Jack Newsome of NBC’s Songland | Breaking Out of the Clutter in the Music Industry

Audio Transcription

I think a year before it, a bunch of friends of mine and I were like, how cool would it be? There was such a thing, like a show, kind of like depicting the pitch scene in Los Angeles. I can tell you there’s, there’s, there’s so much opportunity and no one’s doing it. And then like the next year I get called and asked to do it.

After being featured on nbcs hit show Songland Jack Newsome has gone on to work with hits Songwriter Shane McNally. And on today’s show I ask Jack Newsome how he broke out of the clutter in the l a music industry. The work ethic it takes to succeed his career plans for the future. Why his parents made him actually practice musical instruments as a kid. All this and much more. Our interview with the NBC Songland Star Jack Newsome.

Some shows don’t need a celebrity in a writer to introduce the show. But this show down to math eight kids, Koch created by two different women, 13 moat tie, million dollar businesses. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the thrive.

I’m Sean

[inaudible] started from the bottom. So you gotta to get you started with the [inaudible].

Yes, yes, yes. And yes. Rod Nation. On today’s show we have an incredible guest and incredible guest by the name of Mr Jack Newsome, who recently appeared on the NBC hit show Songland Captain Jack. Welcome onto the thrive time show. How are you sir?

Hey, thank you. I’m great. I just got back from vacation all as well.

Where did you go on vacation or did you go to an undisclosed area where you can’t possibly share?

Well, I was in, uh, London and Amsterdam for a minute.

Wow. Okay. Okay. So you’re on the show. Let’s, let’s get into a life before the shell, a life before America got a chance to really get to know you. How did you start off in music? Like what age were you when you started playing music?

Um, I started like playing music. Uh, I took classical piano lessons from when I was like six to 12, I think. Um, and then I’ve been kind of singing since I could talk and walk. Essentially. I would basically set up my coffee table and, uh, put on shows and my family and have my siblings be like my backup singers and dancers. Um, so it’s been a very, uh, uh, it was a natural thing, I guess over time. Um, but I started working professionally around like 16,

around 16. Okay. And so you have been doing music, um, professionally for, for quite a while. Did your parents require you to take lessons like piano or guitar or when did, when did you, when did you start playing an instrument?

Um, I started playing, um, I did like classical piano, like I said, like around six. [inaudible]. Yes. Yeah. I think that’s how I started. And the funny part is, is that like, I actually never really learned how to read the music. I always put it by a year, so my teacher would kind of like, my teacher would kind of play the songs and then I would just play them back to him and uh, yeah, he would kind of be like, you know, you’re on the wrong pages. Right. Really? Um, yeah. So that’s kind of how, yeah, they, they kind of had me do formal training. Do they make, I also did musical theater as well.

Did you like it? Did it, did it, did they have, did they ever make you go, was it, was there a time, we have so many listeners out there that own a business, right? A that have kids, have family. All right. Did, did it, did they ever make you go, did you ever say I’m done with that and then do they make you keep going?

Um, I it never really got that bad. I would kinda hate practicing and stuff, but in general I was always kind of gravitated to the piano on it is just anything that made noise.

Now did your parents make you practice for a certain amount of time or was that all you just self-driven at that young age?

It started off. They would make me practice and then I guess over time I kind of did it on my own. Um, but then when I started doing it on my own, I started like writing my own stuff and writing my own like core progressions. And melodies and stuff. Yeah. Um, and, and that eventually morphed into songwriting.

So how did you go from being, there’s so many listeners out there that write music or want to write music and are good at an instrument and sing. How did you get on the show? I guess first is, when did you decide you wanted to do music professionally? And then I guess my followup question is how did you end up getting onto the songland show?

Um, okay, well you a chance to your first question. I um, I started like I knew I was going to be able to do this professionally when I was around 15 or 16. Um, I, what’s it called? I was signed to a boy band. They really are creating when I was around 16 it was called and why five? Um, yeah, no, it was great. We like had a ton of training and I got to really learn how to do your like I guess as a job. And I was writing a lot of the songs for the group and it was great. And then I did. Um, and then I did another group based in Berlin, Germany at like 17, right after that one. Um, that was, uh, we did a boot camp for a group called n a new district. Um, and that one was a lot more intense.

Um, but I think kind of over those two projects, my family kind of learned like, oh, I kind of showed my family like, oh, I can make this into a, um, into a career and uh, and I can make a living from this. And, uh, yeah. And then two years ago I basically drove myself out to Los Angeles. Um, I was two years into college and, uh, I had, my family didn’t really, I guess want to leave college, but I did. And, uh, I basically just played in traffic, you know, like I basically just got in everyone faces called everybody I knew, did everything we’d play shows or in there. Um, I started writing for other artists, put out music myself. And then this producer, I guess at NBC hit me up out of nowhere and was like, Hey, do you want to, I’ll just remember the voice. And I was like, Nah, I did it two years ago. Or I auditioned a few years ago. And he was like, well, do you want to submit your music for Song Rand? And I was like, what is that? And then we went from there.

