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Back-Chat and Pushing Boundaries

from How Not to Screw Up Your Kids

32m 27s

Back-Chat and Pushing Boundaries

Jake Thistle, a 22-year-old musician from Paramus, New Jersey, has been pursuing songwriting for most of his life. Inspired at age three by Tom Petty's Super Bowl halftime performance, he picked up guitar at nine and quickly began performing at open mics, ice cream shops, and street corners. Rather than taking formal lessons, he learned by playing in front of real audiences, developing an ability to read crowds and structure engaging set lists. Growing up near New York City and immersed in the music of Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, and John Hiatt, Jake eventually found himself performing alongside seasoned musicians. Asbury Park became a musical home, especially through the Light of Day Festival. In 2024, he reached a national audience on American Idol, where he emphasized authenticity by performing original material. Now he is preparing to release his debut LP, "A Stranger by Design," recorded in multiple cities. Jake describes authenticity as being genuinely excited about his music and proud of his Jersey roots, and he remains committed to growing as a songwriter while honoring the artists who shaped him.

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Speaker 4difference between being young and being new jake thistle is only 22 years old but he's been working at becoming a songwriter for most of his life it started when he was three years old sitting in front of a television in paramus new jersey watching tom petty and the heartbreakers play the super bowl halftime show something clicked by nine years old jake had a guitar six months later he was playing his first open mic soon he was performing anywhere that would have him learning the craft the way generations of musicians before him had learned it on stage along the way the kid who grew up studying music was a musician who was a musician who was a musician who was a musician who was a Studying Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Brown, and John Hyatt began finding himself in rooms with some of the very musicians who helped shape that music. He toured while going to Rutgers, made records, found a musical home in Asbury Park. And this year, millions of people discovered him on American Idol.
Speaker 1How long have you been performing?
Speaker 3I started playing when I was nine. I picked up guitar then, and then roughly six months later, I played my first show and just sort of snowballed from there.
Speaker 1As a nine-year-old, play your first show? Yeah. That's cool.
Speaker 4That's cool. But Jake has always considered himself a songwriter first. And now, with his first official LP, A Stranger by Design, coming soon, The Apprentice Ship is giving way to something else. A voice of his own. Jake Thistle may have been doing this most of his life. But in some ways, his story is just beginning. This is Jersey Made. Jake, your story starts in New Jersey. A kid from Paramus who started playing guitar at nine years old was performing in front of audiences not long after that. And you've really been at this ever since. And then this year, a lot more people. A lot more people got to know you through American Idol. And now, at 22 years old, you're getting ready to release your first official LP titled A Stranger by Design. So it feels like it's a pretty good time to sit down and talk about the road that got you here. Jake Thistle, welcome to Jersey Made.
Speaker 3Thank you so much.
Speaker 4I'm honored. Jake, your story really does start at three years old. Your parents let you stay up. You watched the first half of the Super Bowl, hoping maybe that you took an interest in sports, I gather. But then Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers come out for the halftime show. And apparently, football never really had a chance. You said that that's one of your earliest memories. What do you remember about seeing Mr. Petty that night? And what was it that grabbed you at such a young age?
Speaker 3You know, I'm not really sure what it was that grabbed me at such a young age. But I think me not being able to explain it is one of the reasons that I gravitated toward it in the first place. You know, I just I can remember sitting there. I remember how the living room used to look when I was young. And when Tom took the stage, it just was sort of a it kind of felt like an aha moment or like I like to call it my Beatles on Ed Sullivan moment when I saw that. And I just realized, OK, that's a that's a collection of really cool people. And that's something I just really want to see a lot more of in my life. And so it really everything kind of snowballed from that. But I'm not exactly sure what it was. That drew me to it. I think one of the reasons that's my one of my favorite Super Bowl shows is because Tom just went in and did Tom for 12 minutes and left. You know, they didn't have a lot of pyrotechnics or background singers or dancers or anything like that. It was just the heartbreakers. And they did a heartbreaker show and then they let the game come back to be in the game. And so that was something that really mesmerized me.
