Today we’d like to introduce you to Smiley Bone Jones
Hi Smiley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I initially started playing guitar when I was 7 years young. My older cousin was already playing a lot of Flamenco-style music like Sabicas and Gypsy Kings. He introduced me to the song “Spanish Caravan” by The Doors and I was hooked on guitar. Simultaneously, my parents were playing stuff at home and in the car that they grew up on. Dad was into Santana and Buena Vista Social Club, while Mom was obsessed with Michael Jackson and Prince.
I was trying to convince my parents to buy me a guitar, so my cousin taught me a few riffs, including a three-chord blues, which really thrilled me. My folks were initially skeptical when I asked them to buy me a guitar- they thought it was just a passing phase, and I wouldn’t take it seriously. So, I mastered the few little riffs and licks I had learned and played it for them to show I was making progress, and they reluctantly bought me my first acoustic guitar- A 5-dollar garage sale special. I was so small, and it was so big that I had to lay it down flat on my lap because I couldn’t get my strumming arm around it. The neck was warped, and the strings were so far off the neck that it actually was quite painful to play. Still, I kept on doing what I could until a few months later, I broke a string.
Later that year, I received a battery-powered Electric Guitar from Montgomery Ward for Christmas. The guitar ran on 9volt batteries and had a built-in speaker. When you turned it up full volume, it would distort and feedback which was my intro to the world of Rock & Roll. Shortly after, I got a skateboard and spent quite a lot of time outdoors doing that. The guitar sat in a closet collecting dust. When I turned 12, my cousin lent me his Epiphone electric guitar that resembled one that Chuck Berry and B.B. King played along with a big amplifier. Suddenly, the guitar was no longer a toy to be played with- it was a voice to exercise.
I took it to school every day through middle school.
When I was 14, we moved from the San Fernando Valley to the suburbs of Santa Clarita. It was the summer right before my first year at Valencia High School. I met a good friend who had introduced me to Texas Blues and Rockabilly music like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Stray Cats. There was a Guitar 101 class as an elective that was on its first trial run for two semesters. I took the first year, and the teacher decided, based on the enthusiasm of the 25 students in the class, that he would extend it another two semesters. So, I brought my guitar to school every day and would play during lunch and in class. We all had a choice of which book we wanted to learn from, and while most kids picked the Rock Guitar Book, I picked the Blues Guitar book.
In my sophomore year, I had a Spanish class with a great teacher named Mr. Helm who was a bass player in his earlier days. He told us stories of playing in a band with the singer of The Sex Pistols and had formed his own band, Smug. In that class, I met two people who approached me about possibly joining their band. They were all wearing Guns N’ Roses and Black Sabbath t-shirts and had long hair like myself. They asked me if I could sing, and at that time, I was learning how to sing and play stuff I heard on K-ROQ like The Red-Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime, and The Living End. They asked me, “Can you hold a tune in a bucket?”
They already had a trio going with guitar, bass, and drums. I agreed to join as the singer if they allowed me to play rhythm guitar and take a solo every now and again. We played for two years together, practicing in the bass players’ garage and doing high school shows with other local rock, punk, and metal bands. Eventually, the guitar player got into drugs and stopped attending practices, so we went on to form a group without him, with myself taking on the rhythm & lead guitar duties and singing/songwriting. We played out through the end of high school for a year or two and went on winning a handful of Battle of the Band events. The trio was called Red Light Affair, and our first official gig was at B.B. King’s Club at Universal Citywalk Hollywood (which no longer exists). Eventually, we disbanded as some of the members needed to find “real jobs” and get on with life.
I formed a few bands thereafter, but nothing serious that went anywhere. Eventually, I saved enough money to move out of the suburbs and into the Arts District in DTLA, where I lived for the next 6 years with an old man from Chicago. I was 23 and he was 67 and had seen Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters play back in the day so we bonded over my blues and jazz vinyl collection as I was in possession of a vintage turntable and sound system. I was working full-time at Capitol Records in Hollywood to pay for half of our creative loft space. Meanwhile, saving money to buy my first 8-track reel-to-reel tape machine. I started making demos and writing songs again, but I hadn’t played out for a few years. Finally, in 2016, I landed a weekly residency at Lost Property Bar on the corner of Hollywood & Vine, and I formed a power trio called Ishmael & The Deep Blue Sea in which I would play with for the next two years every Thursday. From that one gig, things snowballed and by 2017, I had enough consistent work that I decided to quit my full-time job of 8 years to pursue music as my only source of income.
Along with the residency on Thursdays, I was invited to join the house band at Harvard & Stone for Blues & Burlesque nights on Fridays and Saturdays and also become a main guitarist in a Rock N’ Roll Cabaret show around Hollywood called Concrete Kiss. I had just moved from Downtown to Hollywood and managed to get a music studio on Hollywood and Vine. Between all of those steady gigs, I was able to maintain a decent living until 2020, when everything shut down. I lost all of my steady work and most of those gigs never returned. So, I decided to start recording an album that year until gigs picked up again in 2021. This is when I took on the stage name Smiley Bone Jones. I was hungry and eager to get back into the swing of things. Since then, it’s been a slow but steady rise getting back to playing live music. I had half of my album finished but it took a backseat once I started performing live again. At long last, the album I recorded in my studio is finally finished and set for release summer of 2024.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been a rocky road, to say the least. In the world of “sink or swim” and “rise and grind,” I’m fortunate enough to have met some really great people along the way who have given me a leg up in the scene and showed me the ropes early on how to keep my head above the water. In this profession, it’s a constant struggle to maintain performing steady paying gigs, especially with the hardships of the hospitality businesses as of late. There have been in the past many instances where I would sell some musical equipment of sentimental value just to make it to the next month. I’ve taken soul-sucking gigs in the past, playing music I wasn’t passionate about just to get a paycheck. These struggles can also put quite a burden on relationships, both romantic and platonic, which is something I’ve been forced to deal with in my own personal life. Finding a balance can be like walking a tight wire. At this point, I’ve been juggling so much that I could join the circus!
