Exploring the Musical Journey of Jared Jones from Emerge

Photo Credit: Brittany Bossert

I had the opportunity to conduct a Q&A session with Jared Jones, the esteemed frontman and vocalist of Emerge. During our discussion, we explored his upbringing, the beginnings of his musical journey, his band, and a variety of other topics.

Amit Ahuja: Tell us about where you grew up and what your hometown was like. Could you paint us a picture of the community—its culture, people, traditions, or even the everyday

rhythms—that surrounded you as a child? In what ways did the atmosphere, whether it

was supportive, challenging, inspiring, or perhaps even complicated, shape the person

you were becoming during those early years? Looking back now, are there specific

moments, lessons, or influences from that environment that stand out as particularly

formative?

Jared Jones: I lived most of my pre teenage life outside of Nashville, TN, in at the time wha was a pretty small city named Smyrna. As far as childhoods go, mine was great. I spent a ton of time doing typical kid stuff, playing outside with my neighborhood friends, building forts, playing sports, skating, and really all the classic 90's kid stuff, Pokemon, Nintendo, etc.. When I was around 12 my family moved to Chattanooga, TN and that's where I lived my teenage and early adult years. The atmosphere I was around between my family, friends, and growing up in Church was overwhelmingly positive, honestly. I was very fortunate to have a loving family and great friends, many of whom I still am close with today. All of that definitely shaped who I am as a person, the way I view the world, and the way I view relationships and how I believe I should treat other people. There's not really one specific moment, I was just really blessed to have a lot of great influences around me.

Amit Ahuja: How has your upbringing continued to influence who you are today? Are there certain values, beliefs, or perspectives—whether passed down through family, taught in your community, or born from your own experiences—that still guide your decisions in life and In music? Do you ever find echoes of those early lessons appearing in the way you write

songs, collaborate with others, or navigate challenges?

Jared Jones: Absolutely. The way I was raised still plays a major role in my personality and the way I make decisions. As I get older I definitely find my writing becoming more influenced by personal feelings I have that are directly correlated with how I view the world, and a lot of that can be traced back to my upbringing. Obviously, over time things change and I've grown and matured and developed some of my own ways of dealing with this or that, but at the end of the day I can still trace things back to the core belief I have that you should always treat others with respect, whether they've shown the same to you or not. Life's too short for grudges. 

Amit Ahuja: Can you share a pivotal moment that first ignited your passion for music? Was it hearing a specific song, witnessing a performance, discovering an artist you admired, or even going through a personal experience that made you realize music could be more than background noise—it could be a calling? How did that moment open the door for you to

start seeing music as a path worth pursuing seriously?

Jared Jones: I remember coming back from a week at a summer camp and while i'd been gone my younger brother had gotten a couple of rock albums, Linkin Park's Meteora, and Nickelback's The Long Road. From the moment I hit play on those albums I was never the same, as cliche as that sounds. I became completely obsessed with rock music and never looked back. It was a couple more years after that point that I became committed to actually learning to play guitar, but once that happened the combo of my love for the bands I was listening to with this newfound obsession of now learning to play music myself was unstoppable. 

Amit Ahuja: What initially drew you into the genre of music your band focuses on? From the perspective of sound—instrumentation, rhythm, composition, and energy—what felt

magnetic or natural about it? And from an aesthetic standpoint—fashion, visuals,

culture—what gave you the sense that this style authentically represented your artistic

identity? Was it a gradual discovery, or a moment when it just “clicked”?

Jared Jones: My love of bands like Sevendust, Alter Bridge, Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin, Linkin Park and many of the other late 90's/early 00's hard rock bands is what really influenced me as a player and a writer. The band for the most part all shared the same if not very similar core influences, and then those mixed with some of our more individual interests really helped shape the sound. Aesthetically, we sort of just dress like your standard hard rock band, the more black the better haha. 