Speaker 4So by nine years old, you finally get your first guitar, the cherry red Epiphone. SG, I want you to be able to gush over that guitar in a second. And about six months later, you're already playing your first open mic before long. You're getting paid to play classic rock songs at an ice cream shop back in Paramus, New Jersey. Most nine or 10 year olds, they'd be terrified to get up and play in front of a room full of strangers. But you have said that even then, being on stage felt completely natural to you. Tell us about that.
Speaker 3Yeah, you know, I think it's one of those things that sort of dates back to, you know, getting into music through the heartbreakers and then, you know, kind of developing this sort of blanket of really great, great classic rock songwriters growing up and idolizing them. And then when I picked up guitar at nine and, you know, trying to learn, you know, petty songs or, you know, Bob Dylan or Springsteen or whoever it was, it just seemed like the thing to do was you played songs and then you went out and played them in front of people. And so that just seemed like the natural step. And so that just seemed like the natural step for me. And it was something I was really excited to try. And yeah, it was about six months in between. And I'm really grateful for it. You know, growing up in New Jersey, it's such an amazing learning experience to share the stage with so many different types of people. And that's really where I've learned the most. I haven't really taken a lot of formal lessons, but, you know, I have a lot of like stage teachers and people who I've gotten the chance to play with that have taught me a lot. And just that's really how I've learned the trade or the craft. And so I'm really grateful that, you know, when I was in New Jersey, I was able to do that. When I was younger, it was really important for me. If I want to act like, you know, those songwriters I really emphasize, I need to go and not only write songs, but I need to play them and covers and songs that have taught me a lot in front of people.
Speaker 4Talk about where that confidence ultimately came from and how you sort of managed to this day the balancing act between having butterflies that might really shake you up and then butterflies that are really the right time. I mean, for me, it was a really interesting thing because,
Speaker 3you know, going in to do it, it was something I immediately realized sort of in the, you know, in the first song, however, I felt before then was kind of irrelevant because I was loving what I was doing. And I still playing on stage is arguably my favorite part of the job. And so I really do my best to never take that for granted. So, you know, I guess there is sort of a confidence to it. And, you know, the way I tend to look at it most of the time is just it's exactly where I want to be. So I try to just take it in as much as I can. And I don't think about if it would make me nervous or if I think it's really cool or, you know, I just try to read the crowd as best as I can and put on a show that I would want to see. Because that's another part of this that I love is, you know, in addition to being a student of music just for my job and to become a better writer or performer, I also just really love it. I loved it as a three-year-old before I knew how to play anything. And so. A lot of me going in this is just trying to put out records or play shows that I would want to see as an audience member.
Speaker 4Is there evidence anywhere still of those very early performances of you? Are there tapes or cassettes of that?
Speaker 3There are. Yeah. There's YouTube videos of that. I don't think anything's on tape, but definitely close enough. You know, every so often I will go in and clean up. But I really do. I mean, my life is on YouTube for the most part. I started putting up videos there before I did anything really just as a way to keep myself accountable and to sort of watch my own progression. But, you know, they're public. And so while I do go back and occasionally clean things up as I grow, it is important to me to sort of have that record, good, bad and ugly, you know, whatever it is throughout the year. So, yeah, there is evidence of a nine-year-old Jake running around and playing a bunch of covers.
Speaker 4And you've said something about those early days that really. Resonates here. I never really took formal lessons. I mostly learned on stage. And you really did. The open mics, restaurants, street corners, clubs, playing for whoever happened to be in that room. What did you learn in all those years playing in front of real audiences that you don't think you could have learned in a music lesson?
