In today’s ever evolving world of country music, the attention on full fledge instrumentalists sometimes goes by the wayside. But Jake Clayton is not your average musician. Not by a long shot. You see, Jake comes from a humble town near Mexico, Missouri. And as fate would have it one day, he happened to catch Garth Brooks on a VHS and was captivated by his fiddler player Jimmy. It was the fiddle that just seemed to captivate him. Coming from a musical background with parents that were lounge singers, it wasn’t a stretch for him to want to dabble into learning to play the fiddle. Little did he know that playing the fiddle would lead to 30 instruments and a whole career in Nashville that many spend their whole life aiming for.
Jake’s big break came when he was just 18 years of age and he was asked to be a part of an Oak Ridge Boys show which then lead to being a part of Tanya Tucker’s band for 6 years. That turned into an open door of opportunity that led to gigs for Gary Allan and Brad Paisley.
It was on tour with Brad Paisley when they played at the Madison Square Garden that Jake says was one of the most “wow” moments for him. Of course he was quick to credit playing on the Grand Ole Opry stage 40 or 50 times as pretty exciting moments also. So, with all that experience in some of country’s most influential bands it was only natural for Jake to venture out on his own.
Jake and his band pride themselves on writing music from their hearts. In fact, they’ll start with music first then lyrics. It’s a process that includes really using music that evokes emotions and then adding lyrics from there. This gives them their own unique sound that is constantly evolving as they do. One of Jake’s musical crushes is the Dixie Chicks because of the infusion of traditional sounds like banjos and fiddles so it’s no wonder his sound pays tribute to this in every way. However, he and his band play over 30 instruments so their sound is a collection. Doing his own thing has really helped him grow with his fans and he says he loves seeing how they relate to their music. The feedback on their social media has been inspiring to them.
And the random thought of the day? His favorite place to eat in Nashville is one of the taco trucks!
He is most proud of his projects as a singer with his band and his new album, By The Light Of The Moon, can be listened to and bought at JakeClayton.com.
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