot of fun.
Speaker A:Where did you end up having that vinyl pressed?
Speaker C:This last one, I used a company out in Cleveland called, Got a group records.
Speaker C:They were great.
Speaker C:They do a lot of very responsive.
Speaker C:And I placed my order and like within 10 minutes I got an email and a phone call from the guy just, you know, walking me through it, make sure everything was correct.
Speaker C:It was a good experience, for sure.
Speaker B:I'm of that era where I still like physical product related to music, and vinyl has been a great way to have that happen.
Speaker B:What did you do in order to work on both the artwork and the rest of the physical experience with the vinyl?
Speaker C:I did all the artwork for it.
Speaker C:My background's in printmaking and fine arts and stuff like that.
Speaker C:So I try to do as much of that as I can.
Speaker C:I really enjoy that, I guess.
Speaker C:And so with that in mind, I guess it's like going into a candy store when you see what the possibilities are in terms of pressing, you know, in terms of like embossing them or getting like gold inlay or if you're a fan of Jack White, the stuff that he does with his records, you know, it's such an experience just to buy one of those things.
Speaker C:But unfortunately my budget, my overhead is I can't afford something like that.
Speaker C:So I try to make it as personal as possible, you know, like this last one I did with a small pressing and in the sleeve, I made sure that everybody knew that it was kind of this one off special thing.
Speaker C:And what they were getting is one of 300.
Speaker C:Only because of the way like mass marketing is these days.
Speaker C:You know, you want to.
Speaker C:You want to try to contact somebody or touch somebody in an individual and not just have them feel that they're just one of many.
Speaker C:Trying to do that on a budget is tricky.
Speaker C:But yeah, you do what you can, I guess.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Sloane Spencer.
Speaker A:You can keep in touch with us on Facebook.
Speaker A:But I really like Twitter, where we are at Country Fried Rock ending with R O K. And if you want to see pictures of my shoes, my dog and my lunch, stop by Instagram.
Speaker A:But whatever way you like to hang out, stop by and say, hey.
Speaker C:Hey.
Speaker C:This is the Bones JR Jones on Country Fried Rock.
Speaker C:The album is called Dark with the Yearling and You can find it on.
Speaker B:Bandcamp.Com and so without physical distribution in place through a larger company, how are you selling these to people?
Speaker C:I'm selling these through Bandcamp, which is kind of a cool little site.
Speaker C:Yeah, I actually just got back from the post office.
Speaker C:I sent out about seven or so this morning.
Speaker C:It's time consuming and the curse and the blessing of it is that it's taking up more and more of my time to package this stuff.
Speaker C:I don't know.
Speaker C:I don't know when I.
Speaker C:When the next.
Speaker C:The next step is going to happen.
Speaker C:Maybe I'll have to hire somebody now.
Speaker B:We use Bandcamp for our charity compilations that we do.
Speaker C:Oh, great.
Speaker B:They just announced a huge like 30% increase in physical product sales over the last year, even though the overall record industry has gone down 11% in sales.
Speaker B:I mean, that's pretty incredible.
Speaker C:It's a great business model and I think from a small time artist like myself, I enjoy interacting with them, their emails.
Speaker C:I always have a nice energy to them and I feel like their heads or their hearts are in the right with a lot of what they're doing.
Speaker C:So I like working with Bandcamps.
Speaker A:I don't work for them.
Speaker B:I use them as a service just like anybody else.
Speaker B:So just.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:What have you been doing with these songs live since the record came out?
Speaker C:I'm always trying to grow and I. I've been doing this one man band thing for a while now.
Speaker C:I'm going to be going on tour here through April and May.
Speaker C:Trying to keep it small, but I'll be traveling by myself with a, you know, picture.
Speaker C:I'm on a hi hat and traveling to the Southeast and Midwest and I'll be playing.
Speaker C:I feel a little more confident in my skin, I guess.
Speaker C:And so when I play live these days, I've been trying a lot of stuff, try to make as much noise as possible, I guess on stage.
Speaker C:With being just one person, I'm really excited about it.
Speaker C:You know, I've been on the road a number of times, but this is definitely.
Speaker C:I think I'm out for almost four weeks this time and not traveling with another band.
Speaker C:So it's, you know, though I'm sure it'll be lonely at times.
Speaker C:I like doing it this way.
Speaker C:I bring my tent and some camping gear and camp when it's warm enough and make the best out of it.
Speaker B:Let's talk a little bit about camping.
Speaker B:What's your setup?
Speaker B:What do you like to do?
Speaker C:Well, I love camping, but unfortunately when it comes to touring, I Usually try to tent, Excuse me, I usually try to camp when I tour just because it keeps things cheaper and it gives me a chance to be outside.
Speaker C:You know, me traveling by myself, I'm stuck in a car sometimes driving for six to eight hours a day.
Speaker C:That gives me a chance to kind of get out, stretch my legs, so to speak.
Speaker C:But you know, unfortunately the downside of that, it's pretty much car camping, which is nice at times.
Speaker C:But you know, if I was to do it without tour, I would definitely stay off the beaten path and get lost in the woods for a little bit.
Speaker C:And I went on tour last, last summer and drove across country and I camped along the way, which was wonderful.
Speaker C:And the tour happened to be down on the west coast with a band called Goodnight Texas and camping in Big Sur, which was amazing.
Speaker C:Camping along the Pacific coast highway is, I think everybod at some point in their life.
Speaker C:The views are spectacular.
Speaker C:Something that's on my bucket list is to hike the Appalachian Trail.
Speaker C:So I want to start south and see the country down there more.
Speaker B:It sounds like it's going to be an action packed late spring for you going on tour.
Speaker B:What else is going on?
Speaker C:I'm trying to figure that out right now.
Speaker C:Kind of writing the next album, I guess.
Speaker C:I have definitely more than enough songs right now.
Speaker C:Right now I'm just trying to edit them out and figure out ones that work and which ones don't.
Speaker C:That's the nice thing about the tour.
Speaker C:I'm sure I'll be playing a lot of new stuff.
Speaker C:Maybe some of it will be a disaster and maybe some of it will be great.
Speaker C:So after the tour I want to try to look ahead and try to get back into the studio as soon as possible.
Speaker B:I think you said that this time you're gonna be hitting the road solo, you know, not partnering up with another band you had previously partnered up with.
Speaker B:Goodnight Texas.
Speaker B:Have there been other bands that you have connected with either on a scheduled tour or just opening for one another?
Speaker C:Good night, Texas.
Speaker C:I did a west coast tour with them and I did an east coast tour with him.
Speaker C:For some reason we always end up on the same level.
Speaker C:You know, we're always working together, which is great.
Speaker C:They're wonderful guys.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:I usually tour through the northeast with a fellow Brooklyn musician, Melena Cadiz.
Speaker C:We both do a solo thing, so it's nice to have some company in the car.
Speaker C:You know, we can both travel, we can rent a car and not have to worry about a van or anything like that.
Speaker C:Usually the people I tow with are kind of low maintenance like myself, I guess.
Speaker C:Melina's an amazing act.
Speaker C:She's got a wonderful voice.
Speaker C:Just put on I want to say last fall.
Speaker C:She's great artist.
Speaker B:Safe travels to you.
Speaker B:Looking forward to catching some of it as you head down in our direction through the springtime.
Speaker C:Yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker C:I'm really excited about it.
Speaker B:Be well.
Speaker B:Take care.
Speaker C:Yeah, take care.
Speaker C:So thanks so much.
Speaker B:Bye bye.
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