Ottawa Valley roots run deep through Colleen Jones. A modern-day singer-songwriter with an eclectic array of traditional influences, Jones is forging a path through the regional music scene using her Ottawa Valley background as her emphatic calling card. In celebration of where she came from and in anticipation of where she’s going, Jones has blended the country music refrains enjoyed throughout the Ottawa Valley with the intrepid melodies of 90s indie rock. Creating a sound that is tantalizing in its authenticity, Jones is manifesting her artistic dreams into reality.
Jones grew up in Chapeau, Quebec. A small town with a storied logging legacy, Chapeau has long brandished a rich and varied musical tradition. Celtic, French-Canadian, folk, country and bluegrass melodies have been coalesced into a rhythmic offering that the townspeople have used to portray life along the shores of the mighty yet picturesque Ottawa River. Music passed through generations, artists and storytellers have harnessed the power of song to illustrate a lifestyle defined by community. Echoing throughout dance halls, parishes, taverns and hunt camps, Chapeau’s music is an indispensable aspect of what characterizes it. This storied musical tradition lives on to this day.
“Growing up, most of my family and friends were musicians,” said Jones reflectively. “At gatherings, there was always music.”
With music being such a big part of life in Chapeau, it was only natural that Jones herself would assume the mantle of musician. Starting her first band at 14, Jones has played venues across the Ottawa Valley. Entertaining crowds at bars, weddings, and all manner of events in the area, Jones embarked on a creative journey that would galvanize a blossoming love for songwriting and performing.
It is this experience that Jones credits with her aptitude as a performer.
“It was a great way to hone your craft,” asserted Jones. “I learned how to improvise and got a better understanding of the dynamics of being in a band.”
This crash-course in performance flair would culminate in Jones’ next musical iteration. After meeting some fellow musicians at a festival in Pembroke, the group realized that they would all soon be attending school in Ottawa. Wanting to engage in some musical projects while in school, Jones and the group decided to collaborate on a project that would come to be known as Sparklesaurus. A melding of stylized indie-pop and psychedelic rock, the group would release two EP’s and make a name for itself within the Ottawa music scene until it’s disbanding in 2019.
With Sparklesaurus having folded, the time seemed right for Jones to explore her own songwriting on a more intimate level.
“That’s when I kind of started to delve into taking my own songwriting more seriously,” said Jones.
Among the catalogue of songs currently released under Jones’ pseudonym, Leeny Jones, each stands apart in its themes and style. Jones capacity for lyrical narration is as developed as her talent for crafting engaging and memorable melodies.
“Colleen is absolutely a rocker at heart,” said collaborator and producer, Collin Carnegie. “Her voice still has a bit of signature snarl to it, and while she may not have to cut through a loud rock band anymore, it’s a great sonic weapon to spice up her tracks.”
Her first single, released in December of 2021, is an unapologetic ode to the magic of Christmas spirit. Released during the alienation of the COVID-19 lockdowns, xmas lites celebrates the way in which the smallest of things have the capacity to make the biggest of impacts. A Christmas carol-esc piece employing the ambient guitar and subtle bassline of a 90s alternative record, xmas lites was inspired by an appreciation for holiday spirit in the face of isolation.
“I went for a walk and was just thinking about how all the little things like Christmas lights around my neighbourhood were cheering me up a little bit,” said Jones. “I began humming the melody in my head, and when I got home, I picked up the guitar and wrote it.”
Following up her take on a traditional Christmas carol, Jones released Dear Robert in 2022. A song covering deeply personal subject matter, Dear Robert is about the passing of Jones’ cousin. A tribute to his memory and a reconciliation of his emotional impact on Jones and her family, Jones’ penchant for storytelling is on full display during Dear Robert. As Jones’ lyrics reflect on themes of loss and kinship, a soothing acoustic guitar riff blends elegantly with the longing motif of a fiddle.
Jones’ latest release, Rotten Potatoes, is a marvellously morbid track that flips a prevailing country music trope – that of a man killing his partner after catching her with someone else – on its head. Written in collaboration with fellow musician and one-time Sparklesaurus bandmate, Felicity DeCarlo, the story-driven track weaves the tale of a mistreated woman seeking her revenge on an abusive man. Blending melodic banjo riffs, haunting background harmonies and the evocative range of Jones’ voice, the song is perhaps the best representation of the distinctive blend of country and indi-rock in which Jones has embraced.
“Colleen is a real team player and a dream to collaborate with,” said DeCarlo. “We started playing music together about 10 years ago now, and it’s always clicked from the beginning. Since we’ve been singing together so long, our voices meld together so well that there have been times listening back to a recording where I can’t tell if it’s me or her singing the part. There’s definitely some magic there.”
While each of Jones’ songs are distinct in theme and sound, all share a poignancy of emotion that can only be conveyed by an artist devoted to their craft.
“I only write when I’m feeling something strongly,” Jones said. “It’s very therapeutic for me to sit down and try to write a song about how I’m feeling in the moment.”
This devotion to the authentic expression of feeling is what inspires Jones. Having been raised in an environment where music is viewed as an indispensable articulation of self and an integral component of community, Jones honours Chapeau’s blending of genres in her own music. Unconcerned with notoriety or commercial acclaim, Jones simply wants to entertain and inspire through the medium of music.
“I just want to play music for people,” said Jones. “That’s really my goal.”