Speaker 3I mean, honestly, I think most of what I learned, I wouldn't have been able to learn on a music lesson. And I think it comes in a bunch. Of different ways, because I played a ton of different types of gigs. But, you know, playing on the street corner, I think the greatest example that that taught me was sort of how to structure a set list and sort of listen to what people want to hear. Because that's the best part about cutting your teeth that way is you don't have a captive audience and people will stop. And if people are stopping, they like that song. And if you play another song and they stay, they like that song and they like what you're doing. And so that was one of the first things I picked up was how can I hold these people for as long as I can and how can I get them to listen? And so, you know, structuring a set list to have, you know, enough of the same to keep people around, but enough of different to keep people interested. was something that I really tried to hone later on because I don't want everybody walking by me I want them to stay as long as I can uh so that was definitely something from those street corner gigs that I learned a lot uh and you know more than that just you know the luck of being in the area and being outside of New York and getting to have all these really great musicians uh allow me to play with them uh that was a way I learned of how to you know interact with a seated audience or you know interact with a paid audience even um and uh especially just watching you know what these people who a lot of them were well older than me what they did on stage and what they've learned through 40 50 60 years of experience uh that was also really important and um so yes in lessons I could have learned the chords and I could learn the melodies and I definitely could have gotten better that way but there's definitely sort of a learned experience that uh I'm really grateful I got from the stage.
Speaker 4So what was the uh the first live , live concert experience that uh you can tell us about who was it and where was it at?
Speaker 3Yeah well uh you know the one that sticks out to me the most uh the the the concert uh that I saw you know I didn't play it obviously but um I got to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at Madison Square Garden when I was 10 and that was definitely like an aha moment because I I'd seen so many videos on YouTube of musicians I idolized but getting to see it in person and really feel the energy that I was seeing the people that were there and I was like oh my god I'm gonna be able to feed off of in these videos was really important um you know so so that was definitely a a moment for me and Steve Wynwood opened so I mean it's really hard to put together a better bill than that's something like that for a 10 year old to see and just you know see people who've sort of honed their skills for the last you know at the time 40 years you know.
Speaker 4Who did you go with?
Speaker 3I went with my parents I asked them to take me I didn't I had to go with someone that that drove because I I was still many years away from driving so uh yeah they got me the tickets I'm super great they've always been very supportive uh and so yeah that meant a lot.
Speaker 4They could have just shoved you on the train though but they decided to take in the experience themselves
Speaker 3right? Yes absolutely which uh was an honor you know I mean it's uh still something we talk about all the time you know that that's one of those things every time it comes up we saw them in September it's like we'll get somebody in the family group to send a text oh it's been 10 years since we saw Tom at the Gardner it's been you know nine years or whatever so we all still talk about it you know.
Speaker 4So you know growing up in New Jersey I guess there's a point where you're like when of course somebody's going to be asking you to play some Springsteen and you were immersed in Pettyland first but people kept requesting Springsteen so what were the songs that you learned? I think it was No Surrender and Thunder Road right?
Speaker 3Yeah exactly it was really funny how that all worked out because you're right you know playing on the streets of New Jersey as a nine year old with a Telecaster you're going to start to get some Springsteen requests and so it got to a point where I just remember thinking yeah I obviously didn't really know Springsteen that well you know I knew the bigger hits but finally went okay I'll learn some Springsteen so I did No Surrender and I did Thunder Road I put them up online and you know people really seemed to like them and I was really grateful for that and then I got a message on Facebook from a guy that said hey I'm putting together this sort of Springsteen weekend at Iona Hotel in the UK and I'd love to play some Springsteen and I was like yeah I'm gonna play some Springsteen and I was like yeah I'm gonna that's for that and so after we vetted it and realized it wasn't a scam you know he wasn't trying to just like lure a 12 year old to the UK you know I got to work and he said great you know that'll be a lot of fun I'll see you in January and you'll do like you know two two hour sets of Springsteen and I said great that'll be awesome but I only knew two songs so now that was really my deep dive into Springsteen as I had to learn about you know if I already knew two songs I had to learn about you know three hours and 52 minutes more of Springsteen and so I was like I'm gonna that's really how my my love of Springsteen started which was just like kind of a deep dive like all right I don't want to go to this Springsteen weekend with the biggest fans in the UK and act like a poser that just heard these songs like I really need to you know immerse myself in this and and try to become part of the culture and I'm so glad I did because I mean you know especially being in Jersey it's that has impacted my life a ton you know being a Springsteen
