One-On-One With Jake Thistle
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Jake Thistle
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UP CLOSE ⭐️ Jake Thistle ⭐️
American Songwriter magazine recently likened Asbury Park singer-songwriter Jake Thistle to Jackson Browne, John Hiatt and Steve Forbert. Kid’s only 19. He has a world of talent and the sky’s the limit. His new EP is The Half Left Out. Between his lyrical prowess, his voice, his guitar and his messages, there’s certainly a lot to digest. We caught up with the promising star-in-the-making to ask the following:
Mike Greenblatt: How did you like being compared to Browne, Hiatt and Forbert?
Jake Thistle: They’re all inspirational, accomplished songwriters, so that’s incredibly high praise and I absolutely appreciate it. When I was growing up, I really dug into those rich catalogs of music to try to learn what makes a great song resonate. So, to have my original music compared to those kinds of lifelong storytellers is both humbling and validating. While I still have plenty of work to do, that kind of comparison is a signpost that I’m on the right path. I’ll keep working hard to try to live up to those lofty expectations. At the end of the day, I only ever want to be the best version of who I am, but we’re all a melting pot of our influences, so I’m more than happy to embrace that kind of songwriting lineage.
MG: What’s the one thing you want people to understand most about The Half Left Out?
JT: I appreciate everyone who listens and I hope they’ll bring their own experiences and perspectives to bear on the songs. If I had to pick one thing for people to consider, I suppose I’d want them to understand that the making of The Half Left Out has been an important journey in the studio for me to explore the tone and sound of my own “voice,” and those learnings will echo into the future. I’m excited about how the EP turned out; I’m proud of the songs and the work that went into them, and I appreciate the trust my label, Gold’n Retriever Records, put in me to put out something they can be proud to be a part of. But while we’re still very much in the process of getting my music on this album heard by more and more people, I’m also extremely excited about what I learned while making this album– that knowledge and self-awareness makes me even more ambitious for what lies ahead.
MG: From your first single, “Ghosted Road,” and its “The Dreamer” follow-up, to the new EP, where does all this profound lyrical wisdom come from? You’re still a teenager!
JT: I’m honored that you think so! There’s no bite-sized answer to that. I’ve always done a lot of thinking, and for as long as I can remember I’ve never been focused on my age being a restriction to knowledge or the ability to understand the human condition– I’ve always wanted to grow and explore. When it comes to songwriting, I think about the things that tie us together; our common wants, needs, desires and fears that weave an interconnected web that makes life worth living. We’re more alike than different, and I try to explore at least one fundamental truth or situation that people might resonate with in any song. I think being empathetic is a great songwriting tool; the ability to feel something based on someone else’s history and experiences can be powerful, and it gives me a way to realistically explore themes that I might not yet have had to worry about myself. You just have to open yourself up to embrace other people’s experiences and feelings in a meaningful way.
“It helps that I’m truly interested in the music, truly interested in getting better and I always pay close attention. People can tell when someone is in it for the wrong reasons, like fame or fortune.”
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PHOTO: Jake Thistle by Deanie Chen
MG: You’ve played with some great musicians like Southside Johnny, Jim Keltner, Earl Slick, Jim Herrington, GE Smith, Anton Fig, Willie Nile and Eddie Brigati. Who has reached out and let you in on some secrets for a long career? Or who have you bonded with the most?
JT: I’ve been very fortunate to be able to play with some of my heroes. And I have to say, I must have made some lucky choices on heroes, because the saying “never meet your heroes” doesn’t apply to me. Literally everyone I’ve met has been gracious and happy to share; I really appreciated that. I’ve never been starstruck, and I view them more as teachers than as “stars,” and I think that has served me well. I treat them like people and they’ve been great people. I also think it helps that I’m truly interested in the music, truly interested in getting better and I always pay close attention. People can tell when someone is in it for the wrong reasons, like fame or fortune. I never had a lot of formal lessons, so I soak in as much as I can from real-world experiences with these pros. With all of that said, they’ve all been so great that I hesitate to single anyone out. I respect them all too much. I’ve taken bits and pieces from each of them, and I appreciate every opportunity that presents itself.
