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About Thanatoid Jones

Thanatoid Jones was born Leap Day, February 29, 1957 on a rusted and broken down prairie schooner in a field near Skiatook, OK. While the young Jones was still in diapers, his parents relocated to Hayfork, CA for reasons both agricultural and financial. Thanatoid spent much of his childhood pouring used motor oil on Highway 3 and watching the motorcycles slide around.

Despite his home-schooled primary and secondary education, Thanatoid was awarded a hardship admission to the University of California at Berkeley. Jones headed to the Bay Area and never looked back. Unfortunately, he rarely looked forward either and, after two and a half years, dropped out having failed to complete a single class.

At a crossroads in his fortunes, Thanatoid turned to songwriting as an outlet for the screaming banshees in his head. Since no living band would have him, he employed the Karmic Ghost Band to create his unique sound with a mix of acoustic and electronic instruments.

Thanatoid’s songs reflect his idiosyncratic view of the world; critical, yet balanced by an unexpected hopefulness that subtly softens his stoic demeanor. From the driving beat and dream-like imagery of “Fallen Man” to the poetry and grace of “Return 2 U”, Thanatoid Jones combines strong, emotional lyrics with inviting melodies and a diverse range of textures to create songs that haunt and move the listener. “American Canyon” mixes country and rock sensibilities to create a cathartic anthem for Capitalism’s less rewarded constituents. His music is both accessible and fresh, proving there is a little Thanatoid in all of us.

Today, the artist lives somewhere in Marin. Some consider a Thanatoid Jones sighting as noteworthy as encountering Big Foot or Sean Penn.