Can you share your musical journey with us, from when you first discovered your passion for music to where you are today as an independent musician?
Absolutely, thanks for getting me in for this write up! I’m Jutt, I’ve been playing guitar for 23 years. It started out as a hobby when I was 13 and quickly turned into an obsession. By the time I was 16, I started playing in front of people and by 20 I was getting booked at venues. At 23 years old, I had the opportunity to move from Ohio to Nashville where I was able to perform full time and really soak in the life of a professional musician. “Covid” shut the city down when I was 33 years old, so I moved to South Florida where I could still perform full time. Now I spend the summer months touring up north and spend the winter playing at ocean bars mostly and working hard to make it to that next level as an artist!
I started out just wanting to learn guitar and ended up becoming a pretty decent singer, songwriter, entertainer and producer as well! During my decade in Nashville not only was I doing about 300 shows a year, I was writing and recording any chance I could. I released an album in 2015 of songs that I had written and produced. Some of the songs on the album were written before I even moved to Nashville, while others were co-writes from Nashville. The self-titled album was really just an experiment to see what kind of sound I could make with the hard earned tip money I could spare at the time. I learned a lot from recording that album which has prepared me for this next project. Recently I have released 3 singles from my new album, “Crazy Dream”, and I’m excited to drop the the next 9 songs from it in the coming months!
What motivates you to create music, and how do you stay inspired to continue making new and unique music?
I think the motivation just comes from within. I love music and poetry and as an artist. I naturally relate almost everything to music and songwriting. I have spent a lot of time soaking in the timeless classics that have brought music where it is today, but I also think there is extra motivation when I hear something that I’ve never heard before. I love listening to new Hip Hop, Jam Bands, Jazz, Funk and Fusion. There is powerful energy in new sounds and lyrics that can quickly inspire a different tone in my art.
Another way I stay inspired is by taking song requests at the smaller shows I do. Most bands will perform the same songs at almost every show and that repetitive cycle really can suck the creativity and inspiration out of the performance. I’ve seen so many musicians quit from getting jaded and depressed and living in a repetitive show cycle. I think the way to cure that is by keeping it fresh and constantly evolving your show and most importantly just having fun!
As an independent musician, you wear many hats – from composing to marketing. How do you balance these different aspects of your career, and what challenges do you face in the process?
Well the truth is I don’t balance it very well. In fact, I am not balanced at all when it comes to my career. Often I will get trapped into a creative process and that is my number one priority. It should probably be eat, sleep, music. But it is definitely music, sleep, eat. I put all of my energy into writing a song, editing it and perfecting it which can take days, months or even years. Then I start going through pre-production. Next thing you know I have a To-Do-List that has been neglected and I have to take a step back and knock that out as quick as I can. I’ve never been afraid to bite off more than I can chew but it comes with a price. I have definitely missed opportunities from trying to do everything on my own but I have been getting better as I get older. I’m learning to be more organized lately and getting the right team together to help out. I think the main thing to even come close to staying on top of the game is to do a little bit everyday.
Could you tell us about your creative process? How do you come up with new ideas for songs, and how do you go about turning those ideas into finished tracks?
I am always writing down hooks and ideas and catchy or clever lines. Most of them never make it to a finished track, but they are still there for future tracks. I keep a bank of everything I’ve written down and when it’s time to write I pull from it. If I have a brand new idea and I’m ready to write then I just pull out my bank and get to work. I learned to do that when I first got to Nashville and started writing with other writers. Everyone has different ways of writing but it seems like the more you write, the better you will write.
I have a lot of tracks that I started with a beat or the music first but I haven’t released any of that. I may do it under a different name. I really like writing the song first where the focus is 100% on the lyrics and melody without outside influence. The songs I write feel pure and real with that approach and I like how the finished product comes out!
Independent musicians often face financial challenges. How do you manage your finances to sustain your music career while also covering your personal expenses?
