Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Thomas.
Hi Jesse, 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 moved to Los Angeles from Kentucky in 2008. I wanted to be an actor and stand-up comedian. Performing music was a fun hobby. My roommate at the time convinced me to go to an open mic, where I eventually got scouted by an up-and-coming producer. He convinced me to take it more seriously. We worked together for years, I release two albums and three EP’s and had a good run. I charted on Billboard, touring the country opening for acts like John Mayer and Shooter Jennings, and landed a few major sync placements on TV & Film.
After eight years of pursuing a solo career that wasn’t taking off, in 2015 I switched gears to songwriting and put my artist career to rest. I wrote a song every day for a year and played them for everyone I could, which eventually landed me a publishing deal with Warner Chappell. I went on to write songs for Kelly Clarkson, Martin Garrix, Chris Stapleton, Troye Sivan, Pentatonix, Ben Platt, and more, generating over 1 billion streams and 3 Grammy nominations.
The publishing deal and my writing success gets me in the room with some of the biggest songwriters in the world, and these friendships eventually turned into Jesse & Friends. A showcase to celebrate the unsung heroes of the business. The songwriters!
Together we are building an online platform designed to celebrate, educate, and inspire songwriters everywhere, and every month you can watch us perform our hits live at Hotel Cafe, in Los Angeles.
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?
Jesse & Friends started in a 50 cap venue, which we had trouble filling up. I always enjoyed the thrill of performing, even when only a few people were watching. Sure, I would have loved a roomful of people, but I put shows on with my friends for the simple joy of performing. I didn’t see the potential of the show early on.
Once the rooms started filling up, I realized how much this space was needed in our community. I knew I needed to do the shows more frequently but was intimidated by the workload. Booking it requires a lot of texting and emailing and following up. It takes a lot of organization skills, that I haven’t always had. I make the posters myself and coordinate all the dates with the venue, and until recently I was running all the social media accounts. There were so many times I wanted to quit because it honestly is a ton of work, but the second I get on stage, and see a room full of songwriters excited to be there, and I hear the stories and the music from the stage, it just all makes sense. It’s worth it and has become one of the most fulfilling aspects of my life.
We have outgrown two venues, and our own our way to outgrowing our third.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an artist and songwriter originally from Covington, Kentucky who curates and hosts Jesse & Friends. I have over 1 billion streams, and my writing has been on three separate Grammy Nominated albums. PTX “Evergreen” Kelly Clarkson “When Christmas Comes Around” and Ingrid Andress “Lady Like”.
I co-wrote Martin Garrix and Troye Sivan’s platinum hit, “There For You,” which has generated nearly 600 million streams, as well as songs with Kelly Clarkson, Chris Stapleton, Donna Missal, Ben Platt, PTX, Royal & The Serpent, Cailin Russo, Charlotte Lawrence, Ingrid Michaelson, Ingrid Andress, Wrabel and more!
I’m more proud of Jesse & Friends than any song I wrote. Building a community and all the memories attached to it are what I’ll look back on when I’m old.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
People who show up for themselves tend to be pretty lucky. 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: jesseandfriends.club
- Instagram: @jesse.and.friends
- Other: instagram.com/jesse.and.friends
Image Credits
Cameron Driskill Rommel Nunez Justin Higuchi
