We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Daniel Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Daniel below.
Daniel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?
This is an interesting take because I believe it’s been a large part of my journey.
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 a DJ, drummer, musical director, composer, arranger, and producer and I have been in the touring world for many years.
I’ve held residencies at hotels and resorts between Nashville and California and most recently was the touring DJ for Thomas Rhett on his 2023 US summer tour.
I am a co-owner of Off-Brand Entertainment which is a one-stop shop for artists, musical acts, and entertainers who are on their journey of taking their music from the record to the live stage. With the desire to raise counter-cultural music to the same level of legitimacy as the on-brand music in our city. On the entertainment side, we provide bookings for DJs for exclusive venues and events.
Have you ever had to pivot?
My entire career at this point is one big pivot. Until about three years ago, I worked over a decade to operate in the same spaces as players like Adam Blackstone, Mike League, and Robert Sput Searight. Functionally speaking at least. Drumming and musical directing for artists in the church, pop, hip-hop, and jazz spaces was a major passion and drive. Once we hit the lockdowns, I eventually had to wrestle with the possibility that that dream may be all but gone. Simultaneously, I was wrestling with the reality that the doors I wanted to see opening for me as a drummer were opening for me almost effortlessly as a DJ.
So when the mask mandate lifted in May of 2021 in Nashville, I found myself DJing 7 gigs a weekend until about October of the same year. And I learned a few things: I learned that I don’t find joy in anything like I do DJing. I learned the degree to which I love people. And the craft gave me access to them in ways being a drummer never could. I learned that I have a voice that can be undeniable if I put even an ounce of similar effort into building my craft as I did with drumming. So I decided to not fight it and fully pivot to DJing sometime in 2022 and just had the biggest year of my life in 2023..
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
The first step would be for society to take a step back and recognize that we are not content creators here for solely consumption or merely for entertainment. Nor are we on-demand products like Netflix or Starbucks. We are masters of crafts who have dedicated lifetimes to channeling our stories of hope, joy, love, pain, trauma, loss, and victory into mediums for people to relate to on a fundamental level. That work is invaluable though it is a privilege to do what we do full-time. And I think that’s what society sees first. We’re not doctors, soldiers, or first responders, so the perception leans towards what we do as frivolity. But we are necessary, especially at a time when general mental health is at an all-time low.
Practically speaking, putting money back into the hands of the creatives would be the most obvious choice. You like what we do? Pay us for it instead of the tech companies that distribute it. Show up to the events we put on. Buy our merch. Share our content. Don’t just consume.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @danielianjones
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanielIanJones
- Twitter: @danielianjones
Image Credits
Photo #1 (profile action shot): Chris Ashlee @chris.ashlee Photo #2 (behind stage shot): N/A Photo #3(headshot): Kristen Marie Balani @kirstenbalani Photo #4 (jacket): Darius Fitzgerald @dariusfitz Photo #5 (arena): N/A