Vanessa Jones is a Maine-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, freelance musician, studio musician, and recording artist who finds inspiration through the beauty of the natural world. Jones has performed with an eclectic amalgam of bands – from jazz to punk, country, Celtic, rock, classical, Americana/folk, choral, theatre, blues, and alternative – and formed her own musical identity through her experiences and determination.
Journey
Jones began her study at the age of six, with a variety of youth orchestras and classical ensembles throughout her childhood. Jones then subsidized her collegiate studies by playing at weddings on weekends with a string ensemble and teaching violin and piano lessons. When asked to discuss where her style and ideas are drawn, Jones eschews naming national acts in favor of those she has worked with directly.
“My earliest influences are classical, musical theatre, and choral music,” Jones maintains. “I’ve come to realize and appreciate that my heaviest influences have actually been the artists I have worked with along my musical journey.”
During the past three years, Jones has been mostly performing solo, and as a duo with bassist Jerry Adams and others – deriving her primary income from music.
“I enjoy bringing sparkle to the human experience by sharing songs based on honesty, imagery, truth, pain, and love,” states Jones. “I find my musical home in the vein of Americana music, with my happy little collection of folk instruments.”
Recordings
“I knew I was a songwriter since a very young age, and my first recorded song – on a cassette player – was when I was 2 years old,” Jones stipulates. “At age 39, I realized that although I have done lots of recording as a freelance session player, I had never seriously recorded my own songs.”
Her first album, “40 Reasons”, came out on her 40th birthday. Jones’ second album, “words whisper” was released nine months later.
“In January of 2025, “Grow Flowers” dropped, and I am finally starting to sound a little like I imagine I want to sound,” Jones remarks. “I have started to receive a little bit of recognition from the folk music community outside of the state, which has felt good.”
Engineered by Alan Bean at Baked Beans Recording Studio in Harrison, Maine, “Grow Flowers” contains 19 songs, with many of Jones’ favorite Maine musicians augmenting her multi-instrumental execution.
“’Grow Flowers’ is written around the concept that we can nurture good qualities in others by the way that we conduct ourselves, and that others can do the same for us,” Jones attests. “It explores themes of what is truly important in life, as well as how misconceptions can damage our relationships and mindfulness – and insightfulness can have great benefits in our connections with others.”
Jones sang all the vocals and harmonies and played guitars, mandolin, violin, piano, melodica, and accordion on “Grow Flowers.” Jerry Adams and Davy Sturtevant played bass on the album, and Pete Finkle and Aaron Bear contributed drum tracks.
Contributors
Jones has been intentional about surrounding herself with musicians who respect and value her oeuvre. In addition to producing self-composed works, Jones has plans to partner with collaborators.
“Co-writing requires a cultivated vulnerability that I’ve been working hard to create in my personal and musical life,” says Jones. “I find it so amazing and freeing to arrive at a co-write session with nothing and come away with something beautiful.”
Jones’ next album is a collection of songs written with and for children, with the working title ”Full Circle.” Jones seeks to share the message with children that they can find identity through creativity.
“I have been going to libraries and schools to share music and write songs with preschool and elementary students, which has been a rewarding experience,” Jones affirms. “Their insightfulness when writing music has frequently startled me, in a good way!”
Jones is self-recording the project in her home studio, which she finds a challenge.
“It has been a frustratingly difficult and growing experience so far,” Jones remarks. “I am thankful for experienced colleagues who have answered my phone calls with just the right technical advice at the right time.”
Creative goals
Moving forward, Jones’ original songs have become a priority when it comes to her choice of where to perform.
“One of my goals for this year is to play in even more listening spaces that value my songwriting and have an audience that is there to listen,” says Jones. “I am so thankful for every venue that hires me, but there is something so special about an audience that is truly there to hear the sounds and stories that I work so hard to arrange into songs.”
Row by row
Jones’ musical endeavors have parallels with working the land as a gardener.
“As a person who believes in a created world, I have learned so much about myself through gardening and music,” proffers Jones. “Although both activities can be careers, they are also both very basic fundamental activities that traditionally all humans participated in, in one capacity or another.”
Both music and gardening are creative and subjective activities, in Jones’ experience, and are components vital to growth as a society.
“As we have moved toward a more specialized world, we have lost some of the cultural sustainability that we used to know of creating beauty – which I believe to be the highest of all human activities – and growing our own food,” Jones asserts. “As individuals and a community, we cannot thrive without food, beauty, and art.”
Jones’ recent song “Flowers With My Babies” was penned after viewing negative and troubling posts on social media and deciding that taking her kids outside to work in the garden was more conducive to her mental health.
“I wrote the line “I’ve got no promise of tomorrow, life’s got a lot of maybes, so I’ll be here in my garden growing flowers with my babies,” Jones recalls. “It sums up how, for me, focusing on the small and beautiful things can improve my quality of life.”
by Michael Krapovicky | photography by Mark Turcotte
Michael is a freelance writer and musician from Auburn. He graduated from the University of Maine at Presque Isle in 1999 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
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He has submitted stories and articles for various publications, and performs throughout New England as a solo guitarist and bassist. Michael enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending leisure time with family and friends.