Tameca Jones isn’t new to music—she’s been performing in Austin for over a decade now—but the past year may have been her turning point. She came to prominence singing with the Austin band 8 Million Stories, then earning her living as a working musician by interpreting other artists’ songs. But her days haunting the Continental Club belting out Tina Turner and Elton John covers may be coming to an end as she prepares to release her debut EP of original material. That comes on the heels of a featured appearance on fellow Austinite Gary Clark Jr.’s album The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, where she sang the hook on “Wings,” and a performance at the 2015 Austin Music Awards.
Jones’ voice is a powerhouse—the sort of voice that can pay the bills with covers—but she sounds especially great delivering her own material, with her soulful voice soaring over a slinky piano line and delivering a mournful anthem about lost love. The EP that “Head Over Heels” comes from doesn’t have a release date yet, but those who are curious—and who’ll be in Austin during SXSW—will have the chance to check out her voice live at the music conference on March 19.
