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Every now and then an artist comes along who refuses to play by the industry’s unwritten rules. Meet Sloe Jack.
The Australian-born singer-songwriter has become one of Nashville’s fastest-rising newcomers by doing something surprisingly rare—being completely himself. Equal parts musician, comedian and social media personality, Sloe Jack has built a rapidly growing audience by saying exactly what’s on his mind, whether people agree with him or not.
We recently caught up with him at The Eighth Room in Nashville, and one thing became obvious within minutes.
The guy is exactly the same off camera as he is online.
He’s unapologetically opinionated, calls it like he sees it, and has absolutely no interest in becoming another polished, media-trained artist. Ironically, that’s exactly what makes him so likable.
From Broke Musician To Nashville
Sloe Jack’s journey to Music City started thousands of miles away in Australia.
“I was making music for my car,” he laughed. “I made a bunch of songs and uploaded them to Triple J Unearthed. I was flat broke. I had nothing going on.”
Everything changed after a message arrived from a stranger on Instagram.
That stranger was Canadian-born manager Chad Hillard, founder of the influential music blog HillyDilly, known for helping introduce artists like Billie Eilish and Lorde to the world.
“He messaged me and said, ‘You’ve got potential. Let’s work together.'”
The two began releasing music independently before Hill eventually helped bring Jack to America.
After signing with Interscope Records, Hill relocated to Nashville—and before long, so did Jack.
“Nashville’s home now,” he said. “I love it, mate.”
Compared to life in Southern California, Music City was exactly what he had been looking for.
“Out on the West Coast everything took three hours. Nashville feels like a two-minute city. You can be in the middle of writing songs and then ten minutes later you’re hunting or fishing. That’s perfect for me.”
‘High Roller’ Inspired By A Real Truck Stop Character
Jack’s upcoming single, “High Roller,” might be one of the more colorful character studies you’ll hear this year.
The inspiration?
A truck stop somewhere in East Tennessee.
“I met this truck driver… big beer belly… addicted to coke… eating gas station snacks… going to strip clubs,” Jack said with a grin. “I looked at him and thought… this guy’s actually kind of cool.”
The result became “High Roller.”
“It’s kind of tongue-in-cheek,” he explained. “He’s literally rolling down the highway… but he’s also high.”
Musically, Jack describes the track as having a gritty, gritty rock feel while telling the story of a blue-collar American antihero.
Keeping Live Music… Live
Unlike many younger artists who rely heavily on backing tracks and programmed shows, Jack prefers a real band.
His touring lineup currently includes Will Herrin of Nashville bluegrass favorites Sicard Hollow, along with a rotating group of musicians.
“I like to keep it as organic as possible,” he said. “I don’t want a bunch of tracks coming through the PA.”
Having spent time in Los Angeles performing alongside backing tracks and electronic production, Nashville changed his perspective.
“I think the live band is back,” he said. “I like when musicians can just rip and improvise.”
As soon as he mentioned Sicard Hollow, we couldn’t help but tell him Nashville.com first discovered the band at The Caverns’ CaveFest, where they’ve become one of our favorite live acts.
Music Comes First… But The Comedy Isn’t Going Anywhere
Although millions have discovered Sloe Jack through his hilarious and often provocative videos online, he says the music has always been the priority.
“The music is why I’m here,” he said. “The comedy just became a really big part of the brand.”
His videos often tackle everyday annoyances, internet culture and modern life with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
“I’m very opinionated,” he admitted. “I just make videos about things that piss me off.”
Not Afraid To Be Cancelled
Perhaps the biggest reason Sloe Jack has connected with younger audiences is that he simply refuses to filter himself.
“I ride the line of being cancelable because I think it’s funny,” he said.
He isn’t chasing controversy for attention.
He simply refuses to pretend he believes something he doesn’t.
“I just say what I think.”
While many artists worry about social media backlash, Jack says the response has actually surprised him.
“I don’t really get much hate.”
Instead, he believes authenticity attracts people.
“I’ve created a brand where if people like me as a person, then they find the music.”
He also understands that honesty isn’t for everyone.
“I automatically won’t be friends with some people… but I don’t want to be friends with people who don’t like me anyway.”
It’s a philosophy that’s hard to argue with.
The Future Looks Bright
His upcoming single “High Roller” sounds like another step forward for an artist who refuses to color inside the lines.
One thing is certain…
Sloe Jack isn’t trying to be the next anybody.
He’s simply being himself.
In today’s music industry, that might be his biggest strength.
Stay tuned to Nashville.com as we’ll be featuring Sloe Jack’s upcoming single “High Roller” and following what promises to be a very entertaining ride for one of Nashville’s most refreshingly authentic new artists.
–Jerry Holthouse
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