Interview with JB Elwood

August 05, 2024

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

First off, I wanted to say thank you so much for taking the time to interview me. It really means a lot. Music has always been so important in my life and when I purchased my very first CD when I was a kid, Appetite for Destruction by Guns N’ Roses, I knew that I wanted to be just like Slash one day and that I wanted to be a musician. When I first heard that album in middle school, I thought it was the coolest thing I have ever heard. I became obsessed with classic rock and I did not listen to anything else for a couple of years. In high school, I discovered Tom Petty, Rob Thomas, Michael Jackson, and the Eagles. This is when I started becoming fascinated with songwriting. To this day, I think these four artists are some of the greatest songwriters of all time. That is when I began writing my own original music. In my songwriting, I try to incorporate what made these four artists so popular, which are catchy and big choruses. It is not an easy task, but these artists were masters of their craft.

If I did not get into music, I would probably be pursuing a career in the corporate world. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Business Management Economics at UC Santa Cruz and my Masters's Degree in Finance and Economics at West Texas A&M University. Even though music is my main passion, I also have a strong interest in investing, and I always put money into my investment portfolios regularly.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I have a 9 to 5 job, and after work, I put all my energy into my music. So, I don’t have as much free time as I used to have before I began pursuing music. But, whenever I am not doing something music-related, you will probably catch me doing something where I am staying active. I am a huge fan of rock climbing, weight lifting, paddleboarding on Lady Bird Lake, hiking, camping, and so much more. I am a huge adrenaline junkie, so I tend to make questionable decisions including cliff jumping, sky diving, scuba diving, and many other things.

Life experiences are what drive my creativity when writing music. If I did not have a lot of life experiences, questionable decision-making, heartbreak, sadness, adventures, and other types of experiences, then I probably would not be an effective songwriter. The greatest songwriters of all time have unique perspectives on life and that is what fuels creativity. I hope that one day I can be just like Tom Petty and Rob Thomas when it comes to songwriting. They push me every day to get better at my craft.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

Austin, Texas is my home. I am proud to live here and the uniqueness of this city helps fuel my creativity. I am originally from the Midwest and lived in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Austin. I grew up near large cities my entire life because my father is a Structural Engineer, so we moved around a lot. My familial roots are from the Appalachian region, and both of my parents were born and raised in West Virginia. A majority of my family still live in the Appalachian region. My parents own property in West Virginia that has been in our family for over 100 years, so I regularly visit this beautiful property.

My grandfather, Eugene “Poppy” Jackson lived a majority of his life in southern West Virginia and he was a self-taught musician, as well as a preacher. He taught himself how to play the banjo and guitar. He gifted me his 1960’s Gibson Dove guitar before he passed away and this guitar underpins my songwriting. It is my prized possession. My other grandfather, John Elwood Ball, was an entrepreneur in West Virginia, and I pay tribute to my grandfather through my stage name, JB Elwood. My family, as well as my familial roots, are what influence my music and songwriting. Having personal experiences in so many places across the country has given me well-rounded life experiences, and I try to capture my unique experiences in the stories that I tell through my music.

What is your dream venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

There are so many mind-blowing venues in the world that I would love to play at. My initial goal is to play at some of the famous Austin venues including Continental Club, The Saxon Pub, and Antones. If my music ever gets noticed on a very large scale, then my dream venues would be Red Rocks Amphitheater, Hollywood Bowl, and many others. This would be a dream come true and I know I would tear up if I ever stepped foot on some of these big and influential stages.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

My dream show lineup would be JB Elwood, John Mayer, Harry Styles, Rob Thomas, and Goo Goo Dolls. This would be a very random lineup, but I would not complain!

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

The advice that I would give to someone who is just getting started is to prepare a lot of material before releasing anything and beginning your music journey. The music industry is brutal, unrelenting, and heavily saturated so you need to have a lot of material to be consistent with releasing music and content. Before I launched my music journey, I had 6 songs prepared and ready to go, but I wish I had more songs prepared before I began my journey because once you begin releasing music, it is a grind. You have to put everything you have into your music to have a chance in the music industry. The industry is continually changing and you can’t stop for even a short break because that could lead to losing momentum. Lastly, success in the music industry has moved to whether you have a strong social media presence or not, so the advice I would give is to stockpile a bunch of short-form content videos for your song releases and post every single day. Nic D and Connor Price are great examples of people on social media who know how to grab people’s attention and convert those viewers into listeners of their music.

If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be?

Advice that I would give to myself if I could go back in time is to not be afraid to put myself out there. For a while, I was afraid to chase after my dream because of uncertainty and the fear of failing, but now that I am fully committed to making my dream a reality, I know that nothing is going to stop me until I have nothing else left to give. I know that won’t be any time soon.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

This is a very tough question because I put my heart and soul into every single song that I write and release. If I had to choose one of my released songs that means the most to me, it would probably be “Run Away With Me”. When I released it, I didn’t do a good job with the promotion of the song. That is a big regret of mine, but I still have so many other songs to share with all of you, so I will not make that same mistake again. “Run Away With Me” is a song about being in love with someone your entire life but never finding the courage to tell them how you truly feel about them. This is a relatable story for many people because it is a scary experience to spill your heart to someone whom you have known your entire life. This song tells this story from the perspective of someone who spilled their heart to the one they love when it was too late.

What is the creative process for JB Elwood and what inspires you to write your music?

When I write a song, I first come up with a chord progression or a really cool and memorable guitar riff. After that, I begin coming up with a melody by randomly humming to the chord progression or singing the most random words that do not even make sense. For some reason, saying gibberish helps me form a melody. Next, I record a rough instrumental track and listen to it everywhere I go, whether it be in my car, on a hike, or working out. I determine the mood of the song and I come up with a topic that I want to write about that matches the mood. Then, I get inspired to write a relatable story by laying in a hammock, walking on a trail, or just being out in nature. After I get all my lyric ideas out on paper, I begin piecing together the lyrics and matching the syllables that work with the melody. Then, I send my ideas to my producer, and we put the song together! I have a very strange way of writing music, but I am glad that I found an effective way to continue writing songs on a regular basis.

Tell us a bit more about your latest single “Lost In My Ways”

“Lost In My Ways” is a song about redemption. You truly never know what someone is going through in life and that is why I believe in second or third chances. Sometimes you have to stand in their shoes to understand what they are going through. Some people want to change, but they do not know how to change because they are so lost in their ways. This leads to them pushing people away who are trying to help them. This could also lead to them falling into a life crisis where they come face to face with their inner demons. In the bridge of my song, I offer a glimmer of hope because I know that deep down a majority of people want to change, but they just need help and empathy from others. I hope my song resonates with people because I think as a society we need to have empathy for others who are struggling and going through hard times.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

I always try to tell relatable stories in all my songs because I want people to be able to connect and relate to my music. I try to convey a lot of different messages in my music, whether it be heartbreak, perseverance, adventures, empathy, love, living life to the fullest, and so much more. Music is such a powerful tool that brings people together, and I hope my music can do that for others.  

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

I have a lot of exciting things in store for this year. I will be releasing my debut album in a couple of months. Originally, I was releasing a single every other month, but I wanted to change up my strategy. I have some live-in-studio video recordings of my music that I will be releasing soon, as well as a possible music video in the works. I will be performing live at a lot of great venues throughout central Texas this year. I am excited for the future and I promise that in my music journey, this is only the beginning.

Thank you so much for your time and for interviewing me. I really enjoyed talking to you and sharing my story.

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