wagonwheelfestival
02-19-2009, 01:43 PM
We just got off the phone with Jason Aldean for an interview we did this morning for the Wagon Wheel Event Program! Take a look, here's the interview. This is the official unedited copy... Y'all got it before it goes to our publisher! It's long, but hope ya enjoy!
Jason Aldean Interview – 2/20/09
JCP: Hello!
Jason Aldean: Hey there! This is Jason Aldean!
JCP: Hey Jason, thanks for takin a few minutes to do this interview, we really appreciate it!
Jason Aldean: No problem, thanks for talkin to me!
JCP: We know that you’ve got a birthday comin up, any big plans for that?
Jason Aldean: Well I actually have a show out in Orlando out at Sea World so I think the family is gonna go down there with me and hang out. It’s been a long time since I’ve been there so were just gonna probably go check it out!
JCP: So are you guys already in town for Fast Cars and Country Stars with KFRG?
Jason Aldean: Yeah were out here, we got into town last night.
JCP: Who was your biggest musical influence growing up?
Jason Aldean: I would say without a doubt, the group Alabama, that was probably my biggest just because, well they were definitely country but they had a bit of a southern rock background too. It was kinda cool to hear them mix that up a little bit! I remember when I was a kid, the early Alabama stuff I know that ya know, it was country but it sounded a lot different than anything else that was playin at that time.
JCP: Did you always know that you were gonna go the country route with your career?
A: I don’t know, I think it was something that just kinda evolved over time. I grew up listenin to the guys in Alabama but I was also a huge fan of guys like George Strait and some of the more traditional guys too. I think over time it just, well with me playin shows and doin my own thing, I was tryin to find my own sound and things like that. This was just something that kinda happened ya know. The kind of music that I realize that I like to play and it just became what it was. I think it was a combination of a lot of different influences that led me to that. I think a lot of people hear the songs and think that I’m a big rock fan, which I am, but I’m also a huge country music fan, like the traditional country music stuff.
JCP: What was the backup plan if this didn’t work out?
Jason Aldean: Well actually this was my backup plan, I actually originally wanted to play baseball, that was kinda what I had planned on doin when I was growin up, I had a chance when I graduated to go to college and play and that was the point at which I had to make a decision if I wanted to go back to school for a few years and play ball or if I wanted to play music which I had started doin and was a hobby for me at the time. I had gotten into music heavily at that time and the lure of being able to go out and play bars and make a little money and have fun and things like that. At 18 that was a lot stronger draw than goin back to school for a few years.
JCP: Well enjoyin what you’re doin always helps right?
Jason Aldean: Yes! absolutely
JCP: So you were nominated at the ACM’s in 2008, how much of an honor was that be nominated?
Jason Aldean: As far as the ACM’s, is that what you’re sayin? Yeah the first nomination I had at the ACM’s was back in 2006. I was nominated as the new artist of the year and we won. That was my first nomination. The first time I got nominated I won, but we haven’t won anything since.
JCP: Whats comin up for 09’, are there any nominations for any awards?
Jason Aldean: Not really, not for the ACM’s at least. That’s the first awards show of the year, we also have the CMT awards that come up after that then the CMA’s are later in the year so…. We don’t have any nominations comin into the ACM’s but its weird how that stuff works, ya know if you’re at a certain point with an album or singles or things like that they are not eligible to be nominated. It’s kinda a … Well I don’t even really know how that stuff works either! Ha ha. We will be there for sure and we have an album that’s comin out that week so hopefully we will have a chance to perform on the show and promote the album and the show.
JCP: Whats an average day for you when you’re not touring or recording?
Jason Aldean: Average day for me at home would probably be to get up about 7:00 am in the morning, make some coffee, make lunch for my daughter who’s in school, she’s in kindergarden so I do that. Take her to school, drop her off, come back home and my other daughter is usually up by then. My 1 year old, so get her breakfast, just kinda hang out during the day with her till my other daughter gets outta school, we go pick her up. That’s about it. It’s pretty low key.
JCP: How do you stay grounded with all the fame in the last few years?