Now you, you just said, and I’m not a complete homer for you, I may listen to your music on Spotify, Spotify, and I may have a Jack Newsome tattoo. I’m contemplating getting on my forehead, but I’m not at home or I’m not a crazy, I’m not a crazy guy, a fan here. But I’ll, I’ll say this, um, your, your, your posters are the full size posters are amazing, but it’d be on, and I’m just, you worked really, really hard to make that. Uh, those things happen for yourself. You know, you didn’t just talk about it. You, you did what you had to do to get the attention. What kind of stuff did you do? I mean, did you knock on doors? Did you just call up random clubs? I mean did you, what, what did you do? Cause I mean, what you just said was so powerful and I think so many people want to, they want the success but they’re not doing some of the things you’re doing. What was more a few of the moves that you did?

Um, some of the, I guess first, first step, which I actually often discredit I guess is going to Berkeley College of music. Like I go into music college in general. I feel like a lot of people kind of like sneer at it and they’re just like, oh great, you’re going to an art school or like whatever. But, um, I mean most of my connections are here are from college. Even though I went for two years. Like I, I said the people that I met there and the connections I’ve made are absolutely priceless. Um, and so that I guess was the first step. Second step was definitely leaving. Um, and just kind of like keeping those connections, staying in touch with everybody, but packing up my stuff in driving cross country to Los Angeles, um, was monumental step in my career. And probably the most important one so far.

How did you pay your bills? Uh, did you, did you sell a kidney? Were you selling, uh, Jack Newsome tattoo templates? I mean, how did you support yourself where you guessing people’s weight in traffic and public places like step right up books. Damn check Newsome and I’ll guess your weight. I mean, how did you support yourself?

Um, a bunch of different ways right before I left. I mean it was, it was really bad right before I left for Los Angeles, I would literally, I was cleaning bathrooms in restaurants was working like really nacky jobs that’s hot. Um, and then when I got there was, and then when I got to la, um, it kind of, it got more varied [inaudible] different things you can do in music to make some cash. Like, um, I was a demo vocalist for awhile. Like we’re just having anything on their, on their demo tracks and pay a fee. Um, I would sell my songs to other artists. I vote.

And I know that like, I know you can’t on the songs you’ve written sometimes in these agreements, but did you write songs for big time artists that you sold for? Almost nothing. Did you, did you, did you have a few that went to big time artists?

Um, I still haven’t had, I think the, the song that I co-wrote on song for Megan strainer is probably like the only like big artists that I have on my roster, but oh my gosh, they’re a bunch of artists that I’d definitely like undersold myself. But you have to kind of like to know your, to realize yourself work. You kind of have to, yes, it start somewhere. Right. And you can always build it up over time and with your, uh, yeah, I think I started like selling songs as I sold my first couple songs, like $500 a pot. Um, I still kept my produced. I still kept my producer, you know, my, my stake in the song. But I started like as low, I guess as I, as I, I think I started pretty fair for like no one right out the gate. But um, yeah, you gotta start somewhere.

Well, you know, uh, Ryan tedder went to college, it went to Oral Roberts University at the same time I did, was on the same floor. Uh, em EMR for north was our dormitory and that dude would just play the heck out of the guitar all the time net and it just never ending. Right. He played at our wedding and he just, just awesome. Uh, great guy, hardworking guy. He moves out to Nashville, you know, he’s doing the whole intern thing and he got his internship by cold calling the customer helpline on the back of cds, which is crazy. But he’s out there working as a waiter and then working as a shop assistant at a pottery barn while singing demos and selling his songs for 300 bucks a piece, 400 bucks a piece. What was it like being with him on a show? A guy who’s, you know, now riding for beyond say and sting and Paul McCartney and just, you know, crazy, like, just huge, I mean huge yards. What’s it like writing for our, we’re working with a guy who’s worked with that big of artists.

You know what’s funny is I actually, I think I heard that interview somewhere. I listened, I listened to his interviews all the time. I listened to his, I think he has one on and the writer is, which is like my favorite podcast. Right. He, um, I mean he’s like legendary and he, uh, his, the fact that I was able to kind of stand in front of a bunch of folk who, whose song, not only songs but like stories I’ve looked up to for so long. I mean, Shane, Shane McAnally like is probably the lesser known on the panel. But Shane who was my mentor on my episode of Songland kind of became like one of the pinnacles, I guess of like, of, of self-made, uh, self-made greatness. He’s, the whole panel is in incredible, but I’ve learned so much just by being in these rooms with these people. And being, uh, talking to them, they’re, they’re geniuses.

