Let our readers know who you are, where you are from, and what style of music you create.

I’m singer/songwriter/guitarist Jesse Brewster from the SF Bay Area. My style of music is Rock/Americana/Folk. I write songs that have emotion, dynamics and feel. It could be a barn burning, twangy , hard hitting anthem, or a sweet acoustic delicate ballad-so long as I feel I’m being honest and trying to connect with the listener.

Who or what influences your sound and writing style?

That really depends on where I’m at in my head when I’m writing. I definitely write about personal struggles and my life’s ups and downs, but I also really enjoy embodying characters and trying to see the world from their perspective. It’s a good way to escape my personal limitations as far as what defines me. I can write songs about alcoholism or suicide not because I’ve experienced either of those things, but because it allows me to explore what that might be like.

What was the last song you listened to?

(That’s an unfair question if I include the fact that I teach guitar during the days)
I was just listening to the Wailing Jennys, and really dig their sound and writing.

What led you to decide you would release 1 song per month for a year? A very cool way to produce a new album I might add.

I had a serious backlog of unreleased material, to the point where much of my live set was newer songs that fans couldn’t purchase because they hadn’t been recorded. I knew I needed to get another record out, but the idea of the cost (I’ve got two little ones at home) and the length of time that would pass before anyone would be able to hear anything seemed like a daunting proposition. I also noticed that the single in recent years really has taken over in many ways the full-length album, going full circle back to what it was like in the early 60’s and before. So I decided to record and release one single and see how that went.

The response was great, and I loved the idea of focusing 100% on that one song. Not distracted by having to move on to the next track, or worrying about how it sounded compared to something else. Just pinpoint attention to the all-important song. I immediately decided at that point to take the 12 songs (I had narrowed down from 25+) and release them one per month for a year, calling it March of Tracks as the first song was released in March of 2013, and it represented the forward motion of the songs coming out each month.

Having gone through the full-length record process many times-both with my material and working on other records-I know how scary it is once you’ve released it. All that momentum you’ve built up for the months it took to track, mix, master, create artwork for, is all released at one time with the release date and/or CD release show. That’s a huge push, but it seems like it’s over so fast, and you find yourself scrabbling to keep attention on the album. Also, how many times have you bought an album because of a great song, and you end up skipping through the album to get to it, only later discovering how many other good songs were on the album? With one single per month, people get one song, and love it or hate it they will give it a listen.

Do you have any studios or specific producers you really enjoy working with? Or is each collaboration a new journey all on its own?

I definitely have studios, producers and players I love working with, many of which I’ve used so far on the first 4 songs I’ve released. I’ve made a big effort, however, to reach out to new folks I’ve wanted to work with, or that have been referred to me by other artists. I like to approach each song as it’s own journey, starting from scratch with each one. But often times I’ll have a certain player or studio in mind to capture the vibe of what I want the production to sound like.

Why did you choose the name March of Tracks for the album? I have a few ideas but I’d like to hear your thoughts.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s first of all due to the fact that the project spans from March of 2013 to March of 2014, when I’ll compile all the tracks onto a full album. Secondly, the march part refers to a driving force of constant and unstoppable recording and releasing of songs. It’s such a gratifying feeling to put everything into a track, and the immediacy of being able to release it right away and get it out into the world.

You just released track 4, “Chesapeake”, how is everything going so far? Are you receiving a good response from fans and listeners?

Yes, for sure. One consistent response is that listeners really understand the feeling and vibe I’m trying to convey with each song. If you put Chesapeake side by side with April’s release Can’t Keep a Good Man Down they’re vastly different sounding, yet each of them paints a picture that is very clear, and I think that makes it easier for folks to identify with.

Would this have been possible without the web and social media? How big of a role does the Internet play in your career?

Great question, and quite simply, no. Unless we were still living in a time where people were buying singles on vinyl and I had the means to do that, the web is key to how these songs get out there. Every month I go through a pretty exhaustive process of posting the songs to CDbaby (which then goes to iTunes), Soundcloud, Bandcamp-the preferred method as listeners get tot hear the whole song and pay however much they want, my web site, by email to fans who have signed on to my crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo. I also am busy on social media posting links, event invites for the digital release, soliciting feedback, and encouraging sharing.

Do you actively gig? Do you tour? Where can people see you perform?

I play out in Northern CA pretty frequently, and touring 2-3 times per year. The best way is to visit my web site for current show dates.

Where can we find your music and connect with you online?

www.jessebrewster.com
www.reverbnation.com/jessebrewster
http://jessebrewster.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/jessebrewstermusic
@jbrewstermusic on Twitter
www.youtube.com/jessebrewster

Any last thoughts? Shout outs?

Just to everyone who’s been supporting what I’m doing with this project and with my music in general. It’d be very tough to do all that I do without you. More good stuff is coming!!