Speaker 4fan but do you recall a point was it that event in in England where you so immersed yourself uh in Bruce's music that you really really understood what that music meant to so many people around you was that the tipping point or was there another point that it really further you know hit you over the head on how important Bruce's music is
Speaker 3well I think because Bruce grew up in Jersey and he's still in Jersey so he's still sort of around the scene I'm constantly that what you're talking about is constantly emphasized to me even to this day even now sit standing back and I can I know that the cultural impact he's had um but it still continues to impress me and so that was certainly one of them is getting to go out and have an opportunity like that for songs that you know I didn't even write I had an amazing opportunity because I played songs that another guy wrote you know and that that was definitely a tipping point and then another one for me was my first Springsteen show which was uh one of the MetLife shows um in 2016 which was incredible I mean it was um the biggest show I'd ever seen it probably still is because I don't know if I've ever seen it but it was a really big stadium show I've seen up to this point uh he broke the record at the time for his longest show I think he played four hours and 11 minutes or something like that and I remember thinking that was the coolest thing in the world being a you know at an 11 year old or a 12 year old and then of course the next night in Citizens Bank he broke it again so it just seemed like you know it was just it seemed like an amazing feat to watch that and the E Street Band and I really don't think there's much of a better sort of live introduction than the set he played uh that night so you know that's another time I'm reminded um you know even in in recent years you know I just um I just played in front of the uh the Springsteen Center they opened up a center at the Monmouth University campus um with you know tons of memorabilia and history of not just from Bruce but all music and just seeing him sort of in this historian role in in the movie that they play for people that come in and it's just a real privilege to be kind of in the backyard of all of that happening because um I definitely consider myself a student of it but I I really do think here in Jersey it's a hot bed for um it's you know so much culture converging to make you know the music
Speaker 4industry growing up in Paramus 15 miles from Manhattan um other than a couple of bowling alleys or two or three or four in Paramus uh there's the skyline of of New York that you're seeing and you've talked about being able to see the skyline from certain places in town even the glow of the city at night which is pretty incredible for a kid who wanted to make music you called New York quote unquote hallowed ground it was right there in front of you what did growing up that close to New York but building your own musical life on the Jersey side of the river due to your uh ambition uh
Speaker 3well I mean it was literally a sort of a castle on a hill or I guess a city on the hill you know being able to see it you know from town and I think it's impacted my songwriting a lot more than I even realized at the time you know when I when I first started writing but a lot of what I was saying was about you know cities and being able to see the city and sort of getting to the city and and I was always trying to get to the city in my early songs and I didn't know why at the time but now I look back and of course I see that but you know New York is just um you know for all aspects of the arts it's it's it's such a hub uh you know globally and so I'm so honored to have grown up you know sort of where I was and be so close to that and you know talk about learning on stage and learning from people who know what they're doing I mean getting to just be a short ride into the city to see some of the most premier acts you know whether they're coming through and playing the arenas or they're just going in to play the bitter end of the clubs or whatever um it really taught me a ton so you know I don't think I could be I don't think I would have this sort of net of of uh experience that I do if it weren't for New York City
Speaker 4and you grew up studying the music of people besides Tom Petty obviously and Bruce Jackson Brown and John Hyatt and you grew up studying music and then while you were still very young something pretty extraordinary started happening you began getting these opportunities to play with and learn from some of the musicians who inhabited that world such as members of the heartbreakers Jim Keltner Earl slick when you're a young musician in a room with people who have spent their lives doing this at the highest level what do you pay attention to what did they teach you that you couldn't learn from the records uh for
