Thank you so much for talking with us Derek and thank you for your service! What parallels do you draw between your love of music and your service in the United States Navy? Hey!! Thank you so much for talking with me! I definitely have a love for music and a love for our country! Because I served, I was able to travel the world and see things most people don't have the ability to see. Because of that, I have tons of stories to write about for sure!
Growing up what were some of your favorite things to do or go for the 4th of July? Man, I think like most kids I was obsessed with fireworks! Growing up, we had a trailer on Lake Barbee in Indiana and we always had a fourth of July party that was a blast! Now, I LOVE watching fireworks with my family and then heading back to the house to light our own. I love seeing the faces on the kids when a good one goes off!
We are throwing a Fourth of July party and want to impress our guests, could you share with us a killer recipe we can try for the holiday? You can never go wrong with chicken wings. I like to put some good dry rub on my wings and let them sit for a few hours. Throw them on the grill and wait. Chicken Wings are my go to!
Give us an example of a cooking/grilling music playlist you would put together. It would definitely have Larry Fleet, Ray Lamontagne, Cody Johnson, The Allman Brothers and Jason Isbell.
What is your favorite spice/ingredient? Salt and pepper...the food in the Navy wasn't all that great. So S&P was a life saver...I put it on everything...The kids think I'm crazy when I put S&P on watermelon.
If you could get on a plane tomorrow and travel to any destination just for its food, where would it be? I think it would be Japan. I love street food and I’ve always wanted to go there just to try different things.
You have new music coming out soon, "Everybody's Somebody," tell us about the title. I wrote this at FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals with James LeBlanc last year when we were both playing the WC Handy Songwriters Festival. James and I got to talking about the division between people on the basis of things like race, politics, money, age, etc. and that we are more alike than we are different. I said, “Man, my mom told me something I’ve always tried to live by – Everybody’s Somebody,” and James goes, “That’s it! That’s the song!” I agreed and within an hour we had it done.
Favorite lyric/song from this upcoming EP? I love all the songs, but "Black Cloud" is one in particular that I'm pretty stoked about just because it's totally different from anything I've put out!
What is it like to try and break into the country music scene in Nashville? Man it's a dog eat dog town for sure! You can't slow down because the second you take a break, someone will pass you! The key is to find you a circle of people that you click with because everybody knows somebody in somebody else's circle! MAKE CONNECTIONS!
How are you inspired by your rock and country music heroes? My musical heroes all had something to say. They wrote stories and you could actually learn a lesson from those people and their songs. Waylon, Cash, Haggard, Zeppelin, Tool, Pantera. Those groups all had songs that you could not only hear but see! They painted a picture with their lyrics.
How, specifically, do you feel your music compares to theirs? Ya know, I try to just write about things I know about. I write about my life experiences and things I’ve been through. I just try to be honest and tell my story.
Finally, if you could be sponsored by one food/drink brand who would it be and why? I'm not sure of a brand, but I need to be sponsored by chicken wings. I need chicken wings to survive. HA! But for real, if they are on the menu, that's what I'm getting! So if you could help find me a chicken wing sponsor, that would be great!!
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ABOUT DEREK JONES:
In 2010, Hartford City, Indiana’s own singer-songwriter, Derek Jones, packed his bags, headed south to Nashville and never looked back. The move followed Jones' service in the United States Navy from 1999 to 2003. With gritty, grizzled powerhouse vocals, bold songwriting talent and a dynamic live show, Jones began filling bars and honky tonks throughout the country and building a loyal fanbase. Jones has also established a name for himself as a songwriter with his cuts receiving placement on the Sportsman Channel series "Tailgate Adventures" and selection as the theme song for “Fisher's ATV World” on the Velocity Channel and NBC Sports Network. Jones has had the privilege of sharing the stage with a variety of revered acts, including Billy Ray Cyrus, Alabama, Charlie Daniels, Trace Adkins, David Allan Coe, Shooter Jennings, Dwight Yoakam, Blackberry Smoke, Ted Nugent and Jamey Johnson, among others. Only five years after moving to Nashville, Jones was invited to step into "The Circle" and duet with Cyrus at the Grand Ole Opry. That same year, he had the honor of performing "Some Gave All" alongside Cyrus at Charlie Daniels' 40th anniversary Volunteer Jam at Bridgestone Arena. Jones also sang "Some Gave All" with Cyrus on national television during an episode of NBC's "TODAY Show." The independent artist's 2018 sophomore EP, Pray, topped the Amazon Charts at No. 1 and landed at No. 7 on the iTunes Charts. Jones is set to release his follow-up EP, Everybody's Somebody, this fall with the title track dropping on July 10.
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