TJ WEST

TJ West: March of Tracks

TJWEST-JesseBrewster

TJ West: March of Tracks

By Kim Grant

MarchofTracksWith elements of folk, classic country, southern rock and soul, Northern California artist, Jesse Brewster has been dubbed as one of the new breed of the musical working class heroes. His third album, March of Tracks was recorded as one song per month for 12 months, with each song being released monthly as a digital download to his fans only. On August 26th, 2014 March of Tracks will be available to everyone as a fully realized album. Brewster is now on the road touring for the album, after an 18-date tour of the West, he will be back on the Northern CA Coast at the end of August to celebrate the release of the record.

How would you describe yourself and the music you play to someone who has never seen and heard you?

JB: I’d say I’m a singer/songwriter and guitarist, and folks who love a hook and roots-rock will like my music.

How was the past year for the band?

JB: I was in the studio a lot working on this album and I also played less local shows than normal. I toured the Pacific Northwest and now I’m on a tour of a few Western US States.

Tell us about a few songs on March of Tracks.

JB: The album opener, “Make or Break”, was inspired by two things; a band headed to Nashville with high hopes, and driving from L.A. to Vegas at night, seeing the coming glow of lights in the distance, and all the heartbreak or elation that awaited. “Circles” is a song about my struggles with insomnia, “Left to Lose” is a love song about letting go, duet with Heather Combs (an amazing singer/songwriter). “Chesapeake (featuring Megan Slankard on BVs) was inspired by my deep Mayflower roots (my grandfather to the nth power was William Brewster, the “Pilgrim father”) and by the Michener book of the same name. Lastly, “Innocent Sinners” is a coming of age story that came to me one day and was written in short order (the 4 part harmonies took longer).

What are some of the differences between your last CD, Wrecking Ball at the Concert Hall and your upcoming record, March of Tracks?

JB: On my last album, I took a much more traditional approach to writing and recording. I wrote most of the songs over a year or so, staying pretty close to the same genre from song to song and trying to create a specific mood overall. It was recorded with the same 5 players in one studio. March of Tracks was recorded one song per month for 12 months, with a couple of bonus tracks at the end of the process. I stretched out more in terms of genre and just let the songs go where they wanted. I used 5 different studios and 21 of my favorite musicians and engineers on the West Coast. It was incredible to focus on a single song for a month, finish and move on.

What kind of songs do you like to record?

JB: I love ideas that I can tell have a big potential and watching them come to life in the studio. Songs that have a big hook and interesting instrumentation, but that aren’t overcomplicated.

What do you think about today’s music scene versus its past and where do you see it going in the future?

JB: Today’s music scene is increasingly complex. There’s not a clear formula for success as in the past, but there are more diverse ways of surviving in the current market than before. Money (as with all things) has become more a part of the industry, but at the end of the day one thing still paramount–the music. Having traveled a bit and played in other countries, I wish music and art and general were supported more here in the U.S. Elsewhere being an artist is a respected trade, and embraced. It’d be great if it were easier to survive as a musician and spend less time focused on rent/food, more time on making music.

Do you have any interesting stories about how fans have been affected by your music?

JB: What I love about music and art in general is that it’s so subjective and open to interpretation. Some artists don’t put lyrics on their album covers for this very reason–they want the listener to form their own conclusion about the meaning of a song. I hear from fans that they play specific songs for different moods, how they all release personally to a particular song, and my favorite–that they have a completely different understanding of what a song is about. Who am I to tell them that it was about another subject entirely?

What inspired you to become an artist?

JB: For as long as I can remember, my mom was always encouraging my interest in music. She’d play records every day and they just soaked in. She understood that doing what you love and following your passion is priceless. My dad strummed an acoustic when I was a toddler, which made me want to play guitar, but my late brother, Jim was the final push that made me stick with music and believed in me when I was in a less enthusiastic place with it as an adolescent.

What do you think differentiates you from other artists?

JB: The honesty of my writing and the genre-bending approach I take. I’m comfortable in many settings; full band, solo, house concert, a thousand-seat theatre. While I’m driven and passionate about my songs and music. I don’t take myself too seriously. I know that it’s about the journey, not the destination and I try to live each day in that way. Again it all comes down to the songs, I have confidence in anything I’ve decided to play in public and hope others will enjoy it too.

For more information, visit Jesse online at jessebrewster.com or on FB
Check for CA tour dates near you.

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