Speaker 3me walking into a room like that the biggest thing you know in my younger years I would learn the most from the stage uh and in my you know currently and how I was when I began to you know get a chance to play with some people like that then I start paying attention most in the rehearsals because seeing how they interact as musicians like a guy like Jim Keltner is a great example because you know it's impossible to even list the amount of iconic records he's you know he's definitely at at this age now he's in a very distinct rhythm of how he you know might want to rehearse or might want to interact with other people and so that's the biggest thing that I take away you know for people like that and you know a guy I used to play with here in Jersey a lot um was a guy named Lou Palo who was uh the rhythm guitar player for the Les Paul trio and I played with him just about every Sunday for for you know a bunch of years starting when I was around 12 uh until I went I was around 16 when he passed away but I was the youngest guy in this band by without exaggeration 70 years I was 16 and he was 86 uh when he passed and so uh talk about, you know, getting a chance to play with people who have, you know, played with everybody. I mean, when Les Paul was at the Iridium, people would, you know, kind of flood through the doors to get to play with him. And, you know, Lou was always right there and sort of, you had to go through Lou to, you know, get to play the Les. And, you know, he just kept a really incredible band that played music that wasn't really even in my repertoire, but I would still go and, you know, I'd play a lot of blues with them or a lot of, you know, I'd do my best to pick up my jazz chops at the time to play with them. And it was people who, you know, really were part of music history. You know, the bass player that we worked with there, I mean, he was on, he was Judy Garland's bass player for a little bit, which is like talk about, you know, she passed before my parents were even born. So, you know, it's getting to play with people like that. The first thing I look for is sort of how they're interacting with the band and how I could sort of streamline the way I lead a band myself. Because, you know, that's what I do. That's one of the hardest things I think to do is to lead the band while also looking completely comfortable and effortless doing it. You know, that's sort of the white whale and sort of trying to figure out.
Speaker 4Asbury Park has become something of a musical home for you, and you actually started playing there before you were legally allowed to be in some of those places that you were playing. At the Wonder Bar, you'd have to come through the back and stay backstage, because you weren't 21. So, when you finally turned 21, you celebrated by coming through the front door, headlining the place and selling it out. For a kid from Paramus, how did Asbury Park become home? Well, you know,
Speaker 3a big part of it was the Light of Day Festival, which is something they do at Asbury every year, and it benefits Parkinson's research. And I remember the first time I played Light of Day, I did not play Light of Day. I did not play Light of Day. I did not play Light of Day much about it, but I knew it was this really great, you know, festival full of love and a really great meeting place for, you know, musicians. And the first Light of Day I played was Light of Day 20. So, it had been around 20 years already, and I knew that it was sort of a group of people who always were working and touring on the same night. So, when they all got together for Light of Day, it was like a huge hangout, and I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. And so, I went, I did my little slot. It was like during the day of the Stone Pony on a side stage somewhere else. It was, it was cool, but it was, it was like three songs, and then I was just going to go home. And I remember I was with my dad because I couldn't drive yet, and we were about to leave, and we were walking through the boardwalk in Asbury Park. It was really my first time there, and we could hear them sound checking for the big show at night that they used to do at the Paramount, and now they do at the Count Basie. And we could hear the sound check a little bit, they're sound checking the guitars, and then the drums or whatever. We're like, okay, we're about to go, and then they start sound checking the vocals, and there's Springsteen, sound checking the guitar. And I go, oh, okay, we should probably stay for this, you know. So that was my first light of day, and it was really my first time in Asbury Park. And of course, the pandemic hit about a month after that, so it was kind of a gap before I went back. But I've come back for every light of day, and that was really my first introduction to the city. In addition to that, you know, the first time I ever played in Asbury Park was a place called the Transparent Clinch Gallery, which is Denny Clinch, who's an amazing photographer and, you know, certainly a sort of rock and roll hero artist. He's got a fantastic space there with an amazing staff and great people. And the first time I ever played there was for a Seaside Serenade, which was in that building. And getting to meet those people was, that's really what made me understand immediately that, you know, like I said about New York, it was kind of hallowed ground for the culture of what I was trying to do. And so, you know, I love it down there, and I always get a kick out of getting to go down.
Speaker 4So this year, American Idol introduced you to, you know, an audience of millions. But you've said something that I think is pretty cool. You've said, I've always considered myself more of a songwriter than a singer. And then in a competition where you could have stayed with songs people already knew, you stepped out there and you performed your own song, Sleep On Me. Now, what did you want people to understand about you as an artist in that very moment?
