On January 18, 2019 I stumbled upon a band that I had not previously heard of in the area. As they took the stage and the first chord was struck, my attention was immediately fixated on what I was about to hear. It turned out to be one of those sets that leaves you wondering where in the hell have these cats been. A little bit Rock N’ Roll, a little bit Americana, and a whole lot of damn good singer/songwriter material. Well, it turns out that Chris Jones and The Flycatchers haven’t really been anywhere. A fairly new band that has just begun to hit its stride both on stage and currently in the studio finishing up their debut album.

Chris Jones from Chris Jones and the Flycatchers performing an original song titled "Cowboy Memories." Video Courtesy of Mental Media. For more Mental Media https://www.facebook.com/mentalmediao...

The musical journey for Chris Jones started with family. “I grew up in a family surrounded by musicians and my dad was a guitar player. Instruments and encouragement were always accessible”-Chris Jones. Growing up, Chris played the drums throughout his childhood and performed, as a lot of future career musicians have, in the church band. Chris also played in a handful of bands throughout his adolescent years but had to give up his drums when he attended the University of Oklahoma in 2011. College is where Jones would musically and artistically begin to develop his skills as a singer/songwriter.

Broke, and off to college, Chris had to give up his drum kit. Luckily, he had an old acoustic that his dad had given him years back. Having the guitar, the desire, and the passion for songwriting, Jones was destined to eventually do what he loves to do best. Perform. “College was such a confusing time in my life and I started writing songs to process it all. I’ve always done it with the intention of making a record, it just took me a lot longer to accomplish that than I thought it would”-Jones. Chris would drop out of college the following year, in 2012. It would take six more years before Jones started playing in a serious band. However, the outcome did not turn out as planned.

Chris Jones spent much of 2018 playing in a band called “Honey Blue” with some friends. The band was slated to record some songs. However, during the recording phase, Jones decided that the songs he had written were not meant to be recorded by “Honey Blue.” “At the time, I was in the middle of making a record with Honey Blue and was trying to record some songs that weren’t going to make it with that band”-Jones. Chris then met Wes Sharon at 115 Recording in Norman and contacted him about recording some songs. Sharon is notably responsible for producing and engineering albums for John Fullbright as well as the Turnpike Troubadours. John Fullbright’s album “From the Ground Up” was produced by Sharon and Fullbright and went on to be nominated at the 55thAnnual Grammy Awards. This decision to go in a different direction would lead to the formation of the band, Chris Jones and the Flycatchers.

Chris Jones from Chris Jones and the Flycatchers performing an original song titled "Tulsa Drag." Video Courtesy of Mental Media. For more Mental Media https://www.facebook.com/mentalmediao...

During a pick-up show at The Deli in Norman, Oklahoma fortunate circumstances would lead Jones to meet Turnpike Troubadour guitarist Ryan Engleman. The Flycatchers would go on make a handshake deal with Engleman and would record their debut album in 115 Recording under the production and engineering of Wes Sharon. The album is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2019. Chris Jones is foregoing the typical path of releasing a few solos or an EP and is instead releasing a full LP album. “I never wanted to start with an EP or acoustic record as I’ve always been obsessed with the work and processes behind full production LP’s”-Jones. This band is one to get and keep on your radar. Especially once this album is released by one of the most notable producers in the business, Wes Sharon, and under the guidance of a successful veteran musician such as Ryan Engleman, Chris Jones and the Flycatchers will be in a great position to be a successful touring band in the very near future.