ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Jonathan New tries to weather
COVID-19 crisis as a musician
BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS
J
COMMONWEALTH JOURNAL
onathan New is anything
but new to the local music
scene. He’s one of the tried-
and-true veterans of the
strings that Pulaski County
has to offer.
But right now, that local music
scene is undergoing something even
New has never seen before.
With restrictions put in place
closing restaurants and bars
because of concerns over the
COVID-19 virus -- the same
restaurants where New normally
plays -- the musician’s way of life
has had to change in recent weeks.
That’s not entirely a bad thing,
however.
“It has been nice for me to take a
step back and refocus. Also I have
reached out and been contacted
personally by friends all over
checking on me,” he said. “It’s so
easy to get busy and we all know
what the other is doing without
genuine communication due to
posting on social media. It’s nice
knowing people care and are willing
help and nice doing it return.”
“Through all the fear, uncertainty,
and discourse, compassion for your
fellow man has come to surface,”
he added. “It was always there
but just buried under political
quarreling, personal difference,
misunderstandings, and just being
too busy or self absorbed. There is
a lot of beautiful people and things
going on in the world right now.
What a time to be alive.”
New, a folk and country artist,
is a lifelong resident of the Slate
Branch community. His father,
J.S., was a Baptist preacher and
pastored at Denham Street Baptist
until his death in 2012. He describes
himself as being “married, a dad, a
Christian, farmer, and a musician
among a few other things.”
14 • I n T ouch with S outhern K entucky
FILE PHOTO I CJ
Veteran musician Jonathan New fears that some of his favorite places
to play may be shut down for good.
M ay 2020