Speaker 3Well, you know, going into Idol, the thing that I was really trying to convey the most was sort of authenticity and sort of how genuine I was about the, you know, myself as an artist. And the main reason I want to do that is because, you know, I'd seen the show, and I'd been in the room where other people were auditioning, and man, these people could sing, you know, and I do, I consider myself a songwriter among singers. And, you know, I'm happy with my voice. I'm not, you know, I'm not, I'm not down on it. However, you know, I'm not going to attempt to sing circles on anyone else, because they're going to circle me better. So for me going in, the biggest thing was just how could I come across as authentic as I can and just hope that the judges or America or, you know, the voters or whoever, the producers resonate with my authenticity. And so that's why I want to do the original. And I tried to do originals at every step I could. And, you know, at another point, I did a John Hyatt song just because he's influenced me a ton. And I knew if I went out there and I tried my best at a gospel song, or I tried my best at a really great pop song, like I was going to get shown up by, you know, an amazing singer out there. So I figured the only thing they likely couldn't show me up on was writing a Jake Thistle song, although some people I'm not sure because it was a really talented group. But, you know, I figured the most I could stay me was the best shot I had on getting
Speaker 4through. When you think about authenticity at its core, and you think of what authenticity means to people from New Jersey, and the way they lead their life, people in your life, your parents or others that you admire. Talk about that trait of authenticity, and how at its core, it is Jersey.
Speaker 3Oh, for sure. Well, I mean, it's the, you know, sort of the classic saying of like, we're not really taking shit from anybody. You know, I think a lot of it comes from that. And I do think that authenticity can look different, you know, from person to person. But I really do think at its core, it's just sort of like, you know, being, you know, proud of whatever it is, I'm incredibly proud of where I'm from, I'm incredibly proud of what I do. And I'm really proud of sort of the vision I have for the future. And, you know, I'm not sure if I'll be able to, you know, make that happen or not. But, but I'm, I'm proud to be trying it, you know. And so specifically, for me, I think authenticity becomes, I think it comes from excitement, especially doing what I'm doing. And, you know, we're putting out the record next month. And I think the most authentic thing I can be for that record is excited, because I wrote all those songs, and I'm happy with all those songs. And I really want people to hear those songs. So I think that's what it looks like for me. It's just an excitement to let people hear, you know, what I'm trying to say. If I'm putting out a song I'm not excited for, I think it's inherently inauthentic.
Speaker 4You've never been shy about talking about those artists that have shaped you, Petty, Springsteen, Jackson, John Hyatt. And what's interesting that you started studying those songwriters while you were just so, so young, but you're 22 now, writing your own songs, making your own records. At what point does a songwriter stop asking, how did they do it? And start asking, how do I do it?
Speaker 3If, if there is a point where a songwriter starts asking that, I have yet to reach it, because, you know, I'm not a songwriter. I'm not a songwriter. You know, that's one of the things I'm still so impressed with by the people that you mentioned is, you know, everybody knows the hits are amazing. That's why they're hits. And that's why they're in the sort of, you know, cultural zeitgeist, I guess. But, you know, looking at a guy like Bruce who, or, you know, John Hyatt or Jackson, you know, these folks are still putting out amazing songs. And I think that's one of the most impressive things. I mean, to sort of remain hungry in writing. I think that's a talent in and of itself is to be doing that, you know, 40, 50, 60 years later. And so, for me, I'm definitely still asking that, but I'm asking it in addition to how can I do it? And, you know, of course, I don't have that answer for them or myself, but it really does help, I think, to ask those questions at the same time, because, you know, I think that's a talent in and of itself is to be doing that 40, 50, 60 years later. But, you know, really all I know about songwriting is sort of trying to reverse engineer the things I like from other people and figuring out a way for that to work in my own voice, or if it doesn't work in my own voice, a way I can make it work in my own voice. So I really like to ask those questions sort of parallel to each other. And maybe at a point that'll change, but I haven't reached it yet.
Speaker 4And now we come to your first official LP, A Stranger by Design. You've been making music for most of your career. Yeah, well, I mean, first of all, I'm incredibly excited for this record, just because it's been such a long time coming. You know, we recorded it over
