Conversations with Jay Stott

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Stott.

Hi Jay, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I wrote my first song while working as a wilderness guide, and I guess all of my life experiences end up in my ‘rueful Americana.’ Music doesn’t pay the bills yet, so I spend my days teaching high school English, where I’ve been known to bring a guitar to class and serenade my students. After begging my parents for a guitar at 14, I brought music with me on a lot of fun adventures.

The first song, which came while I was riding a shotgun on the Alaskan Highway, began a creative streak that continues today. I’ve been a ski instructor, fishing guide, bus driver, bricklayer, carpenter, hot tub technician, retail worker, janitor, heavy equipment operator, house painter, vacuum salesperson, shuttle driver, bouncer, wanna-be novelist, newspaper writer, security guard and a bunch of other stuff I’d rather not remember. It all ends up in the songs somehow.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As an independent performing artist, one of the struggles is always the fact that I’m a one-man operation. All the things that need to get done- songwriting, booking, release decisions, recording schedules, rehearsal schedules, my work as a musician, social media, marketing, and promotion. I do it all.

There’s no one else on the ‘team.’ So either I do it, or it doesn’t get done. This means I have to be learning new stuff constantly, which I enjoy, but it’s also exhausting sometimes. There are stretches where I just don’t have the time or energy to do all the things that should or could be done.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My music is a fusion of influences- country, folk, blues, and rock. I think of myself as working in a very blended American musical space. There was no “Americana’ when I was younger- that’s a relatively new term, and I like it because it creates a space for roots music that covers a lot of ground. I’m not interested in fitting into any mainstream genre- sometimes my songs are very bluesy, sometimes bluegrassy. I don’t want to have to think too much about that when I’m creating.

My current band configuration, with Derek Ray Kirkman on bass and John Bunzli on guitar, really supports that. Derek comes from a bluegrass background but started out playing heavy metal. John has done pretty much everything and is very versatile as a player, but with me, he gets to a gritty feel that I think is what I hear in my head when I’m writing.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I listen to a ton of music business podcasts- as a one-man operation, I’m continually learning about the business and trying to up my game. I’ve been a fan of The CLIMB- a podcast by two guys from Nashville, for a long time. It addresses both working in the new digital music business and being a creative songwriter.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://jgstott.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/jaystottmusic
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/jaystottmusic
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/jaystottmusic
• Youtube: http://youtube.com/jaystottmusic
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7soPnDGNGrtZjSpofrCIRI?si=RYwAaQ9JQl-Zs_d96i0wDg 

Image Credits
Courtney Nicholsen-Paine