Jared James Nichols Interview – My Favorite Two Words Are Blues-Power!

By: Rob Cavuoto

Jared James Nichols, the 22 year old emerging singer, songwriter and performer released his first studio EP, Old Glory & the Wild Revival on July 23^rd.

Born in East Troy, Wisconsin and raised near Waukesha (hometown of Les Paul), Jared was influenced by the classic playing of Son House, Freddy King, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton.

At 20 years old he moved to Hollywood and met up with Swedish musicians Dennis Holm [drums] & Eric Sandin [bass] forming an electrifying Power Trio.

Taking pieces of traditional delta blues, 70’s classic rock and a dash of modern indie garage makes up the sounds of Jared’s Flying V propelled songs that he calls Blues-Power.

I caught up with Jared to talk about his first studio release, his love of playing, and about his pride and joy – his old Gibson Les Paul Custom.

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Robert Cavuoto: You’re an amazing player that can succeed with any style of music, what attracted you to the blues?

Jared James Nichols: I was always drawn to the truth and power in blues music.

It is a universal language, and it comes from such an honest place.

I feel that I express myself fully when I play blues-influenced music.

Robert: Who are some influences that might not be a household name?

Jared James Nichols: Most of my influences are definitely not household names. I love a lot of the old acoustic blues from the ‘30s and ‘40s,

Also, I love guys like Leslie West, Doyle Bramhall II, Paul Kossoff, and Otis Rush. Anybody who really means what they play, and puts their heart into it.

Robert: Are you schooled in theory?

Jared James Nichols: I am schooled in theory; I studied at Berklee College of Music for the better part of a year.

I always wanted to know the construction of music, never leave any stone unturned. But most importantly, I never let the knowledge get in the way of the true spirit of the music.

Too many players obsess about theory for reasons I don’t understand.

If anything, the theory fueled me to be different, take chances and make bolder statements with my music.

Robert: I saw you play on YouTube; you have amazing speed and control. Do you consider yourself a shredder?

Jared James Nichols: I think you have to play with a pick to be considered a shredder!

Honestly though, I never really got into speed or playing fast. I was never into crazy licks that a lot of guys do.

I am all about the feel and soul of the guitar. If I do play intense licks or bend the strings and make it growl, it’s just what I’m feeling. I love to coax different sounds out of the guitar.

Robert: What is it about playing guitar turns you on?

Jared James Nichols: The biggest turn on for me about playing guitar is the vibrations. Vibrations you feel from the guitar interacting with a cranked amplifier.

When the overtones and feedback are all working together it creates a “larger than life” sound. It is almost as if the guitar takes on a life of its own.

Robert: There is no such thing as overnight success when it comes to a career as a blue’s musician. Is it hard to achieve a level of success playing the blues?

Jared James Nichols: It is definitely harder than ever to achieve a level of success playing the blues. There are so many players out now that play great, and work endlessly on their craft.

But, I believe the key in achieving success in the blues genre, or any genre for that matter is to be original.

You need to have your own sound, be bold, authentic, and stick to your guns.

Robert: Does keeping things simple – just guitar, bass and drums – steer you down a certain creative path?

Jared James Nichols: My goal was to always create music that everyone could relate to. Keeping things simple instrumentally brings more power and freedom into my music.

I am able to stretch out in so many ways, in the songwriting process, and improvisations. My favorite groups of all time were power trios, SRV, Jimi Hendrix, Mountain, and Johnny Winter.

If you think about, even Zeppelin, Free, and The Who were power trios with lead singers.

Robert: Your music manages to merge hard rock with the blues, tell be about the mixture and how you make it work for you?

Jared James Nichols: My favorite two words are Blues-Power. Basically, I try and take everything that has influenced me and amplify it. I filter my feelings and emotion into my music.

There is no doubt I love to jam out to early Ted Nugent, Aerosmith and ZZ Top. Sometimes my music comes across very hard and edgy with a lot of aggression, but other times laid back and in the pocket.

On some tracks, the sound is hard rock and in your face, but at the end of the day, it still comes from the same roots of the blues.

Robert: How do you find your own identity with so many talented artists out there?

Jared James Nichols: It is a long hard road of serious soul-searching. You need to find out what get you excited about the music and run with it!

Whether it’s the feeling or overall sound, question what it is that makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck and study it!

My practice and listening schedule was insane growing up, and still is a lot of the time. I worked very hard for many years to find my own sound, based off of studying all of my heroes.

I was always honest with myself of where I wanted to go musically, and who I wanted to be as an artist.

When you get to the point of truly expressing your emotions through your music, it is undeniable and people can feel that.

Robert: What gear did you use on the CD?

Jared James Nichols: My main guitar was an old Gibson Les Paul Custom I named “Old Glory.”

The body dates back to the 1958, while all the hardware is from a 1968 LP with some Seymour Duncan pickups. It is my pride and joy.

The only other guitar I used for tracking was an old Hound Dog resonator for the slide parts on “Take My Hand.”

I used a 50 watt Blackstar Series One Amplifier for guitar tones on the whole recording. I kept the amp cranked up and used different settings and techniques on the actual guitar for the different tones.

The only effects I used were a Tychobrahe Octavia pedal, a Deja-Vibe, and a T-Rex Effects Yellow Drive. All amazing pedals!

Robert: How much of your tone comes from your touch?

Jared James Nichols: I am a firm believer that touch is everything. All of my tone comes from my touch.

The fact that I don’t use a pick and squeeze the strings intensely plays a huge role in my sound.

There is a big difference from a thumb tone and a pick tone. My sound is much warmer and full because of that. Honestly, a player’s touch is their whole identity.

All of my favorite players each have their own amazing sound. Vibrato, Bends, Attack. That’s everything,

Robert: What do you want your fans to take away from this CD?

Jared James Nichols: I want people to get excited, and let them know that great blues/rock still exists.

That feeling and emotion can still be conveyed through music and felt through the speakers.

I want guitarists to get out their guitars and play, and get the same drive as I did when I was learning licks growing up.

These are songs that were written with meaning and a lot of soul, I want people to enjoy them as much as I love to play them.