acoustic + interview: Laney Jones and the Spirits
820 North Milwaukee Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
USA
Raised on an exotic animal farm in rural Mount Dora, FL, Laney Jones sings tales of love and adventure with a voice that has been described as “a mix of lemon, molasses, gin and gunpowder” (WPRK), mellifluous and smooth but brimming with passion. Her live performance highlights her multi-instrumental prowess on banjo, ukulele, tenor guitar and harmonica backed by her band the Spirits. Since releasing her first studio album Golden Road in 2013, she has traveled far from the orange groves and marshes of her home, graduating from Berklee College of Music and playing festival stages at Grey Fox, Shakori Hills, String Break, Lancaster Roots and Blues and numerous others.
This past January, Jones was featured on the PBS series, Great Performances. The 90-minute documentary offers an overview of the Kennedy Center’s American Voices weekend-long festival and features Laney as an emerging artist alongside musical great Alison Krauss. Additional accolades for the band include invites to SXSW, Sundance, a formal IBMA showcase and a Southern Musician Sponsorship from Belk Department Stores which earned her performances with Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. Laney Jones and the Spirits are set to release their next album in fall 2015.
Catch Laney Jones and the Spirits before they play Anodyne (at 224 W. Bruce) in Milwaukee on Friday, July 10th at 8pm. Laney and her band will be visiting WMSE’s Chicken Shack to play and chitchat. Tune in at 11am to listen! 91.7 FM on your radio dial or WMSE.org to stream live or in the archives.