Growing up in poverty and working since I was 13 years old, I naturally know to live below my means. My first year in Nashville was tough because I got fired from my day job from staying out late after gigs in the middle of winter. Any musician working in Nashville knows how tough it can be in the winter time. The city turns into a ghost town and you can find yourself singing for four hours straight to an empty room and a bartender for fifty bucks. A lot of musicians quit and go back home. That winter I was eating ramen noodles, rice & beans, $1 tortilla chips with $1 french onion dip, and buying 40’s with change (I still do some of that… you have to try canned chili with ramen). I learned quickly to save up as much as possible in the good money summer months. I took every gig I got offered. A few years down the road I was able to tour south for a couple weeks and realized that I should get out of Nashville in the winter time and go to where the good work is, Florida. Now that I live in Florida, it is the opposite, I tour north in the summer time.
After a few years of tracking all my gigs I knew what gigs were the best for me and what dates to book them. I started turning down the gigs that weren’t meeting my bottom line. Every year I adjust and do a little better. I think this is a never-ending challenge to find the venues that know your worth and that can be mutually beneficial.
Can you share a particularly memorable or challenging experience from your journey as a musician that has had a significant impact on your career and personal growth?
There are many challenging things that have happened over the years. Just recently I bought a bus with money I’ve been saving from my tip bucket (big shout out and THANKS to everyone over the years that have contributed to that bucket!). The challenge of touring in a bus compared to a van is quite a load. Seven miles per gallon instead of 25 miles per gallon is a game changer. Driving a bus instead of a van requires a lot more focus and energy. Routing a tour is more complex in many ways as well. This is a big move for me and is forcing me to be more disciplined and focus harder on booking the right gigs, keeping up with maintenance, boosting my online presence, and overall just polishing up my act! Getting the bus was a big risk but without taking the risk I may have just been stuck in the same cycle.
With the rise of digital platforms, the music industry has changed significantly. How do you navigate the digital landscape, including streaming services and social media, to promote your music and connect with your audience?
Well I was raised with a landline phone attached to the wall and no internet. I grew up in a time where even homies on food stamps would scrounge up $15 for an album from their favorite artist. That’s how the artists would make their name. Now that everything is digital and CD’s are basically non-existent, it takes over 1500 streams to make your mark. Spotify made over $12 billion in 2022. Artists get paid 1/3 of a penny per single stream. That then has to be split with your producer, co-writers, and labels if applicable. There was a recent Snoop Dog interview where he kept asking where all the money is. It takes a lot of investment to get my music on streaming platforms. I use the money that I am making at my live shows to put toward getting my music on the streaming services. The best way for me right now to promote my music and connect with my audience is to promote my live shows. That is where I make the best connections and life-long friendships with people who support my music online in the future. When people come to my live shows, they are able to not only hear the music I am putting on the streaming services (for free), they can hear the stories behind a lot of the songs I write, and they have a chance to support me buy purchasing Jutt Stuff (merch) that I have at all of my shows. The positive side of the digital platforms is that we can create and release our own music without a label taking everything. And now it is easy for the whole world to have access to all music.
Honestly, I am looking for help with my social media and online presence. I am on most of the social media platforms and make it a point to post a few times a week. I post my schedule on Instagram & FB. I’m planning on moving more towards Youtube and X. If you are reading this and know somebody that may be able to help please reach out!
Collaboration is a key part of the music industry. Have you worked with other musicians or producers, and how have these collaborations influenced your sound and career?
I have worked with so many musicians, especially while living in Nashville, and have really started to lock in my team. Getting a good band together in Nashville is easy, but keeping them together is tough without consistent high paying gigs. The best players are freelancers and will go wherever the best money is. It was hard for me to keep a band in Nashville. I would get a group together during the winter time, we would get tight, and once summer hit they would all hit the road with people you hear on the radio and then I had to start all over again with a new group. Performing by myself I realized I could do better financially, have no overhead, and book a lot more gigs as a solo act. Although it can get repetitive playing solo sometimes, it is a lot of fun and much less stressful than trying to keep a band together in Nashville.
