Judah Jones writes songs with intention, starting from melody and working outward. For him, a song has to connect before it can reveal anything deeper. Shaped by the places he grew up and the music that surrounded him, Judah approaches songwriting as a careful balance between vulnerability and accessibility. He isn’t chasing perfection or over-explanation, just moments that feel honest and resonate. His music reflects an artist still evolving, focused less on arrival and more on connection.
SNQLX: Your recent releases blend emotional depth with melodic immediacy. Where do vulnerability and melody meet for you in songwriting?
JUDAH: I believe that melody is the most important thing to me. If the melody does not resonate to the consumer your beautiful words most times will not be heard. I do my best to do both if I can. Which is super difficult and most times I do not write the best songs. I usually pick the top 2 out of 10 songs that I do. That way the cream rises to the top.
Vulnerability is a whole other thing that takes time to develop. You have to figure out how much you can say in 2 to 4 minutes and it be easily understood. I do not want to be too deep so the whole world doesn’t understand me but I still want to take people in to deep waters at times. It honestly is a balancing act. You really have to figure out what works for each song. I only want to support the song. The best thing I can do is bring a great song to life. Hopefully, I can do that many times in my life, but most people just get one. We will see what happens.
SNQLX: How do the places you’ve lived or the communities you’re connected to shape your sound?
JUDAH: When I was a kid I lived in a city to where less than 1% percent of the people were black so I was not raised on the stereotypical black music. I know lots of old Motown soul music but not a lot of 1990’s and 2000’s rap. I personally exposed myself to rap in my early 20’s and now I listen to all music.
I cannot act like that didn’t influence the road that I am on right now. Some of my favorite artist are Coldplay, John Mayer, and Bruno. The only reason that happened is because where I was raised.
I also was in a super christian community too so, most music escaped my ears, not because it wasn’t good, but because it just wasn’t played in my home. Also my dad is a song writer as well and always wrote simple hooks. People loved them.
At an early age I learned that simple music can effect people in a big way because its not hard to understand.
SNQLX: What role does narrative play in your songs? Are you telling stories about others, parts of yourself, or something between?
JUDAH: The better the story the better the song in a lot of ways. But it still has to be a universal emotion for large crowds of people to be moved. I am telling my stories and my cowriters stories. When you write songs with people and collaborate, it’s very rare to me, that every detail comes from me alone.
SNQLX: How do you balance personal honesty with the desire to make music that feels universal?
JUDAH: Personality honestly can be in the music. When I have more music you will see that I love so many different sounds but most of all, I love energy. I love when you can feel every lyric of the song even if its in a different language. That’s honestly the goal. For you to feel everything and not even know what’s being said lol
SNQLX: When you think about where you are now versus where you thought you’d be as an artist a few years ago, what has surprised you most?
JUDAH: How much I’ve changed. I have gone through lots of different sounds and this one seems to stick the most and resonate with being. I used to R&B and more Poppy stuff. Truthfully I’ve always been a Coldplay, John Mayer, Bruno, kind of guy if that makes sense. But it took me a minute to find my way here.
SNQLX: What is the story you want each listener to take away from your music, beyond the hooks or the chorus?
JUDAH: The story I want people to take away is to chase your dreams and live life to the fullest. Also allow yourself to feel all of the emotions whether they are good or bad. Rather to have love and lost than to have never loved at all.
SNQLX: You talk about supporting the song rather than over-expressing yourself. How did working as a producer shape that instinct before you ever stepped fully into releasing your own music?
JUDAH: Well what I learned while producing many demos and ideas is that over expression can sometimes overwhelm the consumer if it’s not done the right way. You have to be delicate and really intentional with every decision. Most people can only process so much information so I try not to over load them with sounds or words. When you’re younger you want to say and do everything, but you realize that people really just want to listen to your music and feel something. Whether it’s love, hate, happiness, anger, or euphoria, the goal is to make them feel something.
SNQLX: Winning a Grammy as a producer is recognition for work that’s mostly invisible. What did that moment affirm for you about your instincts and your place in the creative process?
JUDAH: It affirmed a lot honestly and care so much about music. It showed me that what I’m creating moves people beyond just computer and audio gear. As I said before I just want to make people feel something and to do that so much that you get a Grammy is awesome. Hopefully I do it again but I’m so happy that I was even apart of something like that.
SNQLX: Did that recognition change the way you trust yourself in the studio, especially when you’re making decisions for your own songs?
JUDAH: Yes it did to be honest. Its one of those things that’s in the back of your head to where when I’m doubting I say things like, pssshhh I won a Grammy I don’t need to be worried about a mean comment or over opinionated person. This is isn’t a hobby. I’m a professional. That Grammy says that or at least affirms that. It doesn’t mean I don’t listen to critiques or good advice. The Doubt that always seems to find its way back in to my mind gets kicked out when something like that happens.
SNQLX: You’ve moved through different sounds before landing in something that feels like it truly fits. What lessons from your years producing for others still show up in the way you write today?
JUDAH: Simplicity and clarity of idea/song is still the most important thing.
SNQLX: If someone listens to your music without knowing your background as a producer, what part of that behind-the-scenes work do you hope they can still feel in the final song?
JUDAH: The emotion that I express in every word. When I cut vocals I basically will do everything possible to get the right take. It’s super important for me to make sure that every word is felt, because if you cannot understand me at least you can feel me.
Across both his production work and his own releases, Judah Jones keeps returning to the same idea: clarity matters, emotion matters, and the song always comes first. A Grammy may affirm his instincts, but it hasn’t changed his priorities. He’s still chasing the right feeling, the right take, the moment where words and melody meet in a way that’s honest and human. If listeners don’t know his background, that’s fine. All he hopes is that they can feel him, even when they can’t quite find the words.
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