from the band Tinman Jones
https://tinmanjones.com/
By Courtney Gilmour
T4JM: Hi Don, thanks for taking the time to chat with me today. How is the band doing?
Tinman Jones: Well, we’ve been really really great. We had 4 shows in December, we usually have about 15-20 shows a month. There was a death in the family of one of our band members actually, and so we took a step back, and then in February we got really busy again. We just had an extremely busy weekend which was one of our best. It was at a 3 day camp in Texas , we got to do the praise and worship for the kids. We’ve been together 7 years and we’ve done a lot of shows, but that was definitely one of the best. We were just hanging out with the kids, interacting with them and that was just awesome. It was a cool deal, we were really blessed to have that opportunity. We’ve never really done praise and worship music like that because we’re always playing our own stuff, so that was just really cool. Back in August we were on a full time tour with Skillet, ZoeGirl, Tait and some other guys and that was really fun too. Our live shows are a lot different than just listening to our CD and that’s why we love to encourage people to come out and see us, you really don’t know what we do or what we’re about until you see us play. We’re very interactive with the audience, we make them a part of the show and get them involved, it’s fun. We try to make it as entertaining as we possibly can, because nowadays you know, we’re competing with Disney, X-Box, computer games—we can’t be boring. We have stuff that draws them in. We’re wild and crazy and fun, and then we bring it down and talk about the word of God and, you know, ask if there is anyone who hasn’t accepted Him into their lives who would like to, and we provide that opportunity for them, it’s very effective.
T4JM: How did the band come together?
Tinman Jones: Well we started in South Arkansas , and actually we have a new guitarist who’s been with us for almost a year now, but we started in junior high. I met up with two other guys, we were originally called Heavn’z Posse. God put people in my life to start this band, my dad has a southern Gospel band so I had some experience there. When we finally started making real music, radio guys thought we were “gangsta rap”, We decided to kind of incorporate rap into our music but also have a unique mix. We changed our name to Tinman Jones, basically it’s just very simple, “tinman” we thought of as symbolic for “heart”, because the Tinman was in search of a heart and we see ourselves as searching for and striving after the heart of God. And Jones was just a random last name that sounded good with it.
T4JM: What genre of music do you consider Tinman Jones to be?
TJ: I’d say a pop band. It changes with what people listen to though. We sort of change as the times change. We used to be more rap, we’ve matured a lot from the last record with our new album, Poetic, and the next record will be more mature than this one. We have all kinds of different influences like DC Talk, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park , Audio Adrenaline, we love praise and worship music too, bands like Third Day are great.
T4JM: What is the band’s biggest goal you wish to accomplish?
TJ: Well I think most of our goals, or at least our main goal, is already achieved. I never dreamed I’d have this career, having songs on the radio and all that stuff is icing on the cake. Our song went to #6, “I Will”, it climbed the charts and we’re very happy about that. It’s awesome to be driving around and hear our songs. I think our biggest goal is just to continue being on the road with this as our full time job, and to have our songs heard.
T4JM: What age group or audience do you feel your music is directed to?
TJ: That’s a hard question. Unless you see us live, it’s harder to understand. The stuff on our CD that you hear after the concert takes you back to seeing us live and the show we put on. Adults might not like it at first, but it draws them in, we’re interactive with them. At one of our shows we had a 60 year old man come down the aisle for a free CD. We write music that’s fun, adults sometimes get more out of it than kids. We try to reach everybody.
T4JM: Would you ever consider going mainstream?
TJ: Yes but the only way we would do that is if we can be exactly the way we are now and say the things we say. Not if we have to leave Jesus out of our songs. I read so many interviews about Christian bands gone mainstream, you know. I just….if I gotta go, Jesus has gotta come with me, you know?
T4JM: How is your band different from other Christian bands?
TJ: We just, we make it fun. Like at the camp we were at, we were meeting people, they never had a band before that would sit in small groups with them and join them. We’re not the normal band. We’re there to serve people, we have hearts that draw kids. It’s more than just the music. We want to be people that kids can look up to and interact with.
T4JM: Do you consider yourselves role models?
TJ: I think so, yes. One thing we try not to do is give a lot of advice. We tell them to talk to good friends or their pastor, someone who really knows them and can help them. People do look up to us though and if we’re not in a place where we’re being an influence, we need to get in a place where we are. We want people to see Jesus through us.
T4JM: Any embarrassing moments to share with our readers?
TJ: Keith falls off stage a lot. In Louisiana , a grandmother came to pick a girl up and she walked all the way up the front and Keith fell right in front of her, it was hilarious. And then there’s the whole ‘zipper down’ stuff that everyone seems to have. We all jumped off stage one night, that was fun.
T4JM: What would you like to see happen in the future for Tinman Jones?
TJ: We’d like to see our families on the road with us. We’re all married except for our drummer, so it’d be cool to take our wives along, we’re all very family oriented and it’s tough to leave them behind and have to call from the road. We’d also like to see 3-4 more singles in the top 5, number 1 would be even better. We want to keep them climbing. People don’t realize that there’s a business aspect to this industry, this is how we make our living, we have house payments and families to support still.
T4JM: What are some tips you can give to any of our readers who are considering a career in the Christian music industry?
TJ: It’s a hard industry to get into. There are so many people who aren’t real, be real. Grow where you’re planted. Reach people around you. Start where you’re at and play, play, play. That’s what it takes. Also pray, pray, pray. People are going to get in the way, our ex-members of the band followed people instead of Christ, let God control it and focus on Him.
T4JM: Thank you, Don! God bless you and the band and good luck this coming year!
TJ: Thank you, feel free to contact us anytime, we’d love to be involved with the Teens4Jesus ministry in any way we can.
Check out Tinman Jones at http://www.tinmanjones.com
Be the first to comment