IndyMojo: Mojostock Artist Spotlight: Jamie Nichole

As the new year begins to unravel, restless minds are already fast forwarding through the dreary doldrums of winter and fantasizing about the exciting possibilities for this summer's music events. Locally, the festival community is already planning for the annual installment of Springfest at Muncie's Waterbowl. In Indianapolis, Mojostock and Knollfest are common topics of discussion in the music scene.

While Mojostock awaits the release of Live Nation's summer schedule to pin down an exact date (the festival is held at Sleepy Bear Campgrounds across from the Verizon Wireless ampatheater), the festival's organizers are already actively seeking out the best of the best in local talent for the 2nd annual Mojostock. Enter: Snodgrass Entertainment and The Acoustic Live Challenge.

The three-month-long competition featured a spectrum of local talent from seasoned veterans and rookies alike. After ten weeks of competition, Jamie Nichole (from Martinsville, IN) ultimately prevailed as the champion. Among other handsomely rewarding prizes, Jamie landed a spot on the Mojostock 2010 Music Festival lineup.

Although Jamie has recently seen an influx of attention to her musical career, singing and playing instruments has always been a part of her life. Looking back to childhood, Jamie recalls taking piano lessons around age eight. “I never wanted to sit and learn theory or how to read music, though,” she admits. “I just wanted to play without being taught.” The same was true of voice lessons, initiated by Jamie's father. “They would always have me singing these classical songs or something weird like that. And I remember saying 'I just want to sing real music!'”

In high school, music took a back seat to sports as Jamie dedicated herself to golf. She eventually moved to Muncie to play for Ball State and study Criminal Justice. It was here that she would discover two major milestones in life: her future husband and her future career as a musician.

Early on, Jamie struggled with the time commitments required of a college athlete and soon let go of her desire to play professionally. She struggled with academics and began to embrace the local music scene as stress reliever. After a general inquiry via email about an upcoming show, Jamie became friends with a singer/songwriter/guitarist touring college towns in the Midwest- none other than Mr. Rich Hardesty.

Not long after making each other's acquaintance in 2001, Rich learned of Jamie's vocal skills and she began opening his shows, filling intermission, and running the merchandise table. She observed the bar crowd's reaction to familiar covers and began to play songs by Jewel, Sheryl Crow, Pink Floyd, and other mainstream musicians. Although it was a period of valuable experience for Jamie, she always felt most fulfilled when she was playing her own music.

Jamie taught herself to play guitar without tutelage from an instructor. “Even with out formal lessons, I know how to capture it when I like the way something sounds,” she explains. Although guitar came later in life, she's been a songwriter since high school. “Once while going through an old shoebox, I found a bunch of poems I wrote as a teenager. I didn't know it then, but what I was really doing was writing songs.”

In 2002, while still attending Ball State, Jamie met the man who would eventually become her husband, Jay. Two years later, the pair faced a significant crossroads together. Schoolwork no longer aligned with their aspirations, Muncie had lost its appeal as a home, and Jamie announced she was expecting.

After four years at BSU, the thought of returning to her hometown of Martinsville to start a family excited Jamie. She felt that she had seen and experienced all that Muncie could offer her, to a point that things felt stagnant. On moving day, when the final box had been packed and placed inside the U-Haul, she could barely contain her enthusiasm; Jamie was eager to begin a new chapter in her life. Appropriately, she sat down to write a song.

Moving southbound in my sleep;
moving closer to a dream.
I quit drinkin'. I quit smokin'.
I'm leaving everything behind.

No more sleeping in the afternoon.
I can't afford to waste my time.
Call me crazy, I feel surrounded.
I can't wait to say good-bye.

Cuz I'm ready for tomorrow.
But I'm tired from today.
There's nothing left to- nothing more to explore.
Let's go. Let's go. I'm on my way.

The duties of motherhood would take top priority over music for the next 5 years. Not wanting her talent to tarnish, Jamie occasionally played small shows at cafés and wineries as she watched her children grow. But now, in 2010, Jamie's son (Jude; 5) and daughter (Aslyn; 2.5) understand that their mother sings and writes songs for a living. With the full support of her husband, son, and daughter, Jamie has been able to concentrate heavily on music once again.

In June of 2009, armed with nearly a decade's worth of songwriting, Jamie began the search for a studio at which she could record her music. Her final decision was The Sound Emporium in Nashville, TN. The organization boasts an impressive list of clients, including Garth Brooks, Bob Dylan, Allison Krauss, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Sara Watkins (of Nickel Creek). Over three days in October, Jamie recorded five songs at The Sound Emporium with a band enlisted by her producer. She hopes to have the finished album, tentatively titled This Time Around, by May of 2010.

Jamie is represented by the Tyler Music Group of Nashville, TN. She's happy to report a positive working relationship that has been beneficial for both parties. “They are acting as a manager on my behalf, but still giving me the freedom to act independently,” Jamie explains.

Jamie performs solo on a regular basis at bars and clubs in Bloomington and Indianapolis, but she is also in the process of assembling a band. “I feel like my music is best when it's heard live. I can't wait to have a full band performing with me,” Jamie said after her recent show at Tip Top Tavern in downtown Indianapolis. She shared the stage with fellow Acoustic Live Challenge contestants Branch Gordon and Brian McClure (of The Great Hookup). With Gordon on Keys and McClure on violin, Jamie's solo acoustic set morphed into a beautiful pop folk concert. Soon, Jamie hopes to reach Chicago and Nashville with her music as well.

Looking into the near future, Jamie is excited for her first appearance at a music festival. Under the awning of the Sleepybear stage overlooking campgrounds, her performance is sure to be notable. Although slightly hesitant when asked of her intentions to “stay overnight, camp, and party” at Mojostock, Rich Hardesty confirms that Jamie is a true “granola girl” and expects her and husband Jay to join the festivities.

Follow the link below to see Jamie's breathtaking performance of “Let's Go” at the Acoustic Live Challenge Finals. Enjoy the numerous tracks on her MySpace page. Buy her album when it releases. Go to a live show. However you choose to do it, support Jamie Nichole and learn to love the music she creates.

Jamie performs "Let's Go" during her set at The Acoustic Live Challenge here.

Links of interest:
Jamie's MySpace
Jamie on iLike
Be Jamie's Facebook friend
Listen to Jamie on OurStage
Tyler Music Group

Rob Snodgrass & Acoustic Live Champion Jamie Nichole