Jake Jacobson: Authentic Country Music Requires Relentless Work Ethic And Industry Independence

As a part of our series about rising music stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jake Jacobson.

Jake Jacobson is a 25-year-old “throwback kid” from the mountains. Country music has been in his blood since the beginning. Watching his dad’s honkytonk band in the late 90’s and early 2000’s inspired a career in music for Jake. Raised in a rural logging/railroad town in Northern California, his homegrown, small-town roots are felt and heard in his lyrics. With a boot stomping sound combining that of cowboy crooners, honky tonk, traditional country sounds, and a hint of southern rock; Jake draws influence from artists like Josh Turner, George Strait, Justin Moore, and Cody Johnson. He released his debut single in 2020 and has more music on the way. When he’s not playing music, Jake enjoys camping, hunting, fishing, and drinking ice cold beers at the lake.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in a rural town of 2,000 people in Northern California. My dad, Ron, was a high school PE and History teacher/football coach, and my mom, Susan, ran a small gymnastics and daycare program. When I was a kid, I followed my dad around as often as I could and spent most of every fall afternoon at football practice with him. I was very active, always playing outside with my younger brother, Eric, and my friends. Sports were my passion from a very young age, but my dad played in a country band when I was younger. He would bring me on stage to sing Brooks and Dunn’s hit song “Neon Moon” every chance he had. I got into gymnastics when I could walk, and soon found a love for the Trampoline. I competed from the time I was 5 until I was 17. I was successful in the sport. I won 10 National Championships, competed for Team USA at four World Age Group Championships (Bronze medal in 2010), and was a member of the Junior National Team for three years. Music was always my getaway from stressful times in sports, so when I retired from trampoline, I dove head first into music.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I always thought it would be pretty cool to be George Strait or Garth Brooks someday. When I started to write songs at age 14, I never thought it would be a viable career choice. However, after talking to my family and friends, I started playing at my aunt’s restaurant and some other local bars when I was 20. I got my first real gig in Reno, Nevada, opening for Jason Boland and was immediately hooked.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Definitely. I’d say it’s crazier than anything. I posted a cover video of Randall King’s “Hey Cowgirl” and he reposted it on Twitter. It caught his management company’s eye and they emailed me requesting a meeting in Nashville. I flew out the following week, and it sent me into a crazy whirlwind of events that wound up with me meeting my now producer, Trent Willmon, and touring off and on with Randall.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Looking back, I guess the funniest mistake I made was thinking that I was a big shot songwriter just because I wrote a song my friends all really liked and still do. After gaining a ton more knowledge in the last two years, I realized that comparatively, it’s not that great of a song and it really didn’t change my life like I thought it would. I learned really fast to keep my head down and ears open and take in all the information and advice that I can.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I just finished recording my first EP in Nashville under Trent Willmon this past March. It’s set to release June 24, with four songs on it. Two of them I am a co-writer on, and two of them I am not.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

I think diversity is always important because it gives the consumer a ton of different options. Different genres, ideas, styles, and feels for different people. I like to listen to a lot more than just country music. If all we had was country music, or rap music, or pop music, everyone would get sick of it eventually.

These days, there are a bunch of different artists paving a new way in different genres. People are adapting their own twist to things and keeping the consumer on their toes.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Write every day as much as possible and think outside of the box. You hear things on the radio and want to mimic them because that’s what is hot right now. However, clearly that idea or sound has already worked for someone else. So, find your own way to be groundbreaking.
2. There’s more to being an artist than just getting on stage and singing. You have to be able to answer interviews, keep up with social media, song write like it’s a job, and work your ass off every single day off of the stage as well.
3. The tour bus doesn’t come right away. I figured it was like a given, you decide you want to sing, you get a bus, and start traveling. Little did I know, that is not the case. Currently, my boys and I tough it out in a van, take turns driving, and never get enough sleep. We eat fast food, gas station jerky, and consume more caffeine and nicotine than is probably healthy, but this is the dream. Whatever it takes.
4. You will do most of your booking stuff for a while. I figured, like the bus, booking agents will work with anybody and you will always have shows lined up. I still am not signed to anyone and do a bunch of booking for myself, even though I do have help now.
5. EMBRACE THE JOURNEY. Always keep your eyes and ears open, take as much information in as you can, and LEARN. It flies by and there are some nights I wish could have lasted forever.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

It’s a marathon, not a sprint in this industry. Soak every opportunity up that you can. You never know which show will be your last. So much is changing every day. Buckle up, stay humble, and always be ready, because as soon as it’s your turn, that might be the only shot you get. So, grab on with both hands and hold on tight.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would want to inspire a movement of hard work. Hard work has done nothing but bring good in my life and those around me that have also worked hard. Today as a society, I have noticed a lot of people lack a good work ethic and would rather have a handout than do something for themselves. Not only does hard work bring success, but it brings a sense of pride and accomplishment to yourself. I am always proud of the work that I put in and see the positive outcome immediately follow.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I’m thankful for my family for always having my back so I can chase my dreams. Outside of my family, Scott Gunter has been an extremely huge help in my career. Scott is Randall’s manager and has continued to stick his neck out for me. Finding me writes, songs, shows, and constantly setting me up with people to help me succeed. I can honestly say, without Scott, I would not be the artist I am today. And I’m still a nobody. In Reno, Brandon Deriso has been a huge help for me as well. He put me on shows I had no business opening at that point in my career. But Brandon has believed in me from the first time he saw me play and continues to have my back.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” I may not be the most talented songwriter, singer, or guitar player on the planet. Hell, I may never be. The only thing that I can control is how hard I work. The one thing that I will never let happen, is for someone to outwork me. I know what it takes to be successful at a very high level and I will work my ass off to get what I want. No questions asked.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

If I could sit down with anyone in the world, it would have to be Garth Brooks. He changed country music. He was rejected, shot down, and told no so many times by Nashville. Now he’s arguably the greatest of all time. He out worked everyone else and continues to have success decades later. Nobody has sold records like Garth. It’s 2022 and the man still sells out stadiums.

How can our readers follow you online?

My social media accounts are:

IG:@jakejacobsoncountry

FB: @jakejacobsonofficial

Twitter: @jjacobsonband

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!