Biographies

Short Bio

John Jones is best known as the powerful and charismatic singer with Oysterband, one of the leading folk/rock and roots outfits on the UK music scene, acclaimed by music critics and fans alike; recipients of numerous Music Awards; veterans of Glastonbury, Wickham, Shrewsbury, Tønder, and countless other festivals. Now in 2026, John is taking to the road with new music and old friends: Ray Cooper a.k.a. Chopper and Al Scott.

Long Bio

John Jones is best known as the powerful and charismatic singer with Oysterband, veterans of the folk and roots scene since the 1980s. They started as The Whitstable Oyster Company Ceilidh Band, one of the best ceilidh bands in the business, which then evolved into the folk/punk/rock group Oysterband, releasing over 20 albums and playing every major festival in the UK, Europe and Canada. They recorded and toured with some of the UK’s most revered folk artists, including acclaimed tours and two award-winning albums with singer June Tabor.

John’s solo work developed alongside his Oysterband duties. In 2009, he released his first solo album, Rising Road, and began walking between gigs with musicians and fans in a group he called The Reluctant Ramblers. In ten years, the Reluctant Ramblers walked over 1000 miles between shows and John released his second album, Never Stop Moving, in 2015.

Now, with Oysterband saying farewell to their armies of faithful fans across the UK and Europe with their hugely successful The Long Goodbye tour, John is about to embark on his next chapter, enlisting the help of his two long-standing friends and fellow musicians: Ray Cooper a.k.a. Chopper and Al Scott. Ray joined Oysterband in 1990 and brought in the cello sound alongside his bass and backing vocals before leaving in 2013 to go solo. Al has been associated with Oysterband for over 30 years as producer and stand-in guitarist. Al joined the band in 2013.

Between them, the trio play a variety of instruments and will be performing a range of songs and tunes from over the years, from each of their back catalogues, alongside new songs and traditional numbers.

The Song Goes On Tour launches across the UK in Spring 2026, with further dates planned at summer festivals and in winter 2026, and with European shows in the pipeline as well. So whilst one chapter may be coming to an end, another is just beginning: The Song Goes On!

Born in Aberystwyth, Wales, and brought up in Meltham, Yorks. Dad rarely spoke Welsh, maybe because they called him Taffy, which he hated. Mum's family came from Castleford and had a coal-mining background. Parents were Labour supporters, grandparents were even further left, so there was no shortage of political argument in the house. My grandad, Edward Longley ("Red Ted"), was the greatest influence on my life when young. From him I got radical politics, the sense of injustice, a love of nature, a love of lurchers, hatred of the Tory way of mind, the sense of history, and a short temper.

Went to grammar school; was made aware of what selection in schools does to people. Survived school thanks to good teachers and was the first of my family to get to university. After football, music was my big love, particularly Northern Soul. Became the first mod in Meltham. Learned piano, thankfully.

Went to Exeter University: a revelation, it was so middle-class. Took Politics and Sociology (people did in those days). Fell in love with British traditional music and all things English - learned melodeon, morris-danced, wore collarless shirts, and generally tried my best to become an old man before my time. Arrived in Canterbury, Kent, via London, and met afro-haired, bespectacled guitarist and severe short-haired Scottish fiddle-player (among many others in a truly amazing local music scene). Was an English teacher for some time and became a year-head in Canterbury's only comprehensive school. I was a lazy teacher but a good year-head - I think.

Helped form Oyster Ceilidh Band, which in its prime was the best ceilidh band, anywhere, ever. Took on the role of singer, went full-time into music, never looked back.

Oysterband pursued its own path,  writing songs with deep roots in tradition and making music that rocked. It had passion and poetry and I‘m proud of it. It gave me a voice and an identity. 

Now, 45 years later, it’s time for another challenge. 