Moving to Florida is where I finally found a crew (Tony Silver on bass & Gabriel Rangel on drums) that are willing to commit and create a vibe together. Our highly talented rock and roll trio is dialing in on some new original music that is hard to describe with a generic label. The three of us have great ears and are on the same page naturally. Ever since our first time performing together we’ve been having “moments” every show. We just started recording our live shows to help capture our creative process and boost our marketing. We don’t have any concrete timeline yet but I can see dropping another album late next year (2024)!
Your music likely reflects your unique style and perspective. Could you describe your musical identity and what makes your sound stand out in a crowded industry?
There are four things that make me stand out – Guitar Playing, Singing, Songwriting, & Entertaining. I’m not the best at any of them, but I am pretty good at all of them. On top of that my voice doesn’t sound like anyone else. I also do my own producing but I’m definitely open to the right person (Rick Ruben) producing a project with me.
My musical identity? I’m just a blue-collar worker that has been blessed enough to perform for a living for over a decade. Music is part of me and I haven’t taken any short cuts. I’ve paid more dues than most artists you have heard. I’ve done all of this with hard work and resilience and I manage myself. I believe in freedom and opportunity and I’m doing my best to not only bring that out in my art, but be an example of the American Dream while doing it.
What role does live performance play in your music career, and how do you approach planning and executing your live shows, especially in light of recent challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic?
Live performances have made up nearly 100% of my income for the last 12 years. My shows consist of lots of free styling, feeling out a crowd, and playing it by ear. Most of the time I don’t have a setlist. For the bigger shows I often run away from the setlist at some point. That is the magic of how I do a show and that is why it so crucial for me to have the right bandmates sharing the stage with me. Mediocre musicians won’t work for what I bring to a concert.
I’m grateful to be living in the free state of Florida because if the government decides to restrict our freedom again, I know that this is one of the best places to be. There is plenty of work available without a lot of restrictions in place.
Many fans are interested in the stories behind the songs. Could you share the backstory or inspiration behind one of your recent tracks that holds special meaning to you?
Two of the last three tracks I have released this year are fun, upbeat, positive energy, good timing songs! “Today We Drink” and “Hey Hot Mama” are both easy going summer sing-alongs with not much of a backstory but just good free feeling happy vibes.
My favorite song I’ve released in the last six months is called “That Feeling (Freedom)”. It is about chasing a dream and not letting anyone or anything take the opportunity away from you to pursue it. It is a glimpse of my personal idea of freedom and my story of overcoming the obstacles of not only Covid but the music industry in general. It is about working hard and not giving up to get ahead and going after the unattainable! It is a description of freedom to me:
“That feeling you get when the work’s all done
When your dues are all paid and your time has come
You’ve been busting your ass, been walking that line
You know everything good comes with a price
That feeling, dreaming, don’t stop believing
Push come to shove yeah it happens for a reason
Won’t back down. Never give up that feeling!”
Looking ahead, what are your future goals and aspirations as an independent musician? Are there any upcoming projects or exciting developments in your career that you’d like to share with your fans and the audience?
My main aspiration at this time is to get this bus on the road and perform in a bunch of new venues next summer! I’m starting to book a tour up the A1A Highway from Florida to Maine, then shoot west through the Appalachian Mountains, past the Great Lakes, and then down the Mississippi River to the Gulf and ending up back in West Palm Beach. If you’re reading this feel free to reach out to me and let me know the best venue to play in your hood!
My next album “Crazy Dream” is almost complete and I will be releasing it next spring to back up my tour! It is 12 tracks of all my favorite country songs I have written since 2015. I recorded it in Mt. Juliet, TN at Saxman Studios. Three of the songs from it have already been released and the fourth track from it is called, “Whiskey Hell Bent Angels”. We just finished up the music video in Nashville and I plan on dropping the song and video around Halloween. It is a song I solo-wrote about going through a break up, being heart broken and rambling around the honkytonks and dive bars for a little while. It’s a night life song about going back to the life of a rebel child bachelor and raising cain not only in Nashville, but wherever I go! I give a shout out in the song to my favorite country station and longest running radio station 650WSM. It is the radio station that taught me most of the classic country music that I know and got me through some tough winters!
