We had the good fortune of connecting with Graham Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Graham, how do you think about risk?
For an independent musician, risks are a major part of every step of the music-making process. There’s a risk in being vulnerable in your songwriting that you won’t be heard or accepted. There’s a risk in booking shows that no one will come listen. There’s a risk in putting the time, equipment, and money necessary to make and share music with others that you won’t be able to live off of the returns. For me currently, there’s a risk that my next album won’t be fully-funded. I’m working on a new Christmas album that I’m trying to fund through Kickstarter, an all-or-nothing crowd funding platform for creators. As an independent artist, recording musically at a professional level comes at a high cost, so without the help of a label, I depend solely on the generosity and support of my listeners for projects at this level. I was able to successfully fund and record my first album, The Story’s Still Alive, last year. I found that when I put in the hours and hours of work on my end and asked others to step into the risk with me, we came out on the other side better for it. Individual, isolated, untested, and selfish risks don’t help accomplish much of anything, but with the genuine support of real community, intentional risks for the sake of making something valuable together transform quickly into rewards.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Growing up, I have always been influenced by good stories, whether in books, movies, video games, music, or anything else. As I started learning to play various instruments, I quickly fell in love with music composition, the idea that I could write music that accompanied a story. For a while, I thought I would end up doing that for film and media, but I started to realize that I could do the same with songwriting. That opened the door for me to begin writing about all kinds of stories, from fiction to moments from my own life. Ultimately, all of them point to what I believe is the greatest Story, God’s story in the life Jesus Christ. Writing songs is a way for me to draw the line and connect the dots with all of these moments of life and ask myself, “what’s the bigger picture here?” My hope is that those who listen can stop and do the same.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ooh, that’s a great question. I’m an Arlingtonian (is that the right word?), born and raised. I’m also a bit of a homebody…but once this pandemic has passed, we’d probably grab a burger and a drink at The Grease Monkey, go run around with my golden retriever, Daisy, at Tails ‘N Trails or Cedar Hill State Park, catch a Rangers game, and return home to play some board games with friends.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The reason I write songs is because I believe that the story of Jesus is worth singing about. I’m thankful for the many friends and family members around me who have selflessly poured into my life and invested in me as a person. I’m especially grateful for my church family, who I get to share in community together with weekly.

Website: grahamjonesmusic.com
Instagram: instagram.com/grahamjonesmusic
Facebook: facebook.com/grahamjonesmusic
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpabBGDwqRcigGxTMHkMMqQ?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits
Kynzie Story

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