Photo Credit: Courtney Lea Photography

Amit Ahuja: Are there particular songs or artists that have deeply resonated with you and inspired your musical journey? How did those influences shape your creative voice, whether in terms of your sound, your lyrics, or the way you approach performing? Do you ever find

yourself consciously—or even unconsciously—channeling them when you’re writing or

on stage?

Jared Jones: Oh yeah, absolutely, I've always been a fan of what I've always thought of as the more "serious" or "somber" bands. Both musically and lyrically. I love bands like Creed and Sevendust that have always had this kind of serious and mature sound to their music, and that's definitely influenced how I approach writing. A large part of my guitar playing was also influenced by bands with really tight percussive rhythm playing like Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin. I've never been shy about my influences, and I definitely think they can be heard in the music, but I also hope I've blended enough of my influences and just my own personal take on things to not sound too much like this band or that band. 

Amit Ahuja: When Emerge first came together, what sparked the idea of starting this journey? Did it begin as a shared dream, a casual jam session that turned into something bigger, or a desire to create music that filled a gap you didn’t hear elsewhere? What was the original vision for the band, and how has that vision shifted, expanded, or deepened as you’ve grown together creatively and personally?

Jared Jones: When we first came together it was myself on guitar, my brother on drums, and our best friend Will on bass. At first it was just jamming for fun, and we'd write songs all the time, but it was a while of just hanging out and jamming before we actually got things going and found a singer, and that was really when things started taking shape. Back in those days I was writing on a daily basis, and we'd have new songs practically every time we'd practice, which at that time was fairly often since we were young and without much adult responsibility yet. Those were great times. We had a really seamless chemistry together. Over the years as the band has grown as individuals things have changed, members have come and gone as life happens, but the core of what the band is and represents is still the same. 

Amit Ahuja: The name “Emerge” feels both powerful and symbolic. Could you walk us through the story or philosophy behind choosing it? How does it represent your identity as a band and the message you want to put into the world? Were there other names considered

along the way, and if so, what made “Emerge” stand out as the one that truly captured

your essence?

Jared Jones: To be honest coming up with a band name was a big struggle for us. Our original name was Bentwood, named after the neighborhood we grew up in and started the band in, we always thought that was a goofy name and never were married to it, but we did play our first couple of shows under that name before our singer at the time came up with Emerge. I liked the name, it was certainly better than Bentwood, but honestly it didn’t have any particular meaning to it, we just thought at the time it sounded fine and needed a better name. However, over the years the name has developed a meaning for me personally. A lot of our music is written with the hope that it empowers the listener, or inspires them in some sort of way, so the name Emerge to me now is about overcoming whatever obstacles you face and coming out stronger on the other side. 

Amit Ahuja: Take us inside your songwriting process. Do your lyrics come primarily from personal experiences, from stories you’ve absorbed from others, or from bigger abstract themes and ideas you feel compelled to explore? How do you move from that first spark of inspiration to a finished song? Are there rituals, creative methods, or collaborative dynamics that guide that journey?

Jared Jones: My lyrics come from pretty much all of that. Really just depends on the song, what I’m dwelling on, etc.. In most cases I will start with the music and then write the melody and lyrics around that, but I’ve had times where I’ll come up with an entire set of lyrics and melody and then write the music from there. For me it’s really just about sitting down and committing to finishing a particular song. Over the years I’ve written thousands of riffs and musical ideas that will probably never see the light of day, but they can be helpful in times when I’m in a big writing mode and stumble upon an old idea. I’ve done that a few times recently and been able to flesh those ideas out into full songs, which has been cool. 

Amit Ahuja: Your latest work features standout tracks like Tolerance and your album A New Horizon. Could you talk about the personal experiences, emotions, or artistic influences that

shaped the heart of this project? Were there any pivotal writing or studio moments that

shifted its direction or added new layers of meaning? And could you dive into specific

songs—like Tolerance, What You Want It to Be, The Truth, Watch Me Bleed, and Alive

Again—to share the stories, messages, or inspirations behind them?

