NAME:
Will Jones
ABOUT
Will Jones didn’t so much learn three chords as inherit them. Raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he channels hard-edged traditional country with the raw heartbeat of Appalachian bluegrass. With a sound shaped by those deep-rooted traditions, Will is crafting his own identity — where outlaw grit meets Appalachian soul. “I knew three chords and the truth before I even knew my ABCs,” he says, summing up his earliest years in music, when he was already on stage with a guitar in hand, immersed in the mountain spirit that shaped generations before him.
Born into the family band, The Cana Ramblers, Will learned early what it meant to perform. By age six, he was singing lead, picking the guitar, and commanding the crowd as the band’s natural MC. “I was always the one talking to the crowd,” he recalls. “Knowing how to entertain and hold a stage — that’s what I’m still doing now. Nothing’s changed.”
When his sisters left the family band to pursue other paths, Will faced a crossroads. “I knew I was meant to play music,” he says. “I wanted to take it to a bigger stage and wider audience, and my family backed that dream all the way.” Fueled by that drive, he stepped out on his own at 17.
Now settled in Nashville, Will calls the city home, yet his music forever carries the spirit of the mountains that raised him — paying subtle tribute to bluegrass icons like Tony Rice, Jimmy Martin, Larry Sparks, Bill Monroe, and Flatt & Scruggs, all while forging his own distinct path influenced by Merle Haggard, Keith Whitley, George Jones, and Travis Tritt.
Will’s music feels equal parts front-porch picker and highway poet, which comes through clearly in his most recent songs, “Lonesome Dove,” “My Country’s Showing” and “Devil’s Den.” While his craft continues to broaden with barroom anthems and heartworn ballads, he says, “The heart of my sound remains rooted in my bluegrass beginnings. To me, it’s all country damn music.”
His career has already taken him to stages alongside artists like Jon Pardi, Ashley McBryde, Josh Turner, Tracy Lawrence, and Gavin Adcock, as well as bluegrass royalty including Ralph Stanley, Chris Thile, Sierra Hull, and Ben Haggard. Whether opening or headlining, he’s built a reputation as a triple-threat — masterful on guitar, magnetic on stage, and emotionally resonant as a writer.
Since moving to Nashville, Will has fully immersed himself in the city’s rich songwriting culture — dedicated to the craft and always learning. “I’m still a student of songwriting,” he shares. “I’ve put in the 10,000 hours, but I still catch myself always trying to get better. These days, I’m lucky enough to write with people I looked up to growing up — songwriters I used to admire from a distance, I now get to call friends.”
But beyond the spotlight, it’s Will’s roles as husband and father that ground his songwriting in real life. “Those are the things that give the songs meaning,” he says. In an era chasing viral fame and shortcuts, Will’s playing the long game. “I want a career built on substance,” he explains. “If you’re true to who you are, it lasts longer. Even if it doesn’t look like someone else’s path, I can be proud of what I built because it’s mine.”
That fierce loyalty to self and family keeps him steady. “I don’t compare myself,” he says. “I go home to my family. My achievements are for them. That keeps me humble. That keeps me grounded.”
With new music rolling out and headline shows on the horizon, Will Jones is poised for a breakout rooted not in gimmicks, but grit, growth, and deep respect for the heritage that raised him. “Steeped in tradition but a little wild, free, and unpredictable,” he says with a grin, “that’s me.”
ExpandBorn into the family band, The Cana Ramblers, Will learned early what it meant to perform. By age six, he was singing lead, picking the guitar, and commanding the crowd as the band’s natural MC. “I was always the one talking to the crowd,” he recalls. “Knowing how to entertain and hold a stage — that’s what I’m still doing now. Nothing’s changed.”
When his sisters left the family band to pursue other paths, Will faced a crossroads. “I knew I was meant to play music,” he says. “I wanted to take it to a bigger stage and wider audience, and my family backed that dream all the way.” Fueled by that drive, he stepped out on his own at 17.
Now settled in Nashville, Will calls the city home, yet his music forever carries the spirit of the mountains that raised him — paying subtle tribute to bluegrass icons like Tony Rice, Jimmy Martin, Larry Sparks, Bill Monroe, and Flatt & Scruggs, all while forging his own distinct path influenced by Merle Haggard, Keith Whitley, George Jones, and Travis Tritt.
Will’s music feels equal parts front-porch picker and highway poet, which comes through clearly in his most recent songs, “Lonesome Dove,” “My Country’s Showing” and “Devil’s Den.” While his craft continues to broaden with barroom anthems and heartworn ballads, he says, “The heart of my sound remains rooted in my bluegrass beginnings. To me, it’s all country damn music.”
His career has already taken him to stages alongside artists like Jon Pardi, Ashley McBryde, Josh Turner, Tracy Lawrence, and Gavin Adcock, as well as bluegrass royalty including Ralph Stanley, Chris Thile, Sierra Hull, and Ben Haggard. Whether opening or headlining, he’s built a reputation as a triple-threat — masterful on guitar, magnetic on stage, and emotionally resonant as a writer.
Since moving to Nashville, Will has fully immersed himself in the city’s rich songwriting culture — dedicated to the craft and always learning. “I’m still a student of songwriting,” he shares. “I’ve put in the 10,000 hours, but I still catch myself always trying to get better. These days, I’m lucky enough to write with people I looked up to growing up — songwriters I used to admire from a distance, I now get to call friends.”
But beyond the spotlight, it’s Will’s roles as husband and father that ground his songwriting in real life. “Those are the things that give the songs meaning,” he says. In an era chasing viral fame and shortcuts, Will’s playing the long game. “I want a career built on substance,” he explains. “If you’re true to who you are, it lasts longer. Even if it doesn’t look like someone else’s path, I can be proud of what I built because it’s mine.”
That fierce loyalty to self and family keeps him steady. “I don’t compare myself,” he says. “I go home to my family. My achievements are for them. That keeps me humble. That keeps me grounded.”
With new music rolling out and headline shows on the horizon, Will Jones is poised for a breakout rooted not in gimmicks, but grit, growth, and deep respect for the heritage that raised him. “Steeped in tradition but a little wild, free, and unpredictable,” he says with a grin, “that’s me.”