You know, if it was Shane as an example, you think about this, that guy is 44 years old, but it took him a long to get traction, you know, along

so long. Yeah, no, he, I mean he’s the definition of, of just like sticking to it. We got along really well because, and we just, we got on like a house on fire because like we just saw each other and we saw ourselves in each other and yeah, I mean he, he, I been working like apps since the show. We’ve, we’ve have a bunch of incredible things in the works. I’m actually, um, I’ve been flying out to Nashville to work with some of you guys and this is the first time I’m getting to talk about it.

Oh Wow. Well, you know, this is the thing about dot Shane and I want the listeners to think about this. Okay. Shane guys, I graduated if you’re listening right now, I graduated in 1999. Okay. So I am, I’m 38 years old. Okay. Shane. Shane is, he’s started in music at a very, very young age. So in 1974 homeboy all came to the planet earth. Do you understand Mr and mrs listener that he didn’t have his first big [inaudible] until 2013 now I’m a math wizard, so I take my little math calculator, I say 2013 minus 1974 and I’m using it. Here we go. That’s 39 years old. I mean, homeboy didn’t get big tracks. Now he’s riding with a old dominion, Sam Hunt, Kelly Clarkson. What? I mean, it’s unbelievable that if you’re just out there and you get nothing else added today, show one Jack Newsome is the man. Listen to his music but too

[inaudible]

just get us to, you got to stick to it. You got to stick to it. I’d like to ask you, as you’ve been sticking to it, what can, what was the best, uh, advice that you got in terms of how to craft a song? Maybe melody, verse Song, Mechanics, Song, math. What were some of the best advice that you got from Shane?

Um, advice from Shane. Don’t ever skimp on lyrics. He is a total Steckler for lyrics and the second side of working, I mean, he didn’t touch any of my melodies. I really, I wrote all of those melodies and he, um, and he came in and, and just really stress the importance of like being, being laser focused with your lyric and not ever getting lazy. Um, which is really important for me because when I listen to music, I don’t always particularly listen to the lyrics that well, I know a lot of people that think the same way. You catch yourself, you listen to a song and then you start humming it at work or whatever. That’s kind of how, that’s kind of my, uh, my take on music. But he was like, no, no, no, no. I mean, especially where he

now as a, as a, as a music guy who, who sings, have you been able to sing any hooks on or getting any cuts on albums where you’re singing the hook or the verse? Have you, have you done those? I know you don’t want, I know you’ve done a lot of demos songs or done demo vocals. If you’ve got a chance to sing a hook on like a top 40 song yet

not a top board and song. I have collaborated with a bunch of Djs. Um, but I mean I would, I would love the opportunity I did get to feature on um, a song from artists, DJ producers set the sky. Yeah. I have a song on his last album that uh, did really well called a section and um, yeah, but I love the EDM world.

Now you have some big stuff you’re working on right now that you can’t tell me about. So when I am going to do is I’m going to walk you close to the line, right? I’m getting close to the line. You say I can’t go over the line. I’m just going to say what can you tell us cause people out there want to know what, what could they find your next music, what’s your what’s, what’s your next things. I remember talking to Ryan, I want you to think about this. I remember talking to Ryan and Ryan tedder said to me, he says, I got a new song I’m going to be doing. It’s coming up a huge now. This was back in the day. Do you ever, Bubba Sparxxx do Bubba Sparxxx is there Jack Bubba

sparks?

Yeah. I’m not trying to put you on the, on a pension or corner here, but you’ve ever heard of Bubba Sparxxx. If you haven’t, it’s probably because you’re normal. You haven’t heard of Bubba sparks?

I don’t think I [inaudible]

Oh my God. He was one of the first white rappers. Okay. He was trying to be like, kind of a hard, uh, I’ll let me just, let me just scoot up a Ryan goes, hey, I’m gonna be writing a song. It’d be singing a hook for this white rapper, but I can’t tell you who it is. This is Brian’s first song where he got his voice. Got to be heard witnesses before they’re too late to apologize stuff. Let me cue this up. We’re rolling right here.

God, look at me for calling you paint all the walls ain’t go let to get to the court. Oh, here it is. The new brains it, she

can, all of us, we’re like, oh, come on. Really? Really? You’re going to be honest. We don’t believe you. I mean everyone did. I, I secretly really did believe the guy cause he, I saw how hard he worked for a lot of people didn’t believe he would actually, you know, get a big hook. Have you like what’s, tell us something you’re working on where you can give us enough details to get us excited, but maybe not give away what you’re not supposed to share.

Okay. I have, it’s, it’s not all pot. It’s spans a bunch of drama. I just got home, one of them, it’s like an EDM pop song, which doesn’t have my voice on it, but it’s with a really crazy artists who’s had a bunch of a string of top 10 songs over the past few years. Um, I’m ridiculously excited about it. I wrote it with my best friend. Um, and then, um, this other one is something that Shane and I cooked up and it’s a country vibe, but I cannot say who is. Yeah.