Speaker 3the course of a while, and then we ended up making it for the first time. pushing a little bit to make some time for idle. Um, so I'm just excited for it to come. out but um a stranger by design is a line uh from one of the songs sleep on me and i thought it worked in a few levels because on one hand there was a conversation that i sort of had with myself when i finished writing sleep on me which was do i want to call it sleep on me or do i want to call it stranger by design i didn't know which which title i wanted to use for the song and i eventually went with sleep on me but there was always a part of me that was like stranger by design could be a good title or whatever so when i was uh you know when my manager said all right what do we call the record i hadn't really had a title in mind yet so i kind of just went a stranger by design um and that was our placeholder title but um the more i thought of it i thought the more it worked you know i put out an ep a couple years ago and before that i did put out a full length that's like a little pandemic project i just did when i was 16 on my own but this is the first one that you know came out on a label that we recorded um you know we recorded a bunch of it in la a bunch of it in nashville um a bunch of it you know here in jersey some of it in boston and some of it in london so it was just this huge project and it really does like you said it does feel like the first official one where i'm sort of like putting my flag in the ground and saying okay this is kind of what jake thistle sounds like you know please get on the train i hope you like it and so because of that i thought a stranger by design uh made sense to call it because to me that line you know is kind of referring to um you know being a little distant and allowing uh you know the listener or the audience to um to to know who i am but you know on purpose this is you know this is my debut and and uh and uh you don't know much about me yet but um i'm hoping that uh you know you'll be able to you know listen to this and get a
Speaker 4better sense jake thistle we are all rooting for you more great things ahead it's just beginning you are jersey made and we are so grateful that you took the time to be with
Speaker 3us oh it really means the world you had me thank you
Speaker 4so much thank you jake
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Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. Jake Thistle, a 22-year-old from Paramus, New Jersey, began playing guitar at nine after being inspired by Tom Petty's Super Bowl halftime show at age three.
  2. He learned his craft mainly on stage through open mics, street corners, and clubs rather than formal lessons, developing skills in reading crowds and structuring set lists.
  3. Jake immersed himself in the music of Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, and John Hiatt, and had opportunities to play with veteran musicians like members of the Heartbreakers.
  4. Asbury Park became a musical home for him, particularly through the Light of Day Festival, and he celebrated turning 21 by headlining the Wonder Bar.
  5. In 2024, he gained national attention on American Idol, where he prioritized authenticity by performing his original song "Sleep On Me."
  6. Jake is preparing to release his first official LP, "A Stranger by Design," recorded across Los Angeles, Nashville, New Jersey, Boston, and London.
  7. He views authenticity as central to his Jersey identity and his artistry, describing it as excitement about sharing his own songs with listeners.

Summary:

Jake Thistle, a 22-year-old musician from Paramus, New Jersey, has been pursuing songwriting for most of his life. Inspired at age three by Tom Petty's Super Bowl halftime performance, he picked up guitar at nine and quickly began performing at open mics, ice cream shops, and street corners. Rather than taking formal lessons, he learned by playing in front of real audiences, developing an ability to read crowds and structure engaging set lists.

Growing up near New York City and immersed in the music of Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, and John Hiatt, Jake eventually found himself performing alongside seasoned musicians. Asbury Park became a musical home, especially through the Light of Day Festival. In 2024, he reached a national audience on American Idol, where he emphasized authenticity by performing original material.

Now he is preparing to release his debut LP, "A Stranger by Design," recorded in multiple cities. Jake describes authenticity as being genuinely excited about his music and proud of his Jersey roots, and he remains committed to growing as a songwriter while honoring the artists who shaped him.

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Jake Thistle is a 22-year-old singer-songwriter from Paramus, New Jersey. He began playing guitar at nine, performed live soon after, and appeared on American Idol.

His first official LP is titled A Stranger by Design. The title comes from a line in his song "Sleep On Me."

At age three, he watched Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers perform at the Super Bowl halftime show. He calls it his "Beatles on Ed Sullivan moment."

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