Farmington Hills Native Performs at International Music Festival

Josh Jones started his musical career playing in the middle school band at Southfield Christian School. 

Now the 24-year-old Farmington Hills native is touring the country as a drummer with Midwest Skies, one of just 150 U.S. groups selected for NXNE, which showcases more than 1,000 performances June 11-17 in Toronto, ONT. Midwest Skies plays June 15 at The Detour Bar. 

"It has been a lot of excitement and nervousness getting prepared for it," Jones said. "We really feel blessed to have the opportunity to perform, especially because it is an international showcase. We take that with a lot of pride and a lot of humility." 

Jones remembers jamming with friends in the basement of his Farmington Hills home. He comes from a musical family; his parents, Gary and Laurel, and his sister Christina all play the saxophone. 

"I guess I heard the beat of a different drum," he said.

Jones met bandmate and guitarist James Johnson while the two attended Grand Valley State University. They later teamed with bassist Ryan Ykimoff, and "it's been fairly serendipitous since then," he said. 

The group has gone bigger and better to retain and grow a solid base of fans; they carry a traveling light show and their own PA (public address) system. Unfortunately, because of space limitations, the light show won't travel to Toronto.

"We're preparing the same way we do for any show, making sure our music is tight and everybody's on point," Jones said. But there is an added sense of responsibility on the international stage.

"We do feel like we're representing the U.S.," Jones said, "so we want to put our best foot forward." 

Learn more about NXNE on the festival's website.