Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kat Jones. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kat, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Being an artist is part of who I am, and whether I’m in a full-time or part-time artist role (depending on the season of the year) I am very happy being that person, either way. I try to bring the same level of artistry to everything I do (whether in or out of that season) and I work to advocate for artists full-time when I’m not on the road or in a heavy production season.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Absolutely!

My name is Kat Jones. I’m a performance artist, musician, and installation artist and have been living in Nashville since 2006. I actually got into the industry through engineering and producing in Fresno, CA. I acquired an internship with a small studio while I was still in high school. I actually wanted to be a musician but thought there was no way that door could open for me. However, as it turned out, I was signed and touring full. time within three years (with a short break in between to attend art school in Edinburgh, Scotland). Wild.

As my career has grown and changed I’ve leaned farther into the performance art side and have begun a robust collaborative career as an installation artist and facilitator for other artists and musicians.

Most recently, I just got back from Germany after a collaboration with a group called Chainbreakers. I was invited to work with producer Sylvia Massey at Castle Studios in order to help facilitate a songwriting camp for a group of female Iranian songwriters to help in the amplification of the Woman Life Freedom movement.

Meeting these women has changed my life. I am sure I developed some lifelong friendships and I can not wait to hear the final product in a few weeks.

The next project I am most proud of was something called Dear Apocalypse. A theater-length piece utilizing my songs in conjunction with choreography by FALL (an aerial and contemporary dance company in Nashville) to tell stories of overcoming and surviving trauma. Our feedback and reviews were incredible. We’ve since had the opportunity to reprise it, but I’d love to develop it into a touring project if that door ever opened.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

You know, this is something I am constantly advocating for, and have since I returned to Nashville after a brief break in 2014.

Affordable housing and fair pay for artists are such big issues. The city continues to build its identity off the backs of its artist’s labor and creativity, but there aren’t easy pathways to the stability that allow artists the time to create and hone their craft and it’s much more difficult if you are an artist of color.

The four most productive years of my life were periods where my need for housing wasn’t in direct conflict with the time I needed to spend creating. One was essentially a creative grant that I received from a friend in the form of housing, and the other was also essentially a housing grant I received as a result of joining Urban Housing Solution’s artist housing project in North Nashville. During the first season, I developed Dear Apocalypse, during the second season, I launched my first solo installation, joined a massive ensemble for a project called Haunted (honoring the 100-year anniversary of the Dutchman’s Curve train crash), and curated a ton of gallery installations for other artists. This is also when I became an affordable housing advocate and really learned to speak the language of affordable housing.

Now, when I’m not on tour, or in the middle of a project, I am working with the Nashville Industry Fund (an organization that helps creatives in the city by hosting classes and providing first-time home buyers assistance). But money is a constant stressor. We all make up the fabric of this incredible city but the city’s artists simply need more resources so that they can continue to bring to Nashville what makes Nashville famous. It’s not just the “top-tier” artists that hold the city’s brand up.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

You know, when I first moved here I was probably more closely aligned with Americana (or my version of it – which has always been a little punk). However, a month after my arrival my father passed away. A combination of realizations about the lack of my community, my falling out of love with my own music, and the rigor of my touring schedule caused me to burn that iteration of my career to the ground.

It took a couple of years to process, but what I’ve rebuilt in its place has provided me with so many incredible opportunities. It’s not as commercially successful, but I’m a much better artist, creator, friend, advocate, and human as a result of that journey. AND MY LOVE FOR MY OWN SONGS IS NOW EVERGREEN which is an incredible gift to have given myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.katjonesmusic.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/katjonesmusic
• Facebook: Facebook.com/katjonesmusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katjonesmusic/
• Twitter: twitter.com/katjonesmusic
• Youtube: YouTube.com/@katjonesandtheprophets
• Other: Twitch.tv/katjonesmusic

Image Credits
Image of me with halo – April Wolf Bowers Image from Dear Apocalypse stage show – Micahel Britt Image of me flipping hair – Aprill Wolf Bowers Image of me on tree roots – Scott Kinman