Interview with -Jerad Finck

Spokane, Washington-based singer/songwriter Jerad Finck lives the musician’s life – on the road.  “I travel between 80 – 90,000 miles a year.  We kicked off this last tour just before Christmas in Spokane and ended in Winter Park, Florida.  Being on the road is how I define being a musician – working hard to get my songs played on the radio or used commercially.”  He’s embraced a new DIY ethos that is slowly transforming the music industry from the ground up by taking to the road and getting his music directly to his current and future fans by  using radio, press, television, online marketing and touring to connect.  “Music gives me something to believe in,” he says. “It offers a direction for my life.” This kind of attitude has helped him along in his self made career and that direction has lead him to grow close to famous artists like Sister Hazel, Tony Lucca and Ingram Hill, all of whom he will be sharing a stage with in the upcoming months.

It’s an exciting time for indie music fans, and it’s artists like Jerad Finck who make it especially so.  His self-titled 2008 debut CD is a 12-song showcase for a newcomer with the discerning instincts of a veteran musician. He’s remastered and remixed the disc that even included a session at Abbey Road Studios and is touring on that re-release now. “Yeah, that Abbey Road Studios,” Jerad quipped in a photo interview. “It’s pretty damn awesome when you can say that you recorded in the same studio as the Beatles.  Sadly, I’m not more popular than Jesus,” a gentle nod to John Lennon’s infamous 1966 proclamation about the popularity of the Fab Five.

Finck’s sound is alternatingly boisterous and plaintive, revealing a mature and sophisticated songwriter who’s able to switch from the sensitive ballad to the raucous foot-stomper with ease. “My sound is really a mix of a lot of genres, but I mainly fit nicely into the pop/rock club with a singer/songwriter heart. I think above anything else, what stands out is the sincerity and truth to the music.”

After a frenetic winter tour, Jerad is enjoying a break from the open road for a few weeks back in Spokane. “I’ve got this love-hate thing with touring.  Breaking into commercial is hard – and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. But when I’m not on the road, I’m happily sitting on my couch reading The Amazing Spiderman and geeking out on video games.”

A 16+ country European tour is scheduled for this summer and he’s already making plans for Rock Boat XII where he’ll be sharing the floating stage with fellow Rock Ridge musicians Sister Hazel, Carbon Leaf and Vertical Horizon.