Jason Aldean: Well I think it’s a lot to do with family, I think family is really the thing that keeps you grounded, they don’t really care who you are. They expect me to be a husband and a dad. They don’t care about my job, so that’s definitely the thing. I think a lot of times being a singer its easier to come out here on the road and people will treat ya different because of who you are and what you do, ya know. It’s easy to get wrapped up in all that stuff. I try not to, I try to keep it in perspective, it’s my job, it’s a really cool job but not to take all that stuff too serious. In the grand scheme of things it could all end tomorrow, I just try to enjoy it while its here…
JCP: I read that you were months from pickin up and getting out of the music business a few years back, how did you go from almost leaving the music business back in 2003 to becoming such a success within a couple years?
Jason Aldean: I had been in Nashvlle for quite a few years at that point, I had actually had a record deal and had gotten dropped from my record company and just couldn’t seem to get another deal. It was kinda frustrating and so my wife and I both are from Georgia. We were both kinda struggling in Nashville. I didn’t have a job, wasn’t makin any money. My first daughter had just been born. She was about 6 months old and it was just one of those things where we were hurtin so I had put in for some jobs back in Georgia, I was gonna move back home where we had some family that could help us out and get back on our feet. All of a sudden, basically we were startin to pack up our house to move an opportunity comes knockin and I met somebody who knows somebody else. We got them out to our shows and they ended up signin me which was a little independent label. They didn’t have a whole lot goin on at the time, but it was better than what I had which was nothing. It was kind of a roll of the dice for them and me and it worked out perfectly for both sides I think. It allowed me to stay in Nashville and made me really appreciate everything once it did start happening. It made me work that much harder I guess to make it happen.
JCP: We know that your dad was a big part of the reason you got into music, what was your first memory of your musical influence from him?
Jason Aldean: Well you know we used to have little family get togethers and stuff. My dad and my uncle always played guitar so I was always was really interested. Whenever they would start doin that I would be right there listenin and singin along with them to some of the songs and that was really kind of what got me interested in playin guitar so I could sit down and play with them. That was kinda how it started, my dad taught me how to play guitar and it didn’t take long before I was teachin him things on the guitar. It was something I picked up pretty fast and something that once I got it, it was country music. That’s whats great about country music is you can learn three chords on a guitar and play just about any song in the catalog.
Jason Aldean Interview – 2/20/09
JCP: Hello!
Jason Aldean: Hey there! This is Jason Aldean!
JCP: Hey Jason, thanks for takin a few minutes to do this interview, we really appreciate it!
Jason Aldean: No problem, thanks for talkin to me!
JCP: We know that you’ve got a birthday comin up, any big plans for that?
Jason Aldean: Well I actually have a show out in Orlando out at Sea World so I think the family is gonna go down there with me and hang out. It’s been a long time since I’ve been there so were just gonna probably go check it out!
JCP: So are you guys already in town for Fast Cars and Country Stars with KFRG?
Jason Aldean: Yeah were out here, we got into town last night.
JCP: Who was your biggest musical influence growing up?
Jason Aldean: I would say without a doubt, the group Alabama, that was probably my biggest just because, well they were definitely country but they had a bit of a southern rock background too. It was kinda cool to hear them mix that up a little bit! I remember when I was a kid, the early Alabama stuff I know that ya know, it was country but it sounded a lot different than anything else that was playin at that time.
JCP: Did you always know that you were gonna go the country route with your career?
A: I don’t know, I think it was something that just kinda evolved over time. I grew up listenin to the guys in Alabama but I was also a huge fan of guys like George Strait and some of the more traditional guys too. I think over time it just, well with me playin shows and doin my own thing, I was tryin to find my own sound and things like that. This was just something that kinda happened ya know. The kind of music that I realize that I like to play and it just became what it was. I think it was a combination of a lot of different influences that led me to that. I think a lot of people hear the songs and think that I’m a big rock fan, which I am, but I’m also a huge country music fan, like the traditional country music stuff.
JCP: What was the backup plan if this didn’t work out?
