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Payne County Line’s interview with Oklahoma’s Jason Savory 1. Let’s start off with the basics. Tell us who you are, where you are from, old friends, favorite drinks, favorite entertainer, who inspires you to greatness, family, hometown, favorite band, favorite book, hobbies, what will we will find you in your spare time doing?
2. How did you get started in the music business? Where? When? Why? My Brother started out singing first. It was at one of his shows that I first sang in public. My family got their money together and offered me about 30 dollars to get up and sing a song. Hungry for that money I got up and sang “Seminole Wind” by John Anderson. That’s how I got my start. 3. What are some of the toughest challenges you’ve faced to this point as an individual and as an artist? Making the decision to go full force after this dream was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I dropped out of college, and left a good job of seven years. And now that I am an artist, challenges come along every day. There are lots of people to try and make happy. But you can’t please them all. 4. Songwriting, do you write songs by yourself, or do you write with others? If so, who? What inspires you to write? What was your first original song preformed by you? What was it like to hear your songs for first time on the radio? What qualities/abilities do you feel make a good songwriter? Is there a magic combination of things that make a song “good” versus just “taking up air”? I haven’t written a ton of stuff... But when I do I write some songs alone, some with my brother Greg and here lately, some with Tony Payne who used to play Bass with No Justice. I write mostly personal experiences. The truth is the easiest stuff to write. I think lots of people can relate to my music. I got goose bumps the first time I heard one of my songs on the radio. 5. In playing cover songs, do you find there is a magic mix for the fans, or the venues? Yes, you have to know what kind of place you’re playing at. What age is the majority of the crowd? And what type of songs goes over good in that venue. If they typically have all Red dirt and Texas artist, then Top 40 country probably isn’t going to go over too well. 6. How should cover songs be used by a new band starting out? To keep the crowds attention. They are probably not going to know your original stuff so you have to slip one of your originals in now and then to get them heard.until you create a following 7. How would you define the music you create? Songs that everyone has either experienced first hand or heard about. It speaks the truth. It tells a story. It’s a tool. You can use for all situations whether it be to cheer you up or bring you down or help get you drunk! 8. Do you play both acoustic and full band gigs? Which do you prefer, and why? I play both. I would rather play full band. The shows have way more energy. And a lot more to offer. But at the same time I like to play mellow acoustic shows because the songs are so broken down and you can play them at a different speed if you want and it works. It is a change of pace.
10. How hard was putting your first album together? What was the biggest challenge? What do you see as the challenges of today? What studio do you use? Who does the mastering? What do you feel is adequate charge for recording a CD, for the new bands starting up…? Are videos necessary? Could an artist sell tunes on internet and never record a CD? Is the internet handling of music the new way to get music out? How do you feel about the trading of tunes that goes on behind closed doors? My first album was a long process and a pain in the neck. Starting out it was going to be all acoustic. So, I recorded the whole thing. Then once it was finished, I knew I wouldn’t be able to release my first single this way. I then went back in and recorded it with full band studio musicians. I was pretty green. I thought it turned out awesome! But after I had made 1,000 copies, I was told that it wasn’t up to snuff for radio quality. Back to the drawing board, I went to Nashville and re-recorded 4 of the songs. When I re-ordered more copies of the album, I switched those 4 out with the old 4. I finally had something to release as a single. The first single was “WIFE FOR A NIGHT”, It made it to #36 on the the Texas chart. After that I thought that my next single needed to be a little more on the edge to go over a little better. So, I went to Texas and re-recorded another song off the album. It was my favorite song on the album.”THOSE DAYS ARE GONE” It made it to #51 on the charts. I released one more song off the album “NOTHING MORE THAN ME”. It didn’t do too swift. I don’t think my Local radio station even played it. It was kind of a punch in the face, but that’s how it goes. My new album went a little easier. I think because I didn’t cut any corners. I think I got it right the first time. I guess we will soon find out. 11. How important is creative freedom to you, both as a writer as an artist? I want to write with others and I want some of the best writers in the biz to write some of my songs, but I want the freedom to be able to say yes, I will cut that song or say no that song is cheesy Im not singing it. I want that freedom. I can bend but I know how far I can bend. 12. What do you feel your greatest reward has been as an artist thus far? I have two greatest rewards that come to mind.