Meet Jak Fiddler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jak Fiddler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jak, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
I chose not to be like everyone else. Often times, people try to imitate what other people are doing and recycle ideas. I stepped out unapologetically as myself; for better or worse. What people see is legitimately me. The person you see on stage, on social media, and in public is the same person I am in private with my family and friends. It is that genuine feeling that connects me with people. Letting that principle guide me, I have found more success in business and in connecting with people.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I feel my greatest strength is my ability to connect with people. I write songs from the heart hoping they will relate with someone. My grandfather taught me to be a people person. I’m the dude that will hang out with the crowd. You’ll never catch me in a green room waiting to perform….I’ll be out introducing myself to people trying to connect. When I am done, I make sure to speak to as many people as I can.

To set myself apart from everyone else I simply put in work. You will be hard pressed to find someone who works harder than me. Starting out I would play anywhere, anytime. That was what really got my name out; people started to see me everywhere, I wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to perform my music. My first year solo I played over 200 shows while working a full time job!

One of the hardest lessons I learned as a artist was that you can never take your foot off the gas. It seems music has become a disposable commodity these days and you have to constantly evolve to stay relevant. I pride myself on staying true to my roots while maintaining a huge presence.

When you see Jak Fiddler, you see a real person, writing real songs. I am proud of what I have accomplished without changing who I am.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First and foremost, they have to have some Nashville Hot Chicken! I have a personal ranking list and we would have to visit a few of those. We would hit up Party Fowl, Hattie B’s, and Moore’s.

I’m sure they would want to go see some live music as well. For the Broadway experience, we would go to Chiefs and spend some time on every floor. Then, I would take them to the Nashville Palace for a more intimate, off Broadway show. I would also hit up Station Inn to catch a bluegrass show. I remember playing there in the 90s with my grandfather so it would be a very nostalgic experience. And of course, I would want to take them to Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge for that authentic Dive Bar vibe.

During the day, we would catch some of the cool tourist spots like the Parthenon, The Country Music Hall of Fame, and maybe the zoo (I LOVE animals). Additionally the greater Nashville area is home to some amazing parks. I’d probably choose Radnor Lake in hopes we could spot a Bald Eagle.

For more chill days, I would take them to some local breweries like Half Batch and Yee-Haw. We could also just walk the Broadway strip and check out some of the local singers.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My biggest influence is my grandfather, Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Josh Graves. Everything I know about business I owe to him. Secondly, my wife Amanda has always been my biggest supporter. She is the one who encouraged me to step out on my own. I remember the day she told me, “you are not a backup, you are the front man”. When I finally listened, I found my greatest success.

Website: https://jakfiddler.wixsite.com/my-site-2

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakfiddler/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JakFiddlerBand/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakfiddlerband1884

Other: https://linktr.ee/JakFiddler

Image Credits
TRD Photography, Ricky Davis