So far, this is a solo effort. Jay is in his late 20’s, and hails from Southern Ohio.
He started playing guitar at 12, and began writing music about a year later. For years, his songs were fueled with heartbreak and centered on loneliness. He rededicated his life to the Lord in 2002, and immediately went into writer’s block. "Now, don’t take that wrong;" he interjects, "looking back, I see that I was being cleansed of all that emotional fluff from the past before I was given new things to write about."
He continues, "It now seems that when I get an idea, it’s almost finished before the pen hits the paper. I’ll take a few of those over millions of the junk I was writing as a teen."
The new focus is now on the friendship that is ever-present as a child of God, and also deals with a fair amount of questioning why it is that we let our human emotions get in the way of what really matters--himself included.
"I was once told that my music brings Jesus to the every day, real-world life that we all know. I took that as a very high compliment. I try to share what is truth without being preachy or condemning--that’s not our job. It’s our job to share, lift up, and love--and occasionally challenge our brethren. I also try to show that we all struggle--that’s normal. What matters in the struggle, is where you turn to deal with it. I hope that comes across in anything I write."
All the music has been performed by Jay, unless otherwise noted-- except for a couple of drum loops, and of course, the MIDI drums, etc. Drums on "Sonrise" were performed by Mark Stover.
What is represented here is a softer side of Jay’s style. Given the opportunity (a full band...), he would much rather be recording more in the blues-rock/hard-rock vein. "I’ve got an album of songs sitting on the shelf for when that time comes. Until then, I’m doing what I can," he adds.
Jay presents enough variance in his influences, that practically anyone should be able to enjoy his music--and that’s the whole point, isn’t it?