#1 is having songs played on the radio. #2 I opened up for Earl Thomas Conley and was invited up during his set to Sing Keith Whitley’s part to Him and Earls Hit song “Brotherly Love” I am a big fan of both of those guys and actually put that song on my first album and my brother Greg sang it with me. 13. What advice do you have for aspiring musicians? Start early! There is lots of work to do. 14. What were some of the toughest challenges that you faced when you first started out? Getting people to listen and take a chance on you. It is hard to get booked at places if noone knows you and haven’t ever heard you play. 15. Do you/have you ever found it trying at times to try and balance both your personal life, and career? Wish to share a thing or two? It was very hard when I was in School, working a full time job and trying to sing as well. Now It isn’t as tough. You don’t really get to hang out with all of your friends and family like you used to. They can only follow you around to your shows so much. Most of them work during the week and then you work on the weekends. 16. What makes your music stand out? What is your "edge"? I think the stories that they tell really stand out. It isn’t anything fancy. I think it just hits home to lots of people. 17. Who are some folks who helped you get started that you would like to recognize... say thanks too, etc? Family, friends, venues, etc? Most of all I would like to Thank Chris McCutchen. He helps me get to chase this thing. Without him I don’t know if I would have lasted as long as I have. My family has always been behind me. They are very supportive. My Friends are as well. I have never heard any of them say that I am wasting my time. Which Helps. I would also Like to thank Hank Moore (Owner of Tumbleweeds in Stillwater) I remember going to concerts out there when I was a little kid. I have seen tons of “big name” artists there growing up and always dreamed of playing on those stages and now I get the chance to do that. 18. What were some of the places you played around Oklahoma starting out? I started out singing at county fairs, parades, weddings, etc. My first bar gig was in Crescent, Oklahoma.(Robert’s Six Mile Bar) It was out in the country, it set on blocks, some of the skirting was missing,needless to say it was a pretty rough looking place. I would sing there about every other weekend. I had a lot of good times there. They would feed you lots of beer. It was a sure enough”beer joint”. Not long after that I got booked at Willie’s Saloon in Stillwater (The same bar Garth started out at). I sang there for a while and then things started taking off. 19. Are you self managed, or is there someone helping with that? Do you do your own booking? I am self managed and do my own booking. I’m hoping I won’t have to do all of that much longer because it is a major pain! 20. How do you perceive a band to be? Is it family, business, friends, etc??? How does one work through problems that come up? It is all of the above. There are lots of battles to go through. I think as long as everybody wants it bad enough, they will work through it. If they don’t, it will show, and then you have to fix it. 21. Where have you all played? What was your best show to date? We have played shows with Mark Chestnutt, Earl Thomas Conley, Ronnie Milsap, Joe Nichols, Trent Thomlinson, Charlie Pride, Phil Vasser, Julie Roberts, Heartland, Asleep at The Wheel, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Reckless Kelly, Jason Bolland and the Straglers, Stoney Larue, Randy Rogers Band, Bleu Edmondson, Wade Bowen, No Justice, Brandon Jenkins, David Frizzell, and many more. My best show was with ETC. 22. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? 10 years? Within five years opening for major acts under major label. And after 10 headlining - That’s the dream isn’t it? 23. What do you think has contributed the most to your success and longevity over the past years? Chris McCutchen without a doubt, but my band as well. I couldn’t do it without them. They play it Live and Loud! 24. This is your call, anything you would like to add, this is your chance. Anything you wish to say to the hometown fans, the newer fans, the golden oldie fans… to the venues... Etc. - I want to thank all of the fans I have. They may be few but you keep me going. If you don’t have the hometown crowd behind you then it is really going to be tough to get the rest of the world behind you. I just want to say no matter how successful I end up being in this business it does not matter anymore. I feel that I have made it as a country singer. I started out with goals to reach to say that I was a country music entertainer. I had a couple of albums, I had songs on the radio, I toured, and I played with major acts. If it all ended tomorrow, I could say that I made it. Heck, that show with Earl Thomas Conley made my dreams come true. www.jasonsavory.com - www.myspace.com/jasonsavoryband - Book Jason |
9. Would you take a couple of songs and tell us how, why, when, etc you wrote them? How about some you co wrote… just a couple, do you mind sharing with us the songs and how, why, when, etc... That they were co wrote and who with… what else was going on at the time? My songs are mostly personal experiences. For instance, on my first album “MY MIND’S IN MEXICO” is a true story about my life. All of that stuff in that song is true. There is a song on my new album called “Game of Life” which is the title track. That song is a true story about my wife. There is a piece of me in every song on both albums even if it is a cover song that I chose to put on the albums.