When I was 13, I saw the great blues guitarist Albert King. It is no exaggeration to say this opened a door for me. From then on, I had one overriding drive to be part of this thing called music and by the time I was 15, I started to play in bands. After Art College in Brighton, I joined punk band Amazorblades. By the time I joined the 3 Mustaphas 3 in the 80's, I already had the useful experience of working as a session musician and had worked with a number of different producers. I moved between folk, rock, punk, pop, roots and world music, working as a singer, bass guitar player and cellist, before I hooked up with Oysterband in 1990 and began a long exploration into my own roots.

After moving to Sweden in 2000, I continued playing with Oysterband, eventually touring in 27 countries and recording 19 albums. It was a wonderful experience and taught me a lot about writing and performing. Al Scott also produced most of our albums. Although I loved being in the band, I took the decision in 2013 to leave and go solo.

Since that time, I have written, recorded and released five solo albums and have completed around 46 solo tours in the UK, Europe and Canada. Al has done a lot to help my solo career, encouraging me and producing and mixing my solo work.

Back home in Sweden, I am also involved in Swedish folk music and am a member of two Swedish folk groups, Malmabygdens Spelmän and Slängpolska Social Club. I still play sessions from my own log cabin studio in Sweden, mostly for other singers and musicians. I also completed my first film score this year.

With John Jones’ Trio, I will be singing and playing cello, piano, mandolin, harmonica and guitar, maybe some others too. It will be great to be back working with John and Al again. You could say we know each other quite well now.

Born in Muswell Hill, I grew up in North London watching mods and rockers fighting in the park at the end of my road. I remember strange music, like nothing I’d ever heard before, filtering through the bedroom wall from my sister’s record player. The freedom to buy vinyl and escape into those new sounds felt exciting but elusive. Then just before exams, a school mate came round toting an electric guitar and everything fell into place.

Now I needed to raise the money to buy a guitar, so I sold hi-fi from an outlet in Tottenham Court Road. Strangely, the Watkins Rapier I bought had a hammer in the bag. When the tenth fret popped out - which it frequently did - I could bash it back in. My fascination with all things tech, tape decks and guitars meant gigs and recording soon followed.

As sound engineer at Hollywood Studios I worked on an album with Metal Mickie - yes seriously! My flatmate Tim Porter (Porter & Davies) was also venturing into the world of sound. He introduced me to The Jam which led to me being monitor man on their first 2000-seater tour. Hands down, they’re still the most exciting band I’ve ever seen live. So many stories remain untold…

Later, a London music publisher asked me to run their busy demo studio. On their books, and often in recording, were bands such as The Tourists, Judas Priest and The Strawbs. My most abiding memory is being freaked out by producer Tom Allom who breezed in and yanked all the wires out of my studio gear. He then quietly showed me a more useful and efficient way of wiring it. He particularly liked a demo of one of the bands I was guitarist in, so he took us to Ringo Starr’s house to do a mix for us. It was a case of watch and learn.

Maybe I’d never have met Ric Lee from Ten Years After if the pub I’d chosen to frequent after work hadn’t had one of the first Space Invaders installed. In the drive to master the game, I got to know Ric and he invited me to join the blues band Chicken Shack. We toured the UK supporting Steppenwolf. They were all around a decade older than me. It was certainly a young man’s baptism of fire into the perils of band life on the road. It can’t have been too bad as I was in their band twice!

When a friend told me a studio somewhere near Covent Garden was looking for an engineer, it turned out to be owned by Michael Palin. Redwood Studios made radio and TV commercials as well as sound for film. In the seven years I worked with them I made ads for household names like British Airways, Persil, Guinness and Heinz with voiceovers by the well-known dulcet tones of British actors. I also recorded a musical with Tim Rice, film music with Michael Kaman, the soundtrack for Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life and a musical with Eric Idle.

After full-on days in the studio, having to be fast and accurate working with household names, I’d take the keys and return at night to work with new bands. Here I made albums with Derek B, Hanoi Rocks and Lords of the New Church and this led directly to me deciding to go freelance as a record producer.

Since then, I’ve produced and mixed over 100 albums in many genres for record labels all over the world and had a few hit records along the way. Friends often ask me if I’ll write a book. Maybe one day, but my passion is making music.