Interview with Jake Owen by Christian Lamitschka

Christian: Jake, some of our listeners may hear about you for the first time. How would you describe yourself and the music you are playing to somebody that has never seen or heard you before?

Jake: I think my music really reflects who I am as a person. A lot of my music takes its roots from what I heard from my mum and dad. My music has a lot of meaning – no matter whether it is fun-, good times-, love song or songs of reflection. I hope that my music means something to the people that listen to it and that they can take something away from the songs when they listen to them.

Christian: Please tell us something about the songs on your current album.

Jake: All the songs on this alsum are songs that I picked because I felt that they fit me and that they tell something. Like the first song on the album about a lost love – a guy that holds on to a relationship he should not hold on to. Or like the song called „Green Bananas“ which tells you not to buy green bananas but to wait until they are nice and ripe – it is a metaphor trying to tell people that you cannot take life for granted and expect that tomorrow will come. The album just is a bunch of great songs and I think you can pull something out of each of the songs.

Christian: Many people would like to know what did you do before you got into the music business?

Jake: I was in college and was in athletics. But then I had an accident which sent me to the hospital. During that time I realised that that was not my career path in life. Some day I picked up my guitar and started to play, started to write songs and soon after I moved to Nashville.

Christian: What can your fans expect to see when they see you in concert?

Jake: Our shows are not only about our songs, but about entertainment, there is a lot of high energy in our shows. I believe that when people go to a show they want to be entertained and not just to sit back and listen to a song. I want to not just bring a song to the audience the way I recorded it and in a way they expect it – I want them to experience the song in a way that they will not forget it.

Christian: What is the latest news in your career?

Jake: I have a brand-new single coming out „Eight Second Ride“. There are also activities for the upcoming CMT Awards – other than that we just try to keep the ball rolling and take our music to the people.

Christian: How does your family handle the situation that for most of the time of the year you are touring and on the bus, but not at home?

Jake: Well – it just is part of this profession and they understand. Obviously I miss them and they miss me but they do understand. Sometimes part of my family can join me – like my mum and dad at the moment. We try to see each other as much as we can and that keeps me grounded. Modern communication really helps with this, like the internet and cell phones.

Christian: What are your plans for the future?

Jake: To continue to work hard and to bring people music from my heart and from things that I believe – no matter whether I have written the song or someone else did – I try to interpret a song the best way I can.

Christian: Thanks for the interview, Jake.

Christian Lamitschka ( Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de )