Originally from a small town in Ohio, Jutt Huffman spent a decade in Nashville playing at every honky-tonk you can think of. As a relatively underground artist/songwriter, Jutt is known for his unique style of blending country, rock ’n’ roll, and reggae music, and is currently paving his way to a monumental breakthrough. We had the pleasure to speak with him.
Thank you for agreeing to catch up with Occhi Magazine. For readers unfamiliar with you and your background, what drew you to a career in the arts?
Hey there thanks for having me it is a pleasure to get to be a part of Occhi Magazine! Music has always been there ever since I can remember. It’s wild seeing how far it has taken me, from singing in the shower by myself and playing guitar alone in my bedroom to opening up for big country acts like Josh Turner, Craig Campbell, Tracy Byrd, Drake White, Brooke Eden, Craig Morgan, The Band Perry, etc.
I started playing guitar because I watched my dad and his friends jam together and saw buddies in middle school also play guitar and knew I wanted to learn. After learning a little bit I got addicted and obsessed with guitar and songwriting. I remember learning 12-bar blues and then diving into Jack Johnson songs on guitar. At some point, I got into John Mayer and graduated to Stevie Ray Vaughan. By then I was realizing I could make money performing and eventually moved to Nashville to get more experience! There is where I really learned about songwriting from the legends like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, etc…
I was always told that I couldn’t make a living playing music so it wasn’t really something I tried to do. It just kinda happened. Music opportunities kept presenting themselves and I took them until the point of leaving my day job and doing live performances full-time! Now here I am twelve years later, and really just kind of in awe of the life music has given me. I couldn’t imagine any other way of going through life.
Who were your early influences and how did they impact your career?
My earliest influences on my career started before I even played guitar. My mother took me to karaoke when I was around 9 years old and I fell in love with it! There was a rush from singing in front of people that I still get today. After that, I was influenced by my dad and my wrestling coaches. I was taught hard work, tenacity, persistence, and most importantly to stay humble. I think that any musician that takes the athletic mindset and converts it toward their passion for music will thrive in this very competitive industry. Even though we are all friends and colleagues in the music industry, you have to have a competitive edge to set yourself apart from all the rest.
As far as influences from the industry, I really look up to and admire all of the artists out there carving their own paths and doing things differently. The DIY capabilities in this day and age are limitless and it’s really cool watching artists create a living without a label, manager, booking agent, or marketing team, or publishing company. I’ve been booking my own shows this whole time and have had very little help and seeing others thrive on their own keeps me motivated and hopeful for a long career doing what I love!
Which three traits define you?
Hardworking/persistent. Ask any of my fans that have met me and have seen anything I’ve done. I am not afraid of work. I’ve been working since I was 13 years old to pay for my own guitar and have had a job up until I started music full-time. And doing music full time is still definitely a job when you look at all the time put into practice, driving, setting up, tearing down, performing, writing, recording, social media, networking, etc… In Nashville, there is a big network of musicians and while living there I was on call 16 hours a day. Live music is in full effect from 10 am until 2 am every night seven days a week. So when I was not on the road, I was taking every gig that came my way. Some years I was close to performing 400 gigs in a year. That is extremely difficult for vocal cords to keep up with and the experience I have acquired from those Nashville years has built me into a freak vocalist. Most singers don’t understand how I do it. I’m down to about 250-300 gigs a year now and all I can say is keep working hard and you can get to a better place than you are now.
Open-minded/Adaptable. Music is art and art can be anything. Even when I see a band that is less than pleasing to listen to I try to take something from it that is positive. I love hearing new sounds and unorthodox styles of music. Being able to go with the flow of different styles really helps me adapt to playing with other musicians and entertaining different kinds of crowds. I think of myself as a melting pot of music and I try to be a sponge of experience and genres of music.
Personable. Even though I am an introvert, I have learned to be outgoing and entertaining when I need to be. And the more people I am around, the more I get into the A-type personality. There is nothing more fun than performing for an audience and leaving a little piece of myself on the stage. I truly believe that being myself while being in the spotlight has a power and energy to it that really connects with the spectators. There is something about authenticity that speaks a universal language to those willing to listen.
Please tell us about your latest project
My latest release is a single called “Today We Drink”. It just got #53 in the Country iTunes charts in America on the same day that Morgan Wallen released a triple album! The song is a fun drinking/party Country song that has a rock ’n’ roll edge and a wild bridge that switches to reggae. I wrote it with my good friend Matt Marinchick. Matt was an Ohio State Basketball and pro ball player that became a professional singer/songwriter. He is one of my favorite writers to work with. I produced and recorded this track with Grady Saxman at Saxman Studios in Nashville, TN. I’ve known Grady for years but recently have started working together. He will be co-producing my next project with me as well!
We also just released a full-length music video for “Today We Drink” recorded in my buddy’s garage that has been converted into a bar. We call it the “Patt’s Garage”. We threw a party and invited Joseph Mikos, a great videographer with a keen eye, to come in and record the party in its natural setting. I brought my band and we performed for 4 or 5 hours and just captured all the cool stuff from the night and it turned out really great for what it was!
What other projects are in the pipeline?
This next project I’ve started is a full-length album of my favorite songs I have written over the last 5 years. It’s been really hard to pin down just 12 songs but we are finally there! It will be a country album with the concept of being in love, heartbreak, drinking, and the struggles of being a full-time artist. The songs are very catchy and clever and I am confident some big things will happen with this one! We start recording last month (MARCH 2023) and plan to be releasing singles from it as early as this spring.
Where can our readers find out more about you?
My official website, videos, pictures, and all of my social media channels are linked at the link below:
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