An Interview with Wylie Jones
Wylie Jones February 2022 Reggae Artist of the Month
The Mile High Reggae Artist of the Month Series selects a local reggae artist to do a spotlight interview on each month. Artists are chosen based on their current contributions to the local reggae scene, including shows played, music recorded, and other involvement.
Wylie Jones is a Colorado based reggae singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. When he is not playing keys for some of our favorite local bands, including Dubskin, The Reminders & Justus and the Limits, he is mashing and smashing loops as a Solo Reggae Loop Artist at breweries, bars, and events all over the state. Wylie is frequently referred to as one of the hardest working musicians around, with multiple shows almost every week of the year. Wylie is so busy playing gigs around Colorado in fact, that the only way we could actually catch up to him for this interview was to get him on the phone on his way to play his next show.
I’m picking up the kids from school right now and then I’m heading to Sedalia, CO, for a gig.
I played The Golden Mill yesterday in Golden, CO.
I’m playing El Rancho in Evergreen, CO, tomorrow and then the Tasty Weasel the day after. I’ve been doing that Oskar Blues gig for about 6 years now.
Why do you call yourself Wylie “Crazyhorse” Jones
I’ve actually dropped ”Crazy Horse” now but it came from my trail name. I through hiked the Appalachian trail in 2005. It’s a tradition to have a trail name and they were trying to give me a name like like “wild hair” and I didn’t like that so I was going to decide between “Crazyhorse” and “Antero” to pay some native American tribute. But in 2005 I knew nothing of cultural appropriation and as the years past it was time to let it go.
What are some of your other interests besides music?
I’ve hiked over 10,000 miles. I did the Appalachian Trail in 2005. Then the pacific Crest Trail in 2006 and that goes from Mexico to Canada. In 2007 I tried to do the Continental Divide trail, but after hiking the entirety of NM while suffering from Ulcerative Colitis I had to throw in the towel in the South San Juan’s. And then in 2009 I did the Colorado trail with my wife when she was 5 & 6 months pregnant and then I hiked it again a few years later. Can’t wait to do a 150 mile section of the Divide this fall!
How long has Colorado been home?
I came here for the first time in 2000 when I was traveling around the country and fell in love with it. Then I came back and hiked in ’02 and in ’04 and then moved out here after the Appalachian Trail in 2005, right before the I did the Pacific Crest Trail. Then moved back out to the East coast to play musics with Antero Reggae Band before coming back to Colorado in 2015. Definitely never planning on moving away!
What are some of the projects you have been involved in since you came out here?
Dubskin was the first thing and I met a whole bunch of people through that crew. Then with The Reminders and then Amanda Julien – Me and Corey and Matt from Dubskin (who played bass on her album) have played with her for a while. I also played with Matchet and then with Harry MO and the Cru. And Massive. Justus and the Limits. Wake Up and Live recently. Death by Dub I haven’t played live with yet but have been recording with them.
Tell us about Dubskin. (Editor’s note: I went to a Dubskin show at the Aggie Theatre with by buddy Linden about 13 years ago and have been a fan ever since. And I’m pretty sure he’s the band’s biggest fan still.)
Dubskin had already been together for maybe 8 years before I joined. That was actually my first show with a band in CO was with Dubskin at The Aggie.
Will Dubskin continue to play shows and record music?
All of their albums they recorded before I was even with them. But now everyone is just busy plus covid. Corey just had a baby and Jamal is pretty busy with the Cultural Enrichment Center of Fort Collins. But hopefully we’ll be playing shows again at some point.
Tell us about the Reminders and your relationship with that band.
I saw them for the first time when they were at Ophelias with Natural Selectah. I met them when we were living in Virginia and flew back to play a show with Dubskin at the Aggie. I’m also a huge fan and listen to them on the reg.
I know (because I have seen quite a few of your loop sets) that you sing, play the keys, the guitar, the bass guitar, and the melodica. What else?
Novice reggae drums haha. My favorite instrument is the air crash cymbal.
You know, just like the air guitar, but it’s the air crash cymbal off of a drum set ha.
What’s that flute thing you play sometimes?
That’s a native American flute in A minor.
Did you take lessons as a kid or were you in band or anything?
Yea I went to church until I was old enough to refuse to go but I sung in the choir there and learned the golden rule which is all one really needs to know. I don’t know if that was lessons or not but then I took piano lessons from like 2nd grade until 7th or 8th. And I started playing guitar when I was 13. Mostly self-taught though.
Who are some of your musical influences?
