SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Seattle band in running to bring the blues to The Boss
Apr 12, 2012, 3:17 PM | Updated: Apr 13, 2012, 9:28 am
In a local music scene dominated by hip-hop, indie folk
and hard rock, Seattle’s Ayron Jones is somewhat of an
anomaly; a young guy playing old school stuff.
“When we play, we definitely want to bring this sense
of
old school gospel and soul into our music, and you start
to hear that sound and it’s like you’re back in church. So
we want to embody that kind of soul and spirit of all that
is blues,” Jones says.
That spirit inspired him to enter his band Ayron Jones and the Way into the
international battle of the bands “Hard Rock Rising.”
In a competition dominated by more trendy types of
music, Jones’ unique channeling of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie
Ray Vaughn, and the like stood out. The band beat out 11
others to take the Seattle regional, and the chance to
represent the entire Northwest in the global competition.
“It definitely wasn’t easy for us. There were some
really, really talented bands,” he says.
Now it gets even harder. Eighty-six bands from around
the world are now vying for the top prize: A chance to
open for Bruce Springsteen at London’s Hyde Park in front
of tens of thousands of people.
“It definitely is a dream gig for us. I wouldn’t even
call it a dream gig. It’s part of our dream.”
But the dream won’t come easily. The winner will be
chosen in part by online balloting, and the band is
trailing in the voting.
So Ayron Jones and the Way are doing all they can to
get their music out around town, playing everywhere and
anywhere they can, often for free.
“We’re at a Guitar Center, we got Lucid Jazz Lounge,
we’re going to be at the Vera Project Sunday, the Hard
Rock. We’re just going to be just about everywhere, so
we’re working hard right now.”
And whether or not the band wins the coveted slot
opening for The Boss, Jones says he’s on a bigger mission.
“We really want to represent Seattle in everything that
we do. And I really want people just to understand we’re
coming from a place that is pure heart and soul, but it’s
Seattle Soul.”
-Josh Kerns/Seattle Sounds co-host