Currently, as it stands, I am my own booker, publicist, promoter, manager, agent, and sometimes even photographer. Not to mention bandleader, artist, and performer. It’s quite the task of wearing so many hats, and oftentimes is overwhelming, physically exhausting, and mentally taxing. Luckily, I’ve had enough jobs and played enough gigs to realize what I want to do vs. what I’m willing to do, and as of late, I’ve been able to make ends meet only by playing music that excites me. That in itself poses a challenge because I’m deeply rooted in Blues, Soul, and Rock N’ Roll music, which is oftentimes not what is trendy or what certain venues/clubs want to hear. It can be tricky sometimes to try and maintain your artistic integrity while paying dues.
The important thing to remember is the road is a long one to follow, filled with twists & turns, rough terrain, and detours. But even though it’s been a hard path to go down, I’ve gone too far down to turn around at this point in my life. You may call it stubbornness, but through thick and thin, this path is the one I chose, and even through the hardships, it has brought me a quality of life that feeds my soul. As they say, I’m gonna ride it till’ the wheels fall off because music is the one constant in my life that has brought me great satisfaction and has given me an outlet in which I have the luxury of artistic expression and freedom.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
In Los Angeles, guitar players seem to be dime a dozen. What seems to have worked towards my benefit is the fact that not only can I play rhythm and lead guitar, but I can also sing. I truly believe that’s what sets me apart from most out on the scene.
Not to mention, I was born and raised in Los Angeles, so it’s the only struggle I’ve known where others take more time to find their footing as they come from other cities and countries to “make it”. In that regard, I definitely have the jump on them. I’ve been able to maintain a rolodex of gigging musicians whom I’ve worked with for over a decade now that I can call for gigs, and most of the time, they are miles beyond me in terms of their musical careers and abilities, which pushes my own personal growth as an artist and as a player. Standing on the shoulders of giants can really give you a great sense of perspective, and I’m constantly surrounded by others who have studied and have put in years of work to perfect their craft, and that always seems to force me to expand. The desire to improve my songwriting and improvisational skills is a constant effort to reach higher ground.
I have developed a deep appreciation for music that was recorded in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s- music that is timeless and still has a powerful message. A lot of that music also focused on the performance instead of stitching together things the way a lot of music is recorded today. I’ve taken this approach on my upcoming debut album to try and play through a take from start to finish without having to go back and “punch in” or fix things later. This too is a characteristic that I feel sets me apart from the status quo of other recording artists of this era. As artists, we all strive for perfection, which may sometimes be impossible to achieve but in the attempt to push yourself beyond your limitations, I find you can get to a state of truth. This reflects in my playing and my repertoire because most of the older music I play still rings true and still holds meaning in today’s trying times.
I use the influences I’ve taken from those songs and albums, along with my own life experiences, to write my own compositions.
Unlike a career in, say, for example, sports, which has an expiration date, music, on the other hand, can be attributed to a stew- the longer you cook it, the more ingredients you accumulate, the more flavor will come through, and folks will taste the difference. If I had a dollar for every time somebody has told me, “You’re an old soul” or “you missed the glory days”, I’d be filthy rich. But I’m always learning that as long as you stay consistent and true to your heart and soul, there will always be room for your art and your voice. Just as there will always be those who not only seek music but demand it as a means to understanding and maneuvering through life. Lately, I enjoy the fact that both people, young and old, can appreciate the music that I play. It could bring back old memories for some, or it can translate to a new discovery for others. I think bridging the gap between the old school and the new school is necessary, and I get a great sense of pride when I play something like a deep cut, and people love it cause they haven’t heard it for so long or they’ve never heard it at all which makes me feel like somewhat of an educator.
Alright, so before we go, can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
If you’re a gigging musician like myself and you have multiple gigs a week for years, it can be tough to get people to come out and support you by showing up to your shows. That being said, it definitely helps to spread the word around and share an upcoming event with others who might be looking for something to do on any particular day or night of the week. Perhaps you’ve already been out to a few gigs- no worries. Maybe next time! But you can always tell your friends that there’s something going on, and that definitely helps in terms of support. Word of mouth is not to be underestimated!
In the world of streaming, there isn’t much money to be made as an independent artist which is why I decided to invest in getting my album pressed to vinyl. That way, I have something tangible to offer that you can not only listen to but also hold in your hand and admire the artwork. That’s one of the best ways for people to show their support for your efforts- buy an album. Even if you don’t have a record player, maybe get it as a gift for somebody who does. Buy some merchandise. In the grand scheme of things, every little contribution helps more than you may imagine.
In terms of collaboration, I’m always happy to lend my skills to a particular project if somebody asks for my help and I definitely don’t take for granted those who have given me a hand with my own work as well. I’ve recorded other bands and played guitar and such on their projects in the past knowing that it would contribute to the artist or group getting to that next step in their careers. If you hang around long enough, you realize the music scene is a community that really isn’t as big as you might think.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/smileybonejones
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smileybonejones/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmileyBoneJones/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1_GYYBUkEnXYbkOOkcP_gw
Image Credits
Jose Miguel Perez