Jason Aldean: Well actually this was my backup plan, I actually originally wanted to play baseball, that was kinda what I had planned on doin when I was growin up, I had a chance when I graduated to go to college and play and that was the point at which I had to make a decision if I wanted to go back to school for a few years and play ball or if I wanted to play music which I had started doin and was a hobby for me at the time. I had gotten into music heavily at that time and the lure of being able to go out and play bars and make a little money and have fun and things like that. At 18 that was a lot stronger draw than goin back to school for a few years.
JCP: Well enjoyin what you’re doin always helps right?
Jason Aldean: Yes! absolutely
JCP: So you were nominated at the ACM’s in 2008, how much of an honor was that be nominated?
Jason Aldean: As far as the ACM’s, is that what you’re sayin? Yeah the first nomination I had at the ACM’s was back in 2006. I was nominated as the new artist of the year and we won. That was my first nomination. The first time I got nominated I won, but we haven’t won anything since.
JCP: Whats comin up for 09’, are there any nominations for any awards?
Jason Aldean: Not really, not for the ACM’s at least. That’s the first awards show of the year, we also have the CMT awards that come up after that then the CMA’s are later in the year so…. We don’t have any nominations comin into the ACM’s but its weird how that stuff works, ya know if you’re at a certain point with an album or singles or things like that they are not eligible to be nominated. It’s kinda a … Well I don’t even really know how that stuff works either! Ha ha. We will be there for sure and we have an album that’s comin out that week so hopefully we will have a chance to perform on the show and promote the album and the show.
JCP: Whats an average day for you when you’re not touring or recording?
Jason Aldean: Average day for me at home would probably be to get up about 7:00 am in the morning, make some coffee, make lunch for my daughter who’s in school, she’s in kindergarden so I do that. Take her to school, drop her off, come back home and my other daughter is usually up by then. My 1 year old, so get her breakfast, just kinda hang out during the day with her till my other daughter gets outta school, we go pick her up. That’s about it. It’s pretty low key.
JCP: How do you stay grounded with all the fame in the last few years?
Jason Aldean: Well I think it’s a lot to do with family, I think family is really the thing that keeps you grounded, they don’t really care who you are. They expect me to be a husband and a dad. They don’t care about my job, so that’s definitely the thing. I think a lot of times being a singer its easier to come out here on the road and people will treat ya different because of who you are and what you do, ya know. It’s easy to get wrapped up in all that stuff. I try not to, I try to keep it in perspective, it’s my job, it’s a really cool job but not to take all that stuff too serious. In the grand scheme of things it could all end tomorrow, I just try to enjoy it while its here…
JCP: I read that you were months from pickin up and getting out of the music business a few years back, how did you go from almost leaving the music business back in 2003 to becoming such a success within a couple years?
Jason Aldean: I had been in Nashvlle for quite a few years at that point, I had actually had a record deal and had gotten dropped from my record company and just couldn’t seem to get another deal. It was kinda frustrating and so my wife and I both are from Georgia. We were both kinda struggling in Nashville. I didn’t have a job, wasn’t makin any money. My first daughter had just been born. She was about 6 months old and it was just one of those things where we were hurtin so I had put in for some jobs back in Georgia, I was gonna move back home where we had some family that could help us out and get back on our feet. All of a sudden, basically we were startin to pack up our house to move an opportunity comes knockin and I met somebody who knows somebody else. We got them out to our shows and they ended up signin me which was a little independent label. They didn’t have a whole lot goin on at the time, but it was better than what I had which was nothing. It was kind of a roll of the dice for them and me and it worked out perfectly for both sides I think. It allowed me to stay in Nashville and made me really appreciate everything once it did start happening. It made me work that much harder I guess to make it happen.
JCP: We know that your dad was a big part of the reason you got into music, what was your first memory of your musical influence from him?
Jason Aldean: Well you know we used to have little family get togethers and stuff. My dad and my uncle always played guitar so I was always was really interested. Whenever they would start doin that I would be right there listenin and singin along with them to some of the songs and that was really kind of what got me interested in playin guitar so I could sit down and play with them. That was kinda how it started, my dad taught me how to play guitar and it didn’t take long before I was teachin him things on the guitar. It was something I picked up pretty fast and something that once I got it, it was country music. That’s whats great about country music is you can learn three chords on a guitar and play just about any song in the catalog.