Caroline Jones is back with a very serious new song titled “Divorce in a Small Town,” and it’s helping launch a new chapter in her solo career.
Jones got the idea for the song after seeing several close friends go through divorces over the past few years. It marked her first experience seeing divorce up-close.
“I, for the first time, saw how heartbreaking and complex it is, especially when there are kids involved,” she tells Taste of Country.
Jones and her husband, America’s Cup sailor Nick Dana, welcomed their first child — a son named Declan Tudor Dana — in November of 2023, and she says being a parent made her much more aware of how much a divorce would upset a family’s life, and the long-term ramifications it would have.
“It’s different if you have kids and you want to co-parent. Then you have to live in that town, and you have to handle everyone else’s opinion about your divorce,” she states.
She took the idea to songwriter Sarah Buxton, who has been through a divorce herself.
“She brought so much depth to the lyrics, and so much personal experience,” Jones shares.
They got stuck on the second verse, and that’s when they turned to Eric Paslay, who helped finish the song.
“Divorce in a Small Town” premieres exclusively with Taste of Country below:
The new song follows another recent release from Jones called “No Tellin’,” a bluegrass-leaning track about her past experience in an abusive relationship.
The new songs point the way to an upcoming album that Jones says will be “more mature, both sonically and lyrically — even more raw and honest” than her past releases.
She’s been working extensively with Buxton and Paslay on the project, which marks her first under a new deal she signed with Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment. Though she’s not yet revealed a title or release date, Jones shares that she will release new music “in a steady stream through the end of this year.”
“I am just so inspired and so excited about that partnership,” she enthuses.
The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is also still a member of Zac Brown Band, and she laughingly admits that between that gig, her solo career and her home life with her husband and son, “I think of myself as having three full-time jobs.”
She’s relied on encouragement and advice from a number of women in the industry, but Jones admits balancing the demands of motherhood and career can still feel “overwhelming” — particularly during periods where ZBB and her solo work overlap more.
“I feel like being a mom really does force you to develop a superpower in prioritization, time management and efficiency. I’m getting better at that, but I really do see myself getting a lot better at that in the next few years.”
“Divorce in a Small Town” is currently available via a variety of digital music providers.
Keep up with Caroline Jones via her official website.
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