Wow, where should I begin? I suppose that if this is the blog of a traveling singer/songwriter I should begin with my journey to Australia and my subsequent adventures in the South Pacific. Or perhaps I should begin with my life in Nashville?
I suppose I should begin with Nashville. That’s the town where I really cut my teeth and became a man. I graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA in 2004 and moved straight to Nashville.
I was fortunate enough to land a publishing deal within two months. It was a dream come true for me. Writing songs every day with your buddies and getting paid for it.. What could be better than that? Plus, it was an independent company and the investors were these wonderful guys from Arkansas. We’d all go down to Arkansas for a week and hang together in these awesome cabins. My boss Mark was like a father to me. It was truly a family (and still is).
Looking back now I realize just how green I was; as a songwriter and as a human being! But I was eager to learn and having a job writing songs was the perfect job for me.
After a while it became clear to me that my artist career was my number one passion; the thing that I needed and couldn’t live without.. I pushed hard in Nashville, put together a great band and got some good industry buzz.. I had some great showcases and meetings with record labels.. But everyone asked me the same thing.. “What is your touring history?”
At that point it was ZERO. I had such a great community of friends and fans in Nashville, but nobody knew who I was outside of the city limits.
So I felt like I was treading water. Around this time my publishing company closed it’s doors and I lost my deal (and the great opportunity to work with your family). I was devastated. I had put every ounce of my energy into making this company a success.. I took every risk.. I was ALL in! It’s just not in my nature to consider failure. I took it pretty hard.
This was January of 2009. I couldn’t afford to go home to see my family in CT. Needless to say it was a rough holiday season. I got a full time job waiting tables in Nashville and I prayed for the tides to turn. This was right in the heart of the American financial crisis so money was beyond poor in the restaurant business. Servers were going home with fifteen and twenty bucks many nights. Not good.
I had no idea how I was going to stay afloat and I desperately wanted to start touring so I could make things happen for myself.
There is a lot you can do for yourself in the music business but some things simply require money.. Touring is definitely one of them. I don’t think you need a huge sum of money to start touring but you do need a small fund.. and very few expenses!
I clearly remember the day that I received the phone call about the gig in Australia. It was January 2010 and I was writing a song with my dear friend Madeleine Slate that morning. I was so eager for a change in my life at that point.. When my agent Greg asked me if I’d like to take a gig on a cruise ship in Australia for four and a half months I said YES immediately!
I had to find a duo partner (which I found in the wonderful Carley Tanchon), get an expedited passport, sublet my place, find my beloved dog Jackson a temporary home and buy a suit, all in the span of less than a month! It was a crazy, exciting, wonderful time. I had never left the states before and I was so eager to get on that plane to Sydney.
It’s very difficult to summarize what happened in the South Pacific between February 23rd and July 5th of 2010. Within a week of being on the ship I fell for a beautiful kiwi (New Zealander) named Jess.. Jess is now my fiancé! Wow..
My duo partner Carley and I had great musical chemistry together and we became great, great friends.. Most days we played four sets together. On top of that, we lived in a small cabin together with a bunk bed. If I had not picked the right duo partner I would have been in BIG trouble. Carley was incredibly supportive of Jess and I and was the only one of my American friends who witnessed me falling in love. Love you Car!!
Carley and I played to some great Australian audiences down under and made some great friends along the way.. I know Carley and I experienced some bad sets and some rough days together but all I seem to remember now is all of the laughter we shared. It’s funny how your mind generally filters out all of the negative images from your memories. I mean, we had three days off in four and a half months and my voice felt like HELL for most of that gig.. but I barely remember that.
Here is a music video we shot on Dravuni Island, Fiji.. one of my best days EVER! Featuring the legendary "Mike the Bass Player" in the purple trunks.
I loved the Aussies. They reminded me of southerners a bit.. If they teased you it generally meant they liked you! Very laid back, funny, peaceful people.. great storytellers.. And great audiences, young and old.. I hate to say it but much more responsive than an American audience.. It’s a rich culture and history and Aussies are very proud of their beautiful country.
I could write a whole novel about the times I shared with my fiancé Jess while aboard the Pacific Jewel. It’s the first time in my life that I instantly “knew”. I’ve heard a lot of people speak about this feeling of knowing but I never quite experienced it myself.. at least not at this level.
Jess was a photographer on the ship and worked her tail off.. Ten to fourteen hour days of work EVERY day.. no days off..
It’s criminal what the cruise lines do out on the open seas. Maybe it’s just me but I think everyone deserves a day off.. Especially the guy that is cleaning your toilet and making your bed!
Anyhow, back to my JessJ We worked hard but enjoyed the islands so much.. Beautiful places and people.. Port Vila in Vanuato was one of my favorite places. We probably spent seven or eight days there over the course of my contract. We had some amazing adventures in Noumea, New Caledonia and some breathtaking snorkeling in Pentecost (which is not known for it’s snorkeling.. it’s almost like this underwater paradise sprouted up just for Jess and I that day).. We loved Fiji.. Dravuni Island and Port Denerau were big favorites.. Oh and Port Douglas, Australia right near the Great Barrier Reef.. what a place!! There were so many beautiful islands and ports that we were lucky enough to experience together.
Being on the other side of the world changed me.. I loved getting to know all of the crew members from different countries.. My favorite crewmembers were generally not the entertainment staff (not that I disliked them) but were our hard-working soundmen from the Phillipines. They became like family to me.
The experience changed me.. It was cool to work and live outside of America and see that life goes on outside of the USA. I think I used to feel like America was the center of the universe.
I never dreamed that I would take a steady cover gig for over four months but it was the perfect time and the perfect place for it. My voice and performing chops got much stronger because of the experience.. Musically I feel rejuvenated and renewed (now that I’m off the ship and not playing four sets a day!).. I was finally able to save enough money to start touring. Somehow I mustered up the energy and focus to book a whole US tour with the turtle-slow internet on the ship. I’m so excited to explore my own country and make it happen.
Most importantly I found true love.. in the last place I was expecting to find it.
So that’s what my blog will be about.. love, adventure and fighting for your passion in this world. I have my Jess and my Jackson (the dog) by my side and I feel so lucky. Everything feels possible and within reach. I can’t imagine touring the country for three months without Jess. I imagine that would be a very lonesome endeavor. She is so talented and has already helped my career immensely.. Her expertise is in photo, video, design and marketing.. not a bad set of skills for my line of work! The three of us are a great team.
Stay tuned for more blogs.. I’m a bit behind and need to catch up.. Jess and I have already toured through Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and North Carolina. I’m writing tonight from beautiful Cape Cod, MA.. In a few days we’ll start our run of northeast tour dates in Connecticut and New York.
Much love to you all,
Jesse
August 18th, 2010
Beautiful story Jesse! Can't wait to read more, and to meet the gorgeous Jess! <3
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