The first was probably Kermit the Frog. And then as far back as I can remember playing records, was some song about crying over spilt milk or something. I don’t know ha. Well, then we found my uncles Led Zeppelin albums in my grandad’s attic. So, Led Zeppelin and Metallica were two really big influences pre-reggae you know. And then when I heard Bob for the first time I was like woh what’s this? You know it was like my second time smoking weed and my first time listening to Bob. So after that, I listened to Bob no stop for a couple years and then found out that there were other reggae bands. And that shit blew my mind. And then seeing Toots live was when I found my church.
What are you listening to the most lately?
Todd Snider. I actually listen to The Reminders a lot. And Andy Grammar a lot. I went to see him at Paramount theatre this week. Cultura Profética, their album Mota is one of the best reggae albums of all time I think. Even without understanding all of the words.
What other genres do you enjoy listening to and playing?
Usually reggae is my thing. I enjoy all kinds of music, though, as long as it’s coming from the soul and it feels god. As far as playing, though, I just spend so much time playing and listening to reggae. It’s the best music in the world. It saved my life.
Have you ever been to Jamaica?
Yes. I went by myself when I was 21 probably. I didn’t have any plans. My first nights stay at Montego Bay I got hustled hard and saw a lot of poverty. Ironically I did not have enough money to eat right myself the last two days I was there because I got hustled so hard. I had brought a guitar with me that I bought just for the trip just in case something happened to it. I ended up selling it to a guy I had met on the way in just to be able to pay the tourism tax.
You have gotten to play quite a few big events over the years, including Bohemian Nights, Tico Time Reggae Fest, Reggae on the Grass, and the Mishawaka. What are some of your most memorable shows?
That Mish show was definitely the most memorable for sure. And Washington’s was awesome when me and Jamal did that. That shit was crazy we opened up for the Stephen Marley acoustic tour. They thought we were too much for the acoustic tour because we were so high energy. After that they required that the rest of the openers on the tour be sitting down since that was kind of the vibe of the acoustic tour.
How do you prepare for a show?
Nothing. Get dressed ha. Usually eat some edibles. Tune up guitars.
What’s your ideal kind of gig?
The Mishawaka ha. Outdoors either mountains or the ocean. One or the other. The more the merrier and hopefully music lovers.
How long have you been doing your solo looping act? Can you tell us more about it?
I did one loop show in Richmond before we left so I started practicing it like early 2015 and started learning looping and did it for a few months before I started playing the loop sets live. Then came out here and just went for it.
I don’t know if anyone else has seen your schedule, but it is pretty much an ongoing tour of the entire state of Colorado. What’s it like gigging around the state practically full time?
It’s wonderful and amazing and I am so thankful to do it. Driving in CO is effortless to me because I love the mountains so much. And I just feel at home in the mountains and feel my best self in the mountains.
We watched a few of your live streams during covid. What was it like for you as a musician working through the pandemic?
Last winter was brutal. It felt like the longest winter ever. It’s one of those things where I thought I would be into doing the live stream thing a lot, but when there is no energy coming back at you it’s just kind of weird. But last year was my busiest and best year ever. This year gigs aren’t coming in quite as fast, but they’ve been coming though.
What are your goals for this year?
I want to play 3 or 4 nights every week. It’s like medicine for me. And it such a wonderful meditation. My main goal is to stay busy through next winter, though.
2022 Wylie Jones Shows
3/4 Emporium Sports Bar
3/5 Cervantes on Keys w Justus and The Limits
3/11 Over Yonder Brewing 5-8
3/16 The Golden Mill
3/19 Frozen dead guy days
3/19 Tasty Weasel 5-7
3/26 Barrels & Bottles Camp George West 6-9
4/2 Beirdstat laugerhasue $300 8-11 21+
4/19 A Basin
4/20 The Golden Mill
4/22 Sweet Water Fort Collins
4/23 Emporium Sports Bar
5/06 The Golden Mill
5/13 Barrels & Bottles Camp George West. 6-9
5/19 Cactus Jacks 8-12
5/22 The Well 2-5
5/27 Black and Blues Music And Brews 7:30-10
5/28 Emporium Sports Bar
6/10 The Golden Mill
6/11 Emporium Sports Bar
6/23 Crested Butte
6/24 Packers Lake City CO
7/9 The Golden Mill
7/14 The Well 5-8
7/16 Emporium Sports Bar
7/22 Scooters Arouca $250 clea
8/11 The Well
8/19 scooters
8/21 The Golden Mill