Well, let me do this. Let me do this. Um, you, uh, we interviewed Ross Golan on this show. I’ve got Ross on the show. I haven’t got Shane on the show, but if you’ll tell Shane, just let them know, say, hey, this crazy, uh, business growth guy who was obsessed with music by, by the way, the reason why I love music so much Jack, is I started out my career as a DJ. So before I sold my company, DJ connection.com we did 4,000 events a year. My man, 4,000.

Nice.

You tell you t you, you tell Shane, you say Shane, he says that if you need a backup player, he’s available.

Okay.

No, I know there’s a lot of, there’s a lot of a need for that in the industry, you know, or you know, if you have like a, a demo vocal guy and he gets hurt and the backup guy gets hurt and you want a guy that just sounds occasionally flat to test the auto tune. I’m your guy. So I’m like your plan f t just let Shay know. Alright, I’ll be available. I’ll keep my phone on and I’ll just make sure that if I, you know, I just did anyway. So if you’re Shane, if you’re out there, remember backup cowbell guy or in a plan f vocalists to test auto tune

will do.

Okay. Now, now you’re, um, uh, music is really good, but that’s my opinion. Um, and I want the listeners to be able to consume your music. And you know, there’s so many ways, there’s so much social media, there’s so many ways. It’s like we’re on Instagram and we’re on snap chat and we’re on, we’re on all these different things. Where’s the one place you direct the listeners to go to? There’s one place they need to go to, to hear your stuff.

Um, kind of like all the places on Spotify. I’m Jack Newsome, I’m on apple music. I’m Jackie used them. I have the same name, I guess on all platforms, which is great. It’s literally just my name at Jack Newsome, uh, on Instagram, on, um, [inaudible] on all socials. Yeah.

Now do you do you a Ryan tedder, you know, with a one republic, they got their first real big, uh, traction when he was working with Timbol in, they’re doing the whole intern thing. They got to a big falling on my space, you know? And then that kind of proved that they were the real deal. A lot of times I way that my space is, a lot of people say all my space isn’t making a comeback. What do you think if he gets on the verge of coming back? I feel, I mean, I feel like it’s hot. It could, it could, it could happen any moment. I mean, it just, it just, if we haven’t, it hasn’t happened yet. What do you think is my space on the way back?

Um, I wish that’s like soundcloud’s as close as we’re gonna get.

I want, I want them to bring back Oregon trail, the video game, street fighter two in my space. That’s all I’m asking for. If you could talk to Shane about that too, that’d be great. Yeah,

for sure.

Okay. Well, Hey, final final questions here for you. I know there is a word of encouragement that you would have out there. For the listeners out there who want to get into the music industry who have been rejected a lot, what encouragement or what advice would you give an aspiring musician out there?

Just get that six game going. It’s not, there’s, there is going to be a ton of rejection. That’s not a, it’s not something that goes away. If it’s not something that ever that phase or whatever. I think it just gets easier when you kind of look at it and expect it and then move forward. Just I’ll just literally, uh, just putting stuff out there, meeting people, doing the thing all the time. That’s kind of the only way to do it.

Now, if somebody out there wants to hire you to perform for their corporation, do you do that kind of thing?

Okay.

I think in the beginning you kind of have to, I think to make, um, to make ends meet. I mean, an artist, especially right now is it costs a fortune, especially to get exposure to get your music out there. It’s a really expensive process. So corporate gigs are a great way to make money and kind of fuel that fire.

If the listeners want to book you right now, can they book you or do you, if they have difficult, did they go through an agency or do they go to a website? What’s the, if they did want to book you, if they go check out your performance on songland by going to youtube and typing in Jack Newsome or they go to Spotify and listen to you if they wanted to book you, are you available for that kind of thing?

Um, absolutely. I mean on all my social media is I have my email and all my contact, you can direct message three all right there. So definitely like on Instagram and Twitter, absolutely hit me up

and jackets, not polite for me to give you homework, but I got three pieces of homework for you. Okay. Three by the way, if you don’t act upon these, you’ll feel guilty inside and that’s why that’s my passive aggressive way. So one, continue dominating and become super, super famous to demand that Shane puts me as the backup backup backup on the cowbell list. Cause I know there’s, that’s a big list. Uh, and then, and then in three, uh, go back to getting famous again. We’re so excited where you are. We’re rooting for you here in Tulsa and uh, and if your voice has ever get, just gets kind of tired. Need a plan f background guy, I’m your guy.

Yeah, brother, I appreciate you and I hope you have an awesome rest of your

and now without any furthered to what? Whoa, Tim, the world’s best business conferences led by America’s number one business coach for free by subscribing on iTunes and leaving us an objective review. Claim your tickets by emailing as proof that you did it and your contact information to info at thrive time, show.com.