Jared Jones: I’ll start with Watch Me Bleed, that song definitely came from a personal place. It was one of the first songs we had written that made the album, and had been recorded previously 2 or 3 times before we finally settled on it the way it is. That song to me is about being at your lowest point, but refusing to let the person who put you there see the damage they’ve done. A song like What You Want It to Be is pretty straight forward, but is indicative of how I view life. We only get one, so make the most of it, follow your dreams, and for lack of a better term, make it what you want it to be. The Truth is one of our favorite “deep cuts” on the album, it’s sort of about that old saying “there’s my side, your side, and the truth.”. You can say or believe whatever you want, but that doesn’t make or change the truth of the matter. Alive Again is a pretty straight forward rock song, when I wrote that one it was written with the intention to just be pure energy from start to finish, and lyrically it’s about the band. Having been around for as long as we have we’ve had plenty of ups and downs, and that song was written as sort of a comeback after a period where we weren’t really sure what we were doing anymore. Tolerance is our latest single, but it was actually written years ago. Lyrically it definitely reflects my feelings on the world we live in today, and sort of my core belief that we don’t always have to agree with each other, but we always need to show kindness and grace to those that we don’t understand. It’s a bit more nuanced than that for me personally, but that’s sort of the overall message that I hope people would take from it. 

Amit Ahuja: In what ways does this album reflect your growth as artists? Looking back at your earlier work, how do you feel your sound, storytelling, and perspective have evolved? What do you feel this record says about where you are today, not just musically but as people?

Jared Jones: The core sound of the band has always remained, but the biggest changes have come from me taking on the role of being the vocalist. Learning to do that has been a lot of trial and error, but it's been a huge growth area for me personally and with that the lyrics have become more personal to me since they're all written from my perspective. A lot of our earlier work had a big emphasis on the heavier aspect of our music, but with this album I really wanted to showcase the more melodic side of the band as well.

Amit Ahuja: What are some of your favorite songs to perform live, and why? Is it the rush of audience energy, the technical challenge of the music, or the emotional release it provides that makes those moments special? Could you describe what it feels like in those peak live

moments when everything just clicks?

Jared Jones: I get a little something different from each song because they all have their own moments and meaning, but some of our staples in the set are Watch Me Bleed, Tolerance, Coward, Alive Again, and No Remorse. Those are all really high energy, which is what we try to put out from our live show. It's definitely a combination of everything you mentioned, but we really feed off the audience energy. In those moments where the band is tight, and the audience is enjoying it there really is nothing like that feeling. The adrenaline and then the satisfaction of feeling like it was a job well done really is what we're always chasing from night to night. 

Amit Ahuja: If you had the chance to open for any band or join a global tour, who would you choose and why? What about those artists—their sound, their message, or their presence—makes them an ideal fit for sharing a stage with you?

Jared Jones: We've been exteremely fortunate to share the stage with some of our favorite bands of all time, which to me has made every sacrifice worth it because at the end of the day i've been able to live out things with this band that i'd only dreamed of. Bands like Sevendust, Fuel, 10 Years, Scott Stapp, bands i grew up influenced by and going to see as a fan countless times. We definitely have a list of bands that we'd love to open for, but for me personally i'd say Breaking Benjamin. They were a huge influnce on my songwriting when it comes to how I play guitar, and I think our sound would go over great with that audience so i'd love to have that opportunity. But man, there are countless others.. Disturbed, Alter Bridge, Nickelback, the list goes on and on. 

Amit Ahuja: What advice would you give to musicians facing rejection or setbacks? From your own experiences, how can artists transform moments of disappointment into opportunities for resilience, creativity, and eventual success? What’s a story from your own path that illustrates that transformation?

