Conversations with Jake Loban

Hi Jake, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m a singer songwriter here in Nashville and it’s been my home for 6 years now. I was born and raised in San Diego, CA, and started playing in punk rock bands when I was a teenager. I actually started touring while I was still in high school and traveled all over the US, Canada, and Europe. Traveling at such a young age exposed me to so many new cultures and experiences, and it really pushed me to go further down the rabbit hole that is American music.

I became obsessed with early rock n’ roll, blues, and country. I started exploring these genres when I wasn’t on the road and was flooded with new inspiration. At age 25 my band started falling apart and I didn’t have anyone to play with. I bought my first acoustic guitar, learned some outlaw country songs, and began booking gigs all over CA as a solo artist.

I eventually got a new band to back me up in San Diego, and we played some amazing gigs with artists like Whitey Morgan, Nikki Lane, and Wade Bowen. After playing everywhere I could in my hometown, I decided to pack up and head to Nashville. I’ve been playing & recording country music for a living since I came here.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were definitely some struggles at first but nothing I didn’t sign up for. I’ve always loved a challenge, so the idea of starting over in a new town, completely alone, is actually what excited me the most. I didn’t know a single person in Nashville when I moved here.

Looking for work/gigs, making friends, leaving everything I knew 2,000 miles away, it’s all challenging at first but I was excited to do it. I met so many others who were in the same boat as me and I really found comfort in that.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Thank you for the kind words! I’m a singer songwriter based here in Music City but a lot of my time is also spent playing at the honky tonks around town (Johnny Cash’s, Ole Red, Nudies). Live music is really what brought me to this town so I continue to do it as much as possible. I’ve met all my friends here through playing gigs, and have been fortunate enough to play with some of my heroes who have since become mentors.

I write/release my own music and developed a passion for producing over quarantine. I own and operate my own recording studio now called Red Rose Nashville. It’s a place where my friends and I can record and produce music the way we want to while hiring the best players in town. It’s really become something special. If I’m not working on creating my own music, I’m helping my friends do the same.