Fresh Find - Jacob Stiefel
- Freshly Brewed Country
- Aug 9, 2016
- 6 min read
We are happy to announce the talented Jacob Stiefel as our latest Fresh Find here at Freshly Brewed Country!
On the heels of his 3rd release, “The Memphis Sessions,” Jacob Stiefel is building steam, and isn’t planning on slowing down any time soon.
Jacob, currently based in Nashville, TN, was born and raised in Fort Payne, AL, where his love affair with music began. His earliest musical memories are his mother dancing with him at 2 or 3 years old to Willie Nelson’s “Red Headed Stranger,” and listening to his Granny’s cassette tapes of Elvis Presley and Little Richard, after Kindergarten. After two years of piano lessons at 7 & 8, he started guitar lessons at age 9 and hasn’t put it down since.
Throughout childhood, Jacob claims his musical taste & sound was molded by the record and 8-track collection from his father. “I can remember Dad first showing me how to lower the needle onto the grooves of the vinyl records. When I grew tall enough to reach the record shelves, and he trusted me enough to allow it, I was off to the races. Bob Seger, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Charlie Daniels… It was like audio heaven…” During high school, Jacob would learn and perform many of these songs for his friends at parties and get-togethers. At the age of 15 he began playing bass in “The Sharps”, a gospel quartet/band that toured around the Southeast. Through both of these, he really began to develop his love for performance and travel. A love that would continue to grow.
After graduating high school in 2005, Jacob attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL. Here, while earning his degree in Civil Engineering, he began playing acoustic shows in bars, and in his last two years of school started a popular cover band that toured around North Alabama, “Dixie Road”. In May of ‘09, after graduating from college, he took the plunge toward his dream by moving to Nashville to pursue a future in music.
After playing exclusively in the downtown Nashville bars for 2.5-3 years, Jacob released his first EP “Jacob Stiefel & the Truth” in February of 2012, and began booking himself on the road, growing busier and busier as the year continued.
2013 was a year spent on the road and in the studio for Stiefel. Fall of 2013 he released “Volume II”, his second EP. With 2014 being a solidly busy year of traveling, playing everywhere from San Antonio, TX, to Milwaukee, WI, to Mobile, AL, and all in between, you’d have been hard-pressed to find a harder worker or someone who enjoyed their life more.
When 2015 rolled around, he had a pile of new songs and a burning desire to get back into the studio. In between mini-tours to Texas, Oklahoma, and other steady road gigs, Jacob planned for his 3rd EP. Little did he know at that point what lay in store for the project.
Through a mutual friend, years ago, he was introduced to Halley Phillips, granddaughter of Sam Phillips (Sun Records, Memphis, Elvis, Rock and Roll…), and through the years, Halley and Jacob became close friends. So when it was time to pick a place to record the new project, he knew right where he wanted to go. Sam Phillips Recording Service in Memphis, TN, was the studio, and Halley would be the producer. So in September of 2015, Jacob and some Nashville friends/musicians went in and cut “The Memphis Sessions”.
Released in Nov 2015, Jacob claims without a doubt “The Memphis Sessions” is his favorite thing he’s done to date. “Best week of my life, hands-down. The people, the music, the studio, the atmosphere… I never wanted to leave… “ says Stiefel. “But that’s what you do. Make honest, from-the-heart music, pour your soul into it, then take it out to the people and share the love…” So now Stiefel is looking forward to hitting the road once again and “sharing the love” and the music with his ever-growing number of friends, family and fans across the country and around the world. And if you ask him he’ll tell you, “Oh, I’m just gettin’ started…”
Be sure to get Jacob Stiefel's music on iTunes today.
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We know you want to know more about Jacob Stiefel so be sure to check out our interview with him below.
FBC: What made you want to get involved in the country music world?
JS: I've been listening to, singing along with, and/or playing music (of all kinds) for most of my life. My first musical memory is my mom dancing with me in her arms to "Red Headed Stranger" by Willie Nelson when I was around 2 or 3. Throughout Junior High & High School, most of what I learned were songs I could sit around and play for my buddies, which was predominantly country music. Then, in college, I helped form a cover band which played all around North Alabama in bars and at parties, playing Southern Rock & Country. After graduating college, I then decided to move to Nashville to pursue a future in the music business. All that being said, I don't define myself as strictly "country" or "Southern Rock" or "Rock&Roll" or any one particular field. When I write a song or play a song, it just comes out how I feel it, which usually falls somewhere in the middle of those genres. Growing up listening to and playing country so much, though, its influence is always there.
FBC: What do you use for inspiration to write your songs?
JS: At the risk of being short and sweet. Everything. Haha, a lot of it is my own life experiences or if I'm co-writing with someone, their own experiences. But usually I'll take some poetic license and exaggerate or stretch the truth, either by drawing from something I heard someone say or something I saw somewhere, in a movie or a book. Or sometimes just something I think would sound cool. That's the joy of creating art. Anything is within reach.
FBC: What is your favorite song from "The Memphis Sessions"?
JS: Oooooo, that's a tough one. My answer to that is, "It depends on the day you ask me." Depending on my mood, what's happened to me or someone close to me that day or that week. "Broke the Rules" is one of my favorite songs I've ever written, but "Port In A Storm" & "What I Can't Have" are both crowd favorites and fun to play live. It's so hard to pick one!
FBC: What can your fans expect from you next?
JS: A lot of live shows. I've been really busy this year and will continue to be, getting out there, making friends, and playing music for them. Older songs, newer songs, and really new songs that haven't even been recorded yet. We'll probably head back in the studio this Winter or first of next year to get started on the next project. (Keep updated on all that on social media! @jacobstiefel)
FBC: Who is your country music idol and why?
JS: I would have to say Willie Nelson. Not only because I've listened to him for as long as I can remember, and not just because he writes, records, and performs fantastically written songs, but because he has stayed true to who he is and what his passions are for decades and decades. He could easily have come off the road and retired from touring years ago, but claims the closest he is to "at home" is when he's on the tour bus traveling to or from a show somewhere. I have a lot of these same feelings. I love writing and recording and all things music-related, but I'm the happiest and most fulfilled when I'm on the road playing music for people who want to hear/see it. Plus, Willie's just the greatest of all time.
FBC: If you could perform a duet with anyone who would it be with and why?
JS: Hmm, another tough one...ummm...I'm gonna go with Grace Potter, because she's a badass, and seems like a good person from interviews and what I've heard from people who know her. And the whole being smokin' hot thing doesn't hurt, either.
FBC: What are three fun facts about you that you want your fans to know?
JS: 1) When I was 3 I drove my tricycle off the back porch, mostly because my mom told me not to do it. 2) I have a Civil Engineering Degree from The University of Alabama (3rd generation graduate of UA), and am a bit of a Science nerd. 3) I'm very health-conscious, when it comes to food/fitness. I was always a big guy growing up. In 2013, I made some life changes and ended up losing almost 50 pounds. It's still a constant battle of mine, but something I'm very passionate about.
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Stay up to date on the latest Jacob Stiefel news by following him on social media.
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