Rising Music Star Jared Stout On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry

An Interview With Ming Zhao

Change is good. Evolution in your art is one of the things that makes it so exciting. While being yourself, still be open to ideas of musical growth and change. You never know what might show up.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jared Stout.

The Jared Stout Band is a Virginia-based alt-country powerhouse. The 6 piece project delivers beloved Appalachian rhythms combined with original, soulful melodies to the southwestern stages of the state and soon, the entire nation. Set to play Virginia’s nationally-renowned Floyd Fest in 2023, The Jared Stout Band is well-positioned for the festival circuit. Delivering a dynamically unforgettable LIVE performance, their show has been coined as something that you definitely don’t want to miss. Having previously opened for notable artists like Blues Traveler, Phil Vassar, 38 Special, Cassadee Pope and Eric Paslay, their talents are praised by some of the biggest artists in Country music. We sat down with Jared Stout himself to learn more about his history before the band and what the band is up to now!

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in Blacksburg, VA but outside the town limits. I lived on a street called Keisters Branch off a road called McCoy that went down to the river. Raised by my mom, dad wasn’t in the picture much but both of them were musical people. So I was raised in a musical space on all sides. It was just my mom and I for the first 8 years of my life, then my brother came along and it was the three of us till today. We didn’t have neighbors, so when you hear about kids hanging out in the neighborhood, we didn’t do that exactly. Instead, if you wanted to go to your friend’s house you had to ride your bike a couple miles through the hills and mountains we lived in to get there. I had 3 or 4 friends within riding distance so we hung out when we could. Otherwise I spent my time enjoying and exploring my imagination. I was always outside, i didn’t wanna do much inside unless i was playing the drums or it was dark. I didn’t grow up with luxuries but I grew up with what I needed. My mom always took care of us and made sure we always had everything we needed and honestly, to me, she got me everything I wanted. That comes with plenty of no’s for toys and video games but she worked really hard to give my brother and I what she could and did great. Over time we sold the old frame house I grew up in, I went off to military school for two years and we moved into town. I wasn’t around much for that, I lived at boarding school. That’s an entire adventure on its own to basically go to a college type situation but in high school. After two years of that we moved one county over and I went back to public school in Giles county. I got the opportunity to play football, was lucky to be on a state championship team and it even led me to play a year in college at Concord University.

The most important takeaway from those years was the friends I made musically. While we listened to angsty rock or hot metal at the time (which is not what I play now) those guys really brought me into an interest in the live music scene and enjoyment of playing music with friends. Not much of an extravagant growing up for me but it was a total adventure of my own that I got to create and I’m incredibly lucky to have grown up in a way where I got to build my own path.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

In college I really started to play music for friends and hangout spaces. For some reason, it was the seniors who liked me when I got there. so i kinda missed the young crowd. Anyways, that led to me meeting a great group of guys in a band named “Old School Abbey” at the time. One night they picked me up and told me we’re going to their show. Now, in West Virginia, I can’t get into a bar unless I’m 21…I was not. So they snuck me and my guitar into the show. They let me sing a few covers to start, then I got to hangout and really enjoyed my first non metal thrashing in the basement show haha. I loved it. At the end of their night they brought me on stage to play ‘Last dance with maryjane’ of which I had no clue how to play. The two lead guys, Nick Durm and Matt Mullins took me aside and said “hey, it’s easy, there are three chords then switch here on the chorus, you got this’’ and that was the moment I played a stage, with a band, for a crowd, the first time. I was HOOKED and from that moment on I wanted to play more music and knew I’d be doing something with it one day.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

