Meet Jay Rin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Rin.

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?
I’m a Nashville-based singer songwriter and performer who loves to travel near and far and make meaningful connections with others through music.

Over the years I’ve racked up quite a few stories from folks I’ve met from all walks of life, and it’s amazing to think those connections all started with a song! It’s these beautiful exchanges which keep me pushing ahead in the wildest and most uncertain times in this business.

Anything particularly unique about your sound?
A friend once described me as a tenderly vigorous singer which is probably pretty spot on. I’m a romantic and an empath and because of these things, I think I tend to pack a lot of emotion into what I sing which sometimes comes in the form of a whisper, a raspiness, a growl, a slide, a cry, a belt, or a rapid fire lyric. When I record, I’m usually right up on the mic so that listeners can hear it all – from the expressions to the very breaths. I like my words to be crisp and present so that it feels like I’m singing you a secret.

You can hear this in each of my releases – from my folksy apocalyptic 2019 debut single “Dance in the River” to my sultry dark pop song “Gotta Be Magic,” and from the tender and nostalgic southern rock vibes of  “Keep on Walkin’” to the spooky feels in my recent Halloween release “Trick or Treat”. Thankful for my mixing/mastering engineer John Burke from Vibe Studios  who gets me on this.

Who are you inspired by/compared to?

As a songwriter, I’m inspired by the song crafting of Bob Dylan, Brandi Carlile, John Lennon and so so many more and as a vocalist, I am often compared to the likes of Stevie Nicks, Jewel, Jade Bird, or occasionally referred to as a ‘lady version’ of Bob Dylan or Hozier.

What can you tell us about your story?
I’m originally from Whittier, CA and have been living in Nashville for 8 years now. In recent years, I’ve been spending most of my time writing, collaborating with other friends and musicians, recording, worship leading, and performing at private events, local venues, and writer’s rounds.

I grew up in a very music-filled household where singing and playing music was one of the main ways we all bonded as a family. It wasn’t uncommon for my dad to break out the guitar at family parties and for my sisters and I to join in harmony.

On long road trips, which were many since our family is very spread out over California, we would all take turns queuing up our favorite CDs and belting it out as if there were no tomorrow!

At age 11, I started singing alongside my dad @rockingjimmybecker in a country folk duo called Deep Fried Bubblegum. We would sing at coffee shops, fairs, local events, and I tell ya, it was the best kind of father daughter bonding and we toured together frequently until I moved to Nashville in 2013. We still do music together any chance we can get, but now it’s just as us: Jimmy and Jay!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve now been performing for 15+ years as a solo artist and in various musical projects, tributes, and bands along the way and largely at first, my struggle was finding my sound in the midst of the various genres I was singing on stage and struggling with doubt and insecurities. As I found myself pouring more of my heart into my original music however, I found ‘my voice’ start to show itself more and more and though there was a bit there when I resented that I didn’t really sound like anyone else on the radio, I grew to appreciate my unique sound. From there, my next obstacle was to muster up the courage to get out into the world and share it. So that’s what I’ve been pushing myself to do. Write a new song? Share it. Play a show? Share it. Even if things aren’t always perfect, share it anyways. You never know who is going to need it, and to me, that’s worth the risk of not playing the perfect social media game all the time.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
When I was a little girl I had a dream that I sang on stage with the Rolling Stones and remember excitedly asking my parents, “do you think that this could ever happen?” To which they probably responded something along the lines of “Anything’s possible! You never know!”

Fast forward to my second year studying music at Belmont University, and as happenstance would have it, the choir I sang in was asked to perform with The Stones in an encore of ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ in their concert at LP Field (present day Nissan Stadium) back in Summer 2015 as a part of their “Zipcode” tour. A stroke of luck and a literal dream come true, which to this day has only further fueled the fire. I don’t want 2015 to be the last time I sing on stage at Nissan stadium, and I promise you that you won’t see me lay down my torch until I get to do it again. And then at that point, well I guess there’s always the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman, and Madison Square Garden to shoot for!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.jayrinmusic.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/jayrinmusic
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jayrinmusic
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/jayrinmusic
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCsfoJCb4BwIXxbbGlE01Ezw and https://youtu.be/PdbPMgg0wDs
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0AVk53slaI6dtaj9qMYB8p?si=-KPBb5b-QmGxT8-LXanNUA&dl_branch=1

Image Credits
Rachelehofer, Rolling Stones, Jim Becker, Jesse Bobick, and Don Campbell