Meet Jamie Wood & Nutty Brown

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamie Wood & Nutty Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamie Wood &, why did you pursue a creative career?
For each of us, there was nothing else that made sense. For me, it started while listening to gospel music in the black churches in the South where I was raised. Martin Gagnon (aka Nutty Brown), was raised in a small village in the Provence of Quebec, where music became his passion. When my family moved to California, I began playing guitar and singing in folk groups up and down the California coast. I later formed a blues band called the Roadhouse Rockets. Meanwhile, Martin was studying piano at a music college in Quebec and playing with a popular band in Montreal. Ours careers converged when both our bands played at a music festival in France. Though we didn’t speak the same language, we communicated through music. Learning each others languages came later. and we fell in love. That was 20 years ago, and we’ve been making music together ever since. So I would say it wasn’t so much that we pursued an artistic career, as much as it pursued us. There simply wasn’t anything else we wanted to do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think what sets us apart is that we write original music in the same style as those musicians of the 1930-50’s who influenced us. Lots of bands are covering those old songs but few, if any, are writing original music in that style. But what sets us apart also presents difficulties. People like to pigeonhole music, but we don’t really fit any of the popular categories of our genre. We’re not blues, nor rockabilly, nor swing, although our music incorporates all of those. So we face questions like “How do we promote ourselves?”” “Who is our demographic?” “Where do we fit?” This has been the biggest challenge we face.

Also, with the growth of technology, the music industry has changed the way we produce, promote and listen to music. Today, most people don’t even have CD players. So we’re forced to stream our music, or sell downloads. When you think of the cost of producing one album; paying the studio, the musicians, the mastering, the artwork, the promotion, your copyrights, not to mention your musical instruments and the years you’ve spent polishing your craft, musicans aren’t really getting a fair shake. When you spend upwards of $10,000.00 producing an album and compare it to the money you recover, it’s pretty discouraging. So the lesson we’ve learned is that you can’t think about money and income. You have to stay focussed on your art for the sake of the art itself.

That said, we are very excited and proud of our latest CD, entitled “Who’s Shuckin’ Who”. You can find it on all the streaming platforms, or on our website at www.jamiewoodmusic.com

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.
There are so many fun things to do in SoCal. We’d have brunch at C’est La Vie in Laguna Beach. We’d visit Balboa Park in San Diego. We’d visit historical sites in Los Angeles. Maybe we’d take a train up the coast and visit the sequoia and redwood trees at the national parks. We’d catch a couple of shows at The Coach House Concert Hall in San Juan Capistrano, Campus Jax in Newport Beach, and Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many who have helped and encouraged us. Jerry Hall (RIP), who had the faith in me to produce my first recordings. Glenn Nishida at Pacifica Recording Studio, who records all of our recent music. Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, who taught us what an entertaining band looks like and how to get your audience interested in what you have to say. Listening to Rick Estrin also made me realize that my own writing style is best expressed using humor. Also, all of the DJs and radio stations who have suppored us by playing our music on their respective programs. And we can’t forget to recognize Martin’s parents, who encouraged his music endeavors instead of telling him to “get a real job”. These are just a few of those we are endebted to for their encouragement and support.

Website: https://www.jamiewoodmusic.com

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