So in 2018, my best friend and I got in an RV and decided we were gonna go see the nation and busk the streets. document the whole thing, Make it a serious adventure. We load up all our gear into this RV and hit the road. It takes us down to Asheville, NC, over to Nashville with our car we planned to put in tow then we head south east to Greenville, SC to pick up the trailer to tow the car the rest of the trip. Well, we didn’t make it. out of nowhere, the RV just dies on the side of the highway, almost on a bridge. Both of us are under the RV trying to fix it, cars speeding by, no clue what’s going on. Eventually, it’s a fuel pump, so we go get a new one, replace it, on the side of the highway and she starts up again.That takes us about 9 miles to an exit, where it starts to act weird. We pull into a burger king with a huge back lot and begin trying to figure out what’s up. The fuel pump is again clogged. We get another one, notice the gas is putting out some particles. Needless to say, it has been a long day already, the ice cream machine was broken at BK and we were tired. So after spending hours under the RV we get it running enough to move down to the wally world nearby. Shack up for the night and rest. The next day we hit the same issues. We decided to take it back home after figuring out the tank was eroding. So we fashion a hose into the top of the tank that goes straight into the fuel line. Patch the bottom and roll home with an external fuel line duct taped to the side of the RV. It took us about 8 hours to get home that day, we were only 4 away. We shoved all our gear that was essential into a Subaru hatchback and started touring the nation the next morning. The entire endeavor is actually documented on our youtube channel.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The most comical mistake was my first sound mishap. I had just gotten a more complex sound system than my original and the band was playing a local bar. We had everything set up ready to rock, go to play the show and everything was silent. All things had power, they were working at the source but no sound. My stomach was on my toes at that moment with the crowd just waiting. I scanned all over and couldn’t figure anything out in panic. Eventually my buddy pulls me aside, shows me my new mixing app and says “hey man, you gotta unmute the mains’ ‘. Boy did i feel dumb, but was thrilled for the easy fix. I was so frazzled that I ignored the basics. The next day I spent a few hours really learning that system more than on and off. The moment taught me first to relax, it doesn’t help to be terrified of the issue, and second to take the value in learning the gear. So you’re never blind in those moments.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I think hands down the most exciting thing we’re cooking up currently is a new music video. We’re all very artistic and visual people. So these songs paint a picture for us when we play them. We’re working on really diving into the story of one of the more intimate songs on the new album and providing that visual for others. Most of us grew up with the original MTV and VH1 so it’s a goal from way back when to make a real in depth video for the music we create and our listeners. I think when it’s done it’s going to be a very enjoyable visual to accompany our most recent video we did for “luck” but with more of a story.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

1. First reason would be that everyone deserves a role model, or a hero. Diversity gives us the ability to provide that for everyone and its importance helps keep those heroes obtainable for all the viewers.
2. Inclusion to live the dream. Everyone has a dream, for those who want to be in film and television holding diversity to a high level of importance helps everyone achieve those dreams no matter where they come from.
3. Reality. Movies and television aim to capture the viewer and provide something they can relate to along with the entertainment. To relate it has to be real, and life is diverse. Without including all those parts of what is real in the creation, you can’t capture the majority of viewers. So diversity is important for the success and objective for these films/shows we watch to truly capture and include the viewer.

Without diversity in our viewing space the culture of film and television becomes stuck in one space. No room to grow for imagination and expansion. At its core those things are art and art needs room to breathe. The best art is the kind that touches everyone, somehow. We do it with words in our songs to make you feel something no matter where you’re coming from. Those same connections can be made for some many folks when diversity is always included.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Be yourself.It can be hard to stay the course you write as an artist sometimes. People aren’t always looking for something new. Don’t let the fact you dont fit a mold in the modern space hold you back. It takes time for people to like new things, settle in for the long haul.
2. This is your business, treat it like one. It’s easy to be fun and whimsical when playing music, that’s what it’s about, the love of it. You also have to love your foundation. Take the time to set up all your odds, ends, ins and outs. Because…
3. People love numbers. Tickets, attendees, sales, songs. Keep firm track of those from the start so you can not only see the growth in your life but also on paper for those who aren’t by your side. It will help sooner than later.
4. Appreciate your journey. You don’t always have to look at what could be or what you want it to be, sometimes the space you need to be is in the moment. Enjoy what each new show, venue, instrument and influence brings you on your journey.
5. Change is good. Evolution in your art is one of the things that makes it so exciting. While being yourself, still be open to ideas of musical growth and change. You never know what might show up.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

