We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shady Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shady below.
Hi Shady, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
While perhaps not in all cases, in my case the key to success thus far has been my sobriety. I’m an entertainer, and in my business there is a constant presence of drugs and alcohol. For me, this was a massive problem for a long time. I’ve gone down the line of consequences and suffered the pain that’s come out of these substances. I’ve come to find that through nothing but perfect sobriety – I can and do achieve. This one step in my life has impacted a brand new direction for me. I’ve also influenced many of my peers to reassess their own relationships with substances. I believe it’s imperative in our culture here in the US, and even more specifically in the dance community, to begin a dialogue on substance use that shines light on the not so fun side of things. I believe this could help a lot of suffering people.
I think of all these DJs in Denver who are trying to be like Chris Lake, for example. I see so many of them getting drunk and losing their most valuable asset – Time. The thing so few of these people realize is that Chris Lake hasn’t had a drink in over 12 years. I do not believe this is a coincidence. I believe that those who truly succeed on a much larger scale do not waste time indulging in their more simple pleasures, but rather come with a clear mind to tackle their present, always.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am Shady Jones. I am a Tech House music producer. I dabble in the likes of UK Garage and Drum and Bass, but have a long standing love for House music. Throughout my life, starting at age 6, I’ve played instruments and have been on a pursuit to find my sound. I believe I have done just that. High energy, carnal themes, dark sounds and the voice of Shady to tell the story. I launched Shady in October of 2022 and am now on labels like Dirtybird, Box of Cats, This Ain’t Bristol, and my very own label Mad Sus Records which I founded in December of 2022. I am now touring nationally and have much more coming!
I started my record label with the idea of creating an ironclad community that was all about the music. I wanted to push Denver house music producers specifically to work hard and I would help push them! I began throwing parties as a way to create an open space for people to get together and develop something special together.
I had to take some time away from this endeavor and reassess, but I am back and have started off this year with a strong Collaboration between local legends CJ., MICVH, and myself – Shady Jones. As of right now it looks like I will be able to relaunch the party series, bring the merch rollouts for the label, and continue to put out music from both locals and talent from across the states! Look out for our March release with Denver local, RJW (Dirtybird, House of Hustle, Aliens on Mushrooms)!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think what helped build the reputation I have is my fearlessness to be authentic. I am who I am, do what I love, and I want to share every bit of that with anyone who wants to be involved. I want a safe space for everyone to enjoy and to share in that authenticity – to be celebrated for their uniqueness. I’ve never shied from that, nor will I.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenburg. This book rewired my brain! It was actually quite upsetting at first. As a young adult I found sarcasm to be humorous, but now I have a completely different view. I see how non-relational so much of our language can be. I took so many lessons from this read. When dealing with people I believe it’s imperative that we understand how people feel. I believe we should be able to speak as peers. Fostering that relationship with people and truly hearing them can change our relationships for the positive. It’s good business to be considerate of others!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @shadyjonesmusic
- Twitter: @shadyjonesmusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0MQ7727bEEVnv7b11dicGA?si=V-p4N0SCSNm9hZzs1P3NIg Mad Sus Records: @madsusrecs on all socials