Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Allen
Hi Jordan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started playing drums when I was 6. That lead to me picking up the bass at 13 and the guitar around 14. I joined choir my freshman year of highschool, and started singing and writing songs around 15. I started gigging on my own around 16 and haven’t really looked back since.
I started Jordan Allen & the Bellwethers way back in 2013. Though there have been a few lineup changes, it’s the only band I’ve fronted in my adult life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Overall, I have been so blessed. But if I’m really looking at the valleys, yes. There have been plenty of struggles.
I think I have always struggled with comparison, or just feeling like I’m being seen/heard in this industry. I go back and forth with it. But I think that’s a battle we all fight, no matter your “success” level.
More specifically, I have been married for 7 years, and I have a 5 year old daughter, and a 3 year old son. I have been full time at it since 2018. Leaving them behind to go work, for some times weeks at a time is a huge challenge for me and them. I have overcome the hardships of that through my faith, as well as my wonderful wife, who goes above and beyond to be supportive. She never asks why. She just loves me and the kids through it all. I have been blessed with what I think is the world’s best support system.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have always been an old soul. I was the baby on my moms and dads side, so I was always around people older than me. In High School, people I’d meet would often think I was in my twenties. I’m still that way- I feel much older than 30.
I think that way of life carries over to my music. Most of my favorite records were made before 1980. And so everything about my music, from the values to the chord progressions down to the production, has always been made with a bit of an older sound in mind. It’s what I like. And I think that retro, mature sound is what makes me stand apart.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
For anyone just starting out- I would say practice as much as you can. If you want to get better at guitar, devote an hour or so a day to it. If you want to get better at songwriting, set a goal to write X amount of songs a week/month. If you want to improve your stage presence, get on stage as much as you can. For me, the repetition of the thing I want to be better at has always made the biggest difference in my career. PRACTICE.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jordanallenandthebellwethers.com
- Instagram: @jaandthebws
- Facebook: /jordanallenandthebellwethers
- Twitter: @jaandthebws
- Youtube: @jordanallenmusic12