Jared Jones: Don't take it personally. Keep pushing, be as professional and courteous as you can be in every interaction. Be the first one in and the last one out at shows. Ask yourself why you were rejected and be brutally honest with yourself. Is it our music, our appearance, our following? Why did we get passed over for this? If you can figure out the why to those then you'll be much better off than just resenting the fact that you were rejected. Emerge tried for years and years to get bigger opportunities, and a tough pill to swallow was the fact that we were rejected time and time again in our hometown while branching out and getting great opportunities outside of there. Nothing happens overnight, even if it appears to from the outside there is so much behind the scenes work that goes into relationship building and getting those bigger opportunities. You can't expect anything because you aren't owed anything. So stay humble, keep being honest with yourself and improving where you fall short, and you'll start to see things change.

Photo Credit: Erica JW/ @atthevenuephotography

Amit Ahuja: Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future? Is it new projects, tours, collaborations, or even personal growth? On a deeper level, when you create music,

does it feel more like release, self-discovery, confrontation with something inside

you—or perhaps a mix of all three? Ultimately, what message do you hope listeners

carry with them after engaging with your music?

Jared Jones: I'm just excited to keep growing. We've been extremely blessed this year and have had some of our best shows and opportunites yet. I'm excited to get back in the studio and to put out new music. Creating for me is definitely a combination of all of those things. When people listen to our music I hope they take something positive from it. Whether it's directly from the message or an individual lyric, or just from the feeling the music gives them, I want them to be inspired and hope that it helps them feel something positive that maybe they didn't feel before listening.

Amit Ahuja: Who are three individuals who have had a profound impact on your life—whether personally, professionally, or artistically—and in what ways have they shaped your

journey?

Jared Jones: There are so many, but my mom and dad, my wife, and my brother have all shaped me in some way. I think a large part of the way I view how others should be treated comes from my mom, and I defintely feel that often when writing. 

Amit Ahuja: Outside of music, what kinds of TV shows, movies, books, or podcasts resonate with you most? Is it the storytelling, the character development, the themes, or the craft itself that really captures your imagination and influences how you think about creativity?

Jared Jones: I'm a huge Star Wars guy. From the age of 4 I was obsessed. I love all kinds of movies though, action, comedy, drama, horror. In many cases it's a combination of all of that, how the characters relate to my life, how the story moves me. I'm a big gamer as well, and I love the same things about gaming as I do movies, which is the storytelling and the escape it provides.

Amit Ahuja: Can you share your personal experiences with mental health challenges? What coping strategies, tools, or support systems have helped you most along the way? What advice would you give to others navigating similar struggles, particularly in creative or high-pressure fields?

Jared Jones: I'm definitely no expert, but I've certainly had my struggles. I think some of that can be heard in my lyrics, and a lot of what I'm writing now reflects it. I'm trying to take things one day at a time, otherwise it's very easy for me to get overwhelmed with this or that. I think something that has helped me is trying to understand why I feel a certain way. Being honest with myself, getting other perspectives, and trying to be humble enough to accept the truth, even when it's not easy. There have been times where i've asked myself some dark questions and had the feeling that nothing I do can make a difference, but I have to try to remind myself to take a step back and take a moment, and to keep doing the best I can from day to day.

Amit Ahuja: As we wrap up, do you have any parting thoughts, reflections, or words of wisdom you’dlike to leave us with? Is there a message you feel especially compelled to share with your fans—or with anyone chasing a dream of their own?

Jared Jones: Keep pushing. Whatever your dreams are it is possible to achieve them in some way. It may not always be the way you expected or hoped for, but we're all capable of incredible things if we believe in ourselves. Treat others with kindness, be fair, be honest, and listen to different perspectives. Try to understand why people think or believe differently than you, and find a way to relate to them. No matter how unalike someone may be from you, we can all relate to feelings, and I think now more than ever it's important to be humble and open enough to listen to others and show them the same grace you'd want shown to yourself.

Amit Ahuja: We extend our sincere gratitude to Jared Jones for sharing his story with us.

Explore the links below to discover Emerge's music and connect with them on social media:

https://linktr.ee/emergeofficial

***Photo credits are attributed to Courtney Lea Photography, Erica JW/@atthevenuephotography, and Brittany Bossert. Video credit is attributed to Emerge.***