Here’s what you ought to know about me. First off, I love songs. I love pop songs, folk songs, jazz, soul, and rock songs. I write whatever kind of song gets my point across most clearly. My point, usually, is about the miraculous, ridiculous, confusing joy of being alive. I love American pop music from every decade (Louis Armstrong to Beyonce), any folk music with guts (Nick Lowe, Patty Griffin), and just about anything that swings, grooves, or rocks (Billie Holiday, The Band, Donny Hathaway, Elvis Costello). Contenders for my favorite song of all time include "Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?", "Suzanne", and "F**k You". I believe that music is magic, and everybody needs it. That’s why I give mine away. I live in a pink house in New Orleans. I’ve got two dogs and a studio out back called The Watermelon. I grew up on a defunct cattle farm in Luray, Virginia. At sixteen I fled the coop to Eugene, Oregon. I cut my musical teeth in Philadelphia. I’ve played shows in forty-five states, most of Europe, and some of Australia. I’ve toured with Paul Simon, The Wood Brothers, and The Weepies. I ran a crazy-successful Kickstarter campaign. I’m an unschooler, asex blogger, and finder of four-leaf-clovers. If I died, and somebody came up to me in the afterlife and said, “What were the best parts?”, I’d have to say songs, sex, creativity, raw oysters, bravery, small children, and the feeling you get when somebody is utterly in tune with you, like the same spirit is kissing both your faces.

Raised on an exotic animal farm in rural Mount Dora, FL, Laney Jones sings tales of love and adventure with a voice that has been described as “a mix of lemon, molasses, gin and gunpowder” (WPRK), mellifluous and smooth but brimming with passion. Her live performance highlights her multi-instrumental prowess on banjo, ukulele, tenor guitar and harmonica backed by her band, the Spirits. Since releasing her first studio album Golden Road in 2013, she has traveled far from the orange groves and marshes of her home, graduating from Berklee College of Music and playing festival stages at Grey Fox, Shakori Hills, String Break, Lancaster Roots and Blues and numerous others.  This past January, Jones was featured on the PBS series, Great Performances. The 90-minute documentary offers an overview of the Kennedy Center’s American Voices weekend-long festival and features Laney as an emerging artist alongside musical great Alison Krauss. Additional accolades for the band include invites to SXSW, Sundance, a formal IBMA showcase and a Southern Musician Sponsorship from Belk Department Stores which earned her performances with Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. Laney Jones and the Spirits are set to release their next album in fall 2015.