Meet Jonathan Baines

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Baines.

Hi Jonathan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I started singing in church but my love for music is because of my grandmother. My dad pastored a Baptist church in a small town where there was zero opportunity to be heard by anybody but your neighbor (if you were lucky to have one). I developed a taste for it all, really – Gospel, soul, pop, classic rock, country… a wide range of genres.

I knew I wanted to sing and I was good at it but I didn’t know where or how I would use my voice. Naturally, I started in church. Several years later in high school, I audition for various tv shows and schools and had some big wins and losses. At 23, I got married and moved to Nashville.

My first job was on a tv set and I had some prior acting experience so I started pursuing more of that. I began to meet people that put a lot of emphasis on writing music. Nashville is a writer’s town. Insane talent but you have to write to get anywhere. So I wrote my first song “Place at Your Table” and shelved it. For the next 8 years I started writing and singing (as much as anyone would ask me to) on different projects and some background for live shows.

In 2020, I released my first single “Just As You Are” and since then I’ve been writing a lot more and releasing new music. I never thought I would be a writer but I’m very thankful to have moved to Nashville because it’s stretched me and shown me what I’m capable of.

I wouldn’t have been able to do anything without the community my wife and I have here. People’s support here is unmatched in my opinion. I’m looking forward to releasing a lot more this year… Quite a few songs in the queue I can’t wait for people to hear.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would say the support has been really good but if you want to be an artist you have to be willing to deal with more rejection than acceptance. Most people I’ve found don’t mean any harm but it’s the nature of it all. Everyone has their own ideas about you, about your music, about where they think you should fit.

Finding the thing that connects people while also being yourself sometimes can make you feel really lost. Staying calm and steady and always approaching things with kindness ends with much better results. But don’t dismiss being real either. The biggest obstacle for me has been finding the right people who understand what I want.

It’s happened and will still happen because you’ll always be navigating the next obstacle. You won’t ever live without obstacles so learning how to live with those challenges is important.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a singer and songwriter. I also act.

I’m more known for my songs but would love to combine the tv/film side of things with all the music I’ve been writing soon. What am I most proud of? Hmm… I’ve pushed through a lot of hardship the last year and have come out much less worried and much less fearful about life.

I was hospitalized and pretty ill for about 2-3 months. I was isolated at home and if that wasn’t enough having a lot of 2020 indoors to go through something similar in 2021 was rough. However, I wouldn’t be the person I am now had I not walked through it.

What sets me apart? I never know how to answer this but I can tell you most of my friends say “Baines, we’ve never met anyone like you.” I’ve just never been afraid to show exactly how I’m feeling about whatever topic we’re on for the day, I guess. I laugh a lot and I’m never still. Everything has to be an adventure for me.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Nashville has always felt like home – even when I would visit here it just felt right.

At 17, I told my parents I wanted to live here, and at 23, I moved here. The people are my favorite part of this city. Everyone is from somewhere else which makes it special.

I would say the thing I like least about it is the drivers. Haha. Nobody knows how to drive in Nashville. It’s actually pretty bad. Maybe they should consider better driving schools…

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/jbaines
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathan_baines/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jonathan-Baines-333610560437174
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/WXIxR3sj5Q8

Image Credits
Sean Hagwell