Jacob Cummings

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski - SanTan Sun

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Seattle singer Jacob Cummings is
scheduled to perform at SanTan Brewing
Company on Sept. 12, and he’s trusting the
word of a shady salesman in Oregon that
it’s a great place to play.
“I was at a gas station talking to some
random person trying to sell me some
miracle wash for a car,” recalls the 23-yearold
University of Idaho alumnus.
“He said, ‘Oh, you’re touring? Where
are you going?’ I told him, ‘Chandler.’
When I told him where I was playing, he
was so excited. He said it was his favorite
place in Chandler. Score. I’m taking the
word of a guy selling me magical spray for
my car.”
Cummings is on his first U.S. tour, which
also includes a Phoenix stop on Sept. 13.
Performing solo acoustic, Cummings will
showcase his debut EP, “Hopeless Love
Songs,” as well as select covers.
“Expect to have a good time,” he
says about his shows. “I want people—if
they’ve had a good day or a bad day prior
to it—to be in the moment and have a
good time with me.
“I want it to be date night. I just want
to hang out and play some music and
hopefully they’ll enjoy the tunes. I play
a wide variety of music from old Bill
Withers, ‘Ain’t No Sunshine,’ to Al Green
to Macklemore’s ‘Thrift Shop’ on acoustic