5 Questions With... Jamie Woodfin

1. What brought you to country/roots music?

As far back as I can remember music has been a major part of my life. I can hardly remember a time in my house when there wasn’t a record, cassette or CD playing. Growing up this way gave me a vast selection of musical influence all the way from traditional country to 50’s and 60’s pop to 70’s rock. As I grew into a teenager I developed a love for grunge and punk rock music and it wasn’t until my late teens early twenties I shifted back towards more country based music. The first time I listened to the No Fences album by Garth Brooks I said to myself “One day, I am going to do what he does”. I feel a connection to the songwriting and the stories told through country music.

2. When did you write your first song - as an artist or with a band?

My first attempt at songwriting was with my first band, we were in eighth grade and called ourselves The Wild Stallions. Looking back there really were only 3 of us and we all played guitar with no rhythm section, but we didn’t care. There was something honest and innocent about making music together that even though I am sure we sounded terrible, it didn’t matter, we just had a really great time playing together. In my adult years I was inspired to write my first solo song “Mellow Voices” during one of my first studio sessions, which I played all the instrument parts on.

3. If you could go on tour opening to any performing artist right now, who would it be?

I have always looked up to artists who us their live performance as a way to engage with their fans in a way that makes each fan leave feeling very connected to the experience. Two influential artists I admire are Eric Church and Garth Brooks and they are able to do just this with their shows. They understand the importance of their fans and never seem to take this for granted. I know I could learn so much and would love the opportunity to study and learn from them.

4. What is the best trend in country/roots music right now?

The best trend in country music right now is diversity, from traditional sounding artists like Brandy Clark, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves to more modern artists like Old Dominion, Luke Combs and many more. There’s an opportunity for a little bit of everything in today’s country industry, with some exceptional songwriters pushing the boundaries.

5. What part of Project WILD are you most looking forward to?

I am most looking forward to challenging myself to become more vulnerable as an artist, pushing outside of my comfort zone and boundaries. This is an area I struggle with and want to embrace the challenge to grow especially with my live performance. I am also very excited about all the new relationships that will develop throughout the program with our mentors, teachers, and all the other artists. I thoroughly enjoy meeting like-minded people and can’t wait to get to know everyone. Lastly bootcamp at RockRidge Canyon is something I cannot wait for, I feel like a little kid going to summer camp! It’s going to be so beneficial getting to focus with no distractions on music and taking in all the different program classes. It will be such an amazing experience I can’t wait.