Up & Coming New Nashville- Jonathan Singleton & The Grove (With Exclusive Interview)

Since signing his breakthrough publishing and production deal two years ago with Crosstown Songs Nashville, multi-talented singer/songwriter Jonathan Singleton has been caught up in a creative whirlwind that’s left him little time to be chilling at the airport “Watching Airplanes”—the name of the track he co-wrote (with Jim Beavers) for superstar Gary Allan that became one of the biggest country hits of the past year. The first single from Allan’s 2007 release Living Hard, “Watching Airplanes” spent more than thirty weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at 2. For the week ending February 19, 2008, the song was 1 on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase airplay chart. He is also the pen behind Billy Currington’s current smash hit, “Don’t” as well. His first single “Livin’ In Paradise” just entered the country chart’s top 50 and is climbing fast.

While the widespread success of “Watching Airplanes” is establishing the Jackson, Tennessee native as a prolific, first call Nashville songwriter for other artists, he is also currently in the studio, about ten tracks deep into a new project with his own eponymous band Jonathan Singleton and the Grove. The album is being produced by major Nashville hitmaker Dann Huff and is the first of five recordings Singleton will make under his agreement with Universal South Records.

Huff has long had the Midas touch for creating mainstream pop/country hits, but he is moving a bit left of center in creating a dynamic new vibe with Singleton, creating a more roots-rocking, bluegrass sound for the singer and his longtime band’s latest recording. “Being part of Dann’s publishing and production companies is the perfect place for someone who writes the way I do,” says Singleton, whose lyrics focus on the here-and-now simplicity of everyday life. “Dann’s very in tune with where I’m coming from as a writer and singer, and he’s never felt inclined to do the straight down the middle pop thing with me that he does so well with other artists. The new songs have more of an edgy old school country rock flavor that’s got both of us very excited. My main criterion for a good song is one that makes me want to pick up the guitar and play again and again. It’s never about what’s commercial or how it will reap a certain audience, but all about having that gut instinct that it just feels good.”

Singleton was born into a family with an audience - his father was a preacher in the Church of Christ and his mother was a talented singer/songwriter who declined a small recording deal to look after her children. At age 16, the naturally gifted guitarist formed his first band with his brother Josh. The Smoking Jackets was a blues-rock band that at one time was the official touring band of the NASCAR circuit, showcasing for several record labels (including MCA and Island Def Jam) before evolving into The Grove. Singleton later attended Northeast Community College in Booneville, Miss. where he and the other members of his band were a part of the school’s Campus Country program, a scholarship program designed to prepare young musicians for life in Nashville.

Listen to an acoustic version of the new single "Livin’ In Paradise" here and then catch the interview we had with this new artist…



And the interview with this exciting new singer/songwriter…

That Nashville Sound- What brought you to music in the first place?

Jonathan Singleton- I had the privilege of growing up in a musical family. My mom had a band all through my childhood. There were always drums, guitars, and a p.a. around the house. I remember a few songs from their set list that my band, later would cover. They played everything so, we got to hear everything. Dobie Gray, Doobie Brothers, Willie Nelson, old country standards to new rock hits filled out their repertoire.

TNS- Describe your music- what's the mission behind the music?

JS- We have attempted every kind of music. Nothing is off limits for the Grove. We always thought you could learn something from every kind of music. As we got more "mature" musically, we started playing more lyrically driven country and southern rock sounding tunes, it just has to be something real. Musically I hope we are bringing something new, mixing genres of music, bluegrass melodies with rock guitar riffs, quirky lyrics over contemporary music. These are all things we think about. It all comes down to if the band really wants to play the song again.

TNS- Describe the difference between others recording your songs and performing your own?

JS- It is a totally different thing all together for me. I have always been a band guy, that is how I work. Songwriting pulled me away from that for a while. I love being a songwriter, there is no better feeling than hearing your song on the radio except, for hearing yourself sing your song on the radio. There is also a stress that comes along with that too. I should have sang this different or done that different. The thing we do with the Grove sometimes might not come across in an acoustic songwriter setting. It is plugged up, turned up, and rocking. We leave it all on the stage. Those are the kinds of songs we are looking to cut for our project.

TNS- What kind of music are you listening to? What's in your iPod?

JS- I'm just looking at my iPod here.....Aimee Mann, Alison Krauss, Blind Melon, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Knight, Counting Crows, Eric Church, G. Love and Special Sauce, James Morrison, Joshua Singleton, Keb Mo, Louden Wainwright, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Merle Haggard, NO/FX, Patty Griffin, Ray Lamontagne, Steve Earle, the Roots,Tom Petty, Vampire Weekend, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, Zac Brown. Those are the highlights.

TNS- What's next for Jonathan Singleton & The Grove? Where do you hope to be career-wise a couple years from now?

JS- We keep our expectations pretty low. We are happy getting out in front of people playing music. Hopefully, now it's just a matter of getting out there. We love the small venues and clubs, we feel comfortable there. We plan to make a tour of our own like that.

TNS- Opry or Opera?

JS- Opry

TNS- Record stores or downloads?

JS- I download more, but I have a huge record collection. I love digging through old records.

TNS- Fine dining or southern cooking?

JS- Southern cooking

TNS- Baseball or fishing?

JS- I don't get to do either often enough. I love both. Probably fishing more though.

TNS- West Coast or East Coast?

JS- I'm not a rapper, but my favorite place in the world is St. Augustine Florida. It is on the East Coast.

TNS- Nickname for your guitar?

JS- I have two favorite guitars. Both are old Strats. One is commonly refered to as the "beat up strat" the other is "the lady strat." One is beat to death, but I love it. The other is a 1973, somewhere down the line somebody put a pin up girl decal on the body.