Artist Spotlight: Autumn Jones
Maplewood Celebrates Black History Month and Local Black Artists!
Autumn Jones — Singer. Song Writer. Performer. Poetic Lyricist. Entrepreneur.
Autumn Jones Performing
Autumn Jones and the Band
Autumn Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter from Maplewood, New Jersey with a strong vocal technique and songwriting capabilities. The soulful r&b she creates is an expression of her life experiences as told through her stories, expressed in each of her songs. Autumn’s music is therapy for the mind and soul'; her poetic lyricism has been compared to that of Maya Angelou.
“Anxiety and stress can be crippling. I want to create music that heals the mind from such overpowering thoughts. My music is a little reminder that sometimes it’s okay to let go of worry, fear, and anxiety, and just let yourself be free to enjoy the present.”
Autumn is very connected to Maplewood and the all-inclusive nature its residents strive to achieve. SZA, one of Autumn’s favorite singers, who also grew up in Maplewood, encouraged her to use Autumn Jones as her stage name.
“I feel a strong musical influence from my roots in Maplewood. I am proud to be from the same community as Lauryn Hill and Sza. In many ways being from SOMA prepared me for a life of diversity. I like working with different types of people and styles of music.”
Autumn has been performing most of her life and began her songwriting journey in 7th grade. Her musical parents provided a creative and exploratory environment which set the stage. Starting with piano, Autumn later learned cello and joined the choir.
At Columbia High School (CHS) Autumn was in the esteemed Excelsior Singers, an Honors Mixed Chamber Choir. Also at CHS Autumn was a member of the a cappella group, Unaccompanied Minors which took home 1st place in the primary rounds of the Northeast ICHSA’s Varsity Vocal Tournament, and as a result she was featured on an episode of ‘Pitch Slapped,’ a Lifetime reality TV show, following a cappella teams.
Autumn was honored to be the recipient of the 2015 Vanessa Pollock Music Initiative Scholarship through the Achieve Foundation of Maplewood/South Orange. To this day Vanessa and Charlie Pollock remain huge fans!
“The Vanessa Pollock Music Initiative Scholarship was awarded to me when I was a Senior at Columbia High School and it really made me feel that my talent was recognized by my community. It inspired me to work harder so that I could pursue what I once thought was an outlandish and unattainable dream, of becoming a professional musician. 5 years later, I can proudly say, that dream has become a reality! And everyday I am testing the limits of my musical abilities.”
‘Confident’ by Autumn Jones Cover Art
Her first full-length album release, Bloom in 2018, is an introduction to Autumn’s stories and artistic abilities. Autumn found her grove and gained her confidence as a singer/performer at Berklee. She released her upbeat track, “Neapolitan” with Disrupción Records, a student-run label and artist accelerator which was founded by Berklee graduate students in Valencia, Spain, another campus for Berklee.
As noted in Sound of Boston, “Though energetic and peppy, ‘Neapolitan’ possesses a carefree attitude and harbors moments of tranquility; wavy synths waft like smoke, then disperse, taking your worries with them.” Two other singles she produced with Disrupcion Records in 2019 include ‘Confident’ and ‘Night Prowlers’.
Lyrics from ‘Night Prowlers’ by Autumn Jones
‘Night Prowlers’ by Autumn Jones Cover Art
‘Bloom’ by Autumn Jones Album Cover Art
“Your life begins when you own it
so try to live in every moment
if you feel unworthy
know that you can make that change”
Confident by Autumn Jones
Lyrics from ‘Neapolitan’ by Autumn Jones
“Fronted by sultry vocals and raw lyrics, ‘Night Prowlers’ serving as an encouragement to lend your ear to those that are often casted out and left behind, the song meshes multiple beats in one and does so flawlessly. Cooing out “We’re the night prowlers / We take what is ours / We make our own choices / We’re lifting our voices,” over a transitioned island-influenced beat, Autumn shines as she speaks for all those who are often ignored.” — This is RnB
A recent graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, Autumn has had success performing in the Boston area at venues such as City Winery, Ryles Jazz Club, Midway Cafe and Hard Rock Cafe. Autumn has traveled to New York City, New Jersey and Spain to showcase her music. Venues include Silvana in Harlem, Rockwood Music Hall in Manhattan, and Radio City in Valencia. Autumn has also had the amazing opportunity to open for R&B Artists Vivian Green and Jon B. at the acclaimed South Orange Performing Art Center (SOPAC). In her home town, Autumn also performed twice at the Maplewoodstock Music Festival in 2018 and 2019.
Autumn Jones Performing at Berklee College of Music, Boston Massachusettes
Autumn Jones On Stage at Maplewoodstock Music Festival, 2018
‘Theo’ by Autumn Jones, Release Artwork, 2020
‘Come Over by Autumn Jones, Release Artwork, 2020
Lyrics to ‘Come Over’ by Autumn Jones
Released in 2020
‘Theo’ and ‘Come Over’ singles were released in 2020. A successful and well received sweatshirt design was created by Autumn, sales of which funded her most recent February 2021 release ‘Bittersweet’ — just in time for Black History Month.
Autumn’s Sweatshirt Design
Sales of which helped to fund her newest release, ‘Bitter Sweet’, 2021
‘Bitter Sweet’ by Autumn Jones Cover Art, Released February 2021
Generous at heart, Autumn has volunteered her time and talent to good causes including:
617 Day: Wicked Local Special Benefit Concert raising money for the Equal Justice Initiative, June 2020
For Us By Us Benefit Concert Series raising money for the Breonna Taylor GoFundMe, June 2020
Black Lives Matter Benefit Concert raising money for the Milwaukee Freedom Fund, September 2020
Black Lives Matter Maplewood Street Graphic unveilling on Springfield Avenue, Maplewood, September 2020
and upcoming on March 6, 2021 The Green Bean Gala hosted by Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity (MEND), raising money for their hunger relief programming
In her Instagram live series, ‘Melanin Monday’, Autumn interviews black business owners and creative people of color on their processes and tactics to becoming successful in hopes that these meaningful interactions will encourage and inspire others.
Autumn Jones will peform live in concert from The Woodland via video stream on Saturday, February 27th at 7:30pm as part of Maplewood’s 2021 Black History Month Celebration. (Registration button link below)
Contact Information:
Email: aejones@berklee.edu
Instagram: @autumnjonesmusic
Facebook: @helloautumnjones
Autumn Jones is a member of SOMA Arts Registry, a free online hub serving Maplewood, South Orange and neighboring towns. It focuses on artists, arts professionals and arts organizations, with the goal to extend their local, regional and national market reach. SOMA Arts Registry was created by the Township of Maplewood and Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture to support the local arts community.
The silky sultry voice of Autumn Jones, with elements curated to perfection captivates and soothes. Autumn Jones’ music is available on all platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play.
Autumn Jones
Photo by Ian Henderson https://ianhenderson.myportfolio.com/reels