“When I first heard Vanessa Jones...I had heard nothing about her. In the next year I played her more than any other artist. She didn’t earn this by being showy or dazzling me. She did something more important, her singing, fiddling, and songwriting reached into my heart. When you listen to Vanessa’s music you feel like it makes you a better person. ”

— Gordon Nash, DJ, “Gord’s Gold” show on the Folk Music Notebook

Vanessa jones

Vanessa Jones is a singer-songwriter, violinist, multi-instrumentalist, and studio musician from Maine.

Vanessa Jones is a Maine-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who brings a rich musical background to her distinctive blend of folk and Americana. A violinist whose musical journey has taken her from classical to country through a host of other traditions, Vanessa draws on a happy little collection of folk instruments to create songs rooted in the complexities of the human experience. With warmth, honesty and a touch of sparkle, her songwriting explores the joys, heartbreaks and contradictions that connect us. She’ll have listeners leaning in close to hear a nature sound reflected in a specific note, clapping along to her original fiddle tunes, or giggling at an all-too relatable lyric about the human condition. You’ll leave her performance feeling like you just had a warm conversation with a new friend.

Vanessa began her musical journey at the age of six, with violin lessons. She performed in a variety of youth orchestras and classical ensembles throughout her childhood and into her teenaged years, then put herself through college playing at weddings on weekends with a string ensemble, and teaching violin and piano lessons during the week. Vanessa continues to perform across genres on violin as a freelance and session player. She also teaches privately on a limited basis, to prioritize her performance schedule. 

Vanessa was honored to be selected and to perform as a Grassy Hill Emerging Artist at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 2026, a showcase which has served as a prominent career launching pad for emerging folk and Americana musicians. 

Vanessa is currently recording her fourth solo folk album, which is being engineered and co-produced by Jud Caswell at Frog Hollow Studio in Topsham, Maine, for 2027 release.

Performance videos

Press photos