Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan West.
Jordan, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As a kid, I was always singing, banging on pots, and playing my grandmas old piano. I tried a few different instruments and settled on the drums when I was 11-years-old. Almost immediately, I knew music was going to be a huge part of my life. I had never felt that connected to anything before. I went to fine arts schools and freelanced a ton in college, mostly jazz gigs. When I was 21, I was in a songwriting class where we were required to write and record full demos twice a week. At the beginning of this class, I had never written a song and hated the way my voice sounded. I would always have singers come in, teach them the song, then cut their vocals. After about 15 demos, I found that I had been using the same players and singers for almost everything. I decided we should start a band, and we began playing out live.
On the day of one of our first shows, one of my lead vocalists was nowhere to be found so I sang the show. From that point on, singing while playing drums has been my thing. My band kept going and moved out to LA together in 2015. We had some promising opportunities on the horizon, but as is known to happen with bands, we had life differences that caused us to part ways. I went back to freelancing on drums, playing for artists like Kailee Morgue, Seal, Judith Hill, MILCK, and other groups in need of a drummer. There was always this emptiness though, even if it was a great gig. I really missed playing my original music. Over the past couple of years, I’ve assembled a new group and we are currently starting to book shows under my name. I plan to release a song every month starting in August, looking to tour in 2020. Right now that is my main focus, though I do still freelance for other artists and do drum clinics and content for different companies.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I really love the ability music has to connect people – when I’m writing, that is my goal. I want to be honest and vulnerable so that when people hear one of my songs, they can relate to it and maybe feel less alone. Lately, many of my songs have a focus on mental health. The first single in the upcoming series of 12 is called “Ten Feet Tall” and it talks about how social media gives people one version of you that might be put together, successful, and happy, but in real life you feel isolated, depressed, and anxious. I want to erase the idea that talking about your struggles or asking for help is weak. Right now it seems like people are focusing on everything that separates us, but the reality is that many of us want and care about the same things. My hope is that what I write will start conversations between friends and strangers alike.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
To me, you cannot have success without creating something you are truly proud of. Something you really stand behind and want to share with the world. Being able to choose who you work with and surrounding yourself with people who inspire and push you creatively is also crucial. If your vision is strong and your will to work for it is, too, you will likely see results. I think there is a certain amount of stubbornness you need to have as an artist. As you go on in your career, more and more people will want to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do. Always take the time to listen to and consider genuine feedback, but make sure any advice you take is aligned with your vision. Something practical that I’m (finally) learning is that you need to be consistent. Put things out into the world and do it often. Momentum is everything, so when you get a shot, capitalize on it.
For me, the definition of success is getting to play what I want with the people I want to play it with, and do so in front of people who want to hear it.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My music is on all the major platforms. Starting in August, I will be releasing all kinds of stuff on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. as well as videos on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. I’m pretty active on my Instagram with drum and looping videos if you’re into that, too. If you want it all in one place, my website is jordanwestdrums.com. Upcoming shows are listed there, too.
Instagram: @jordanwest
Facebook: facebook.com/jordanwestdrums
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3W2WUG0y-Wk2j0ScaUqERA
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2HzgAM4KNx2Qr5pol3vLHU?si=iIXx4a44SU6tZ_Babu34tA
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/jordan-west-ep/1447383276
Contact Info:
- Website: jordanwestdrums.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanwest/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordanwestdrums
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3W2WUG0y-Wk2j0ScaUqERA
Image Credit:
Camille Germain, John Osterhoudt, Ezra Thorne
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