STAY YOUNG! Why did you start doing this? Likely because it’s fun, you love it and it’s your dream to do it every day. Don’t let that inner child-like excitement of living the dream be silenced by the stress and constant push. No matter what level, these days are just one of many where you ARE living that dream. Smile, dance and sing like you mean it, let the kid out and stay young.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

If I could create a movement that would impact the most people for good, it would be to lift up the homeless population. I think there are so many good folks who have fallen on hard times that want to be back to the world of everyday living. Unfortunately that’s not always doable once you’re down and out to a certain point. So if I could convince everyday folks to band together as communities and help those people rise to their feet it would be awesome. There’s great mission programs out there and people who all winter long give night time housing to the homeless population. Where I live we have something called “to our house” where local churches provide shelter for homeless individuals in the winter. I go every year and play music in at least one of those locations. Listen to the stories of the folks there and where they have been and where they wanna go. Bless those who help regularly, but if I had the financial ability or influence, I’d start the movement for a program to help those folks year round. Get what they need, to get moving and get back to living the life they wanna live.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

At the core there are two people who really fueled this fire. First, it’s my mom Mary. She has always been a rock for me, a shining light on days that are dim. She encourages me every step of the way, loves me through the ups and downs and makes sure that I’m always continuing toi chase this dream. She believes in me and has been there for every moment I needed to be lifted up on this journey. I wouldn’t be where I am without my mom. The second person is my best friend Nathan Jones. This started as the two of us busking on the weekends for fun, which eventually led to me busking as an income source for awhile, getting shows and performing. The big part where he really lit the fire for me came in a moment when I needed a new sound system. Something more serious. So Nathan and I went to the store one day. He had just gotten a nice new job with a sign on bonus and was about to move to ohio. We get to the systems and I’ve only got enough for some simple odds and ends to make what I’ve got better. Nathan sees this fender passport and asks the salesman about it. Things $1000, at the time not something I even remotely could afford. I’ll never forget him telling me “Man, I’m gonna get this for you. I wanna see you do this thing, I have the means to help, let’s do it”. I was blown away. To this day, I still use that same system for small solo events. He really put me on a path to grow in that moment with his investment in me. I am forever grateful to him for that.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Tough times don’t last, Tough people do”

My family and I have been through some roller coasters in our days. We’ve seen the ups and downs and this quote has always been with me. When things get bad, when the next day just doesn’t seem like it’s gonna be better. I always remember, these tough times don’t last, but I will. Not to say i can’t be sensitive and vulnerable but at my core i know, im tough. Throw what you will but those moments of challenge wont outlast me. I’ve seen my mom do this her whole life, my uncles, my grandparents. They are all tough people who wear it with a smile.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Breakfast is my favorite meal so it’s gotta be breakfast and the person would be Jason Mraz. I’ve been pretty heavily influenced by him in music. Not always the lyrical space but the feel of things, the big band, his showmanship. Those are all parts that I’ve listened to, watched and studied to do better. His album Tonight not again, live in chicago is one of my absolute favorites. The banter, the flow, crowd interaction. It’s killer. On the other side of things, He’s had great success and hasn’t lived in the top 40. I love that. He’s also big on giving back to his community and involving them on his journey, being another VA boy I love that. That’s always been in my hopeful space,to succeed so I can give back. I’d love the chance to have a solid conversation with him and spend some time learning more of what he could teach me.

How can our readers follow you online?

Check out our website! www.thejaredstoutband.com for merch, live recordings, social media links, videos. All the good stuff. or just shoot over to one of our socials @thejaredstoutband and check out what we are up to. Anywhere you are listening,watching and enjoying, there’s some JSB.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!