MG: There comes a time in an artist’s career that they give back and start to support charitable causes. You’ve been doing this right from the start. Why?
JT: My first foray into playing for a charity was really as a “thank you,” and everything took off from there. When I was ten, I posted a video online of a song to wish Heartbreaker’s guitarist Mike Campbell a happy birthday. To my surprise, he got back to me to say thanks and that he liked the video. I thought that was really cool of him to do, so I asked myself if there was a way I could really thank him for being that thoughtful. He was (and is) the co-president of Tazzy Animal Rescue Fund, so I decided that I’d use my music to raise funds for his charity. I had no idea what to expect, but I set a date and streamed the event. The event ended up raising over $4,000, which was WAY more than I expected. Mike found out about that and posted a special video to thank me, which was also above and beyond. We were just thanking each other for thanking each other at that point…haha. But that turned into an annual event, and I continue to raise money for them to this day. Other charities took notice of what I was doing; the local head of the American Cancer Society came to see me play when I was 11 in front of Kilwins (local ice cream shop) where I was hired to play every week. He checked me out and asked if I’d play for an event. I was happy to help; but everyone had such a great time that they asked if they could auction off gigs with me as part of their main event. And auctioning those gigs raised the most money of anything that night. And I’ve been playing multiple events for them ever since. Once I got a chance to see how the power of music could raise awareness and funds for important causes, I just wanted to keep it going. How great is it to be able to do what you love to do, help people have a great time AND help solve important problems? Since then, I’ve helped a wide number of charities; I perform very regularly on behalf of Light Of Day, which is dedicated to curing Parkinsons, and I’m an official Artist Against Hunger and Poverty for WhyHunger. I’ve been part of events that have raised millions of dollars for charity, and I’d love to inspire anyone to use their particular talents to help give back. Everybody wins.
“I’m constantly listening to music (old and new) to expand my horizons and my musical palette. I’ve gone back to see what I can learn from generational artists like Willie Nelson, Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams and those kind of iconic talents.”
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MG: How did it feel at 12 to be performing?
JT: I’ve been playing for people since I was nine and never looked back. Honestly, I’ve been doing it for so long that it just seems like second-nature. Maybe first-nature…haha. I might be more comfortable playing for people than not. It’s what I love to do and that hasn’t changed. It’s a real privilege to be able to be trusted to entertain people, and I appreciate it. When I was 12, I was hired to play in the UK, which was a particularly great, unique experience. Essentially, the planner of the festival saw me play online and reached out to hire me simply based on the one video he saw. Once we looked into the event to make sure the opportunity was real (it was), I flew over and had a fantastic time playing for everyone. That was an important moment, because things like that don’t happen to everyone all the time, and the reaction of the crowd was highly supportive and positive– that gave me a lot of momentum to pursue this career further, and the confidence to see it was possible and that a whole world was out there to play for.
MG: What’s in your future career-wise?
JT: I feel like you might want a long answer to this, but the reality is that the future is being written in increments, step by step. I don’t know exactly what the future holds– but I can promise you that it will be filled with music and hard work on my part. I’m going to keep writing, recording, performing for as long as anyone is willing to listen– and maybe even a little longer…haha.
MG: Who are some of your favorite artists and why?
JT: This is an ever-growing list for a wide variety of reasons. I have a firm foundation of great music that I grew up aspiring to live up to. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen, John Hiatt, Jackson Browne among many notable other influences have been critical to my base understanding of storytelling through song. And then I’m constantly listening to music (old and new) to expand my horizons and my musical palette – I’ve gone back to see what I can learn from generational artists like Willie Nelson, Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams and those kind of iconic talents; I’ve gotten inspiration from Wilco, The Lumineers, The Wallflowers, and even up through newer artists Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Tom Odell and many, many others, including other independent artists. It’s an evolving list because I’m always trying to evolve and improve myself. The common denominator is that I’m looking for artists that have something to say– the songwriting is the key for me. I find that I’m often listening to music primarily as a writer/performer; trying to learn what I can about what makes a song work.
Jake Thistle will be performing at the Rockwood Music Hall in New York City on February 3.