Born deaf, McCleery only became able to hear at age 5. He picked up the guitar as an eighteen year-old, honing his craft on the London live circuit and touring with the One Taste Collective alongside the likes of Little Dragon, Jamie Woon, Nick Mulvey, Portico (Quartet) and Kate Tempest. Along the way he picked up a small army of evangelical fans, including luminaries such as Tom Robinson and Vashti Bunyan, who led the charge to crowdfund his debut album Darkest Light. His second album There Is, released in 2011, began his association with Counter Records, and brought him widespread critical acclaim.

In 2015 Jono has collaborated with Portico, and Maribou State, and produced his definitive album: Pagodes is a collaborative release with legendary London record store IF Music and is being cited as the deepest, most powerful work to date by a musician whose work has been described as like “Miles Davis, Massive Attack, John Martyn, Fink, and Radiohead wrapped up in one exquisitely produced sound.” It’s unlikely you’ll hear an album of such power from another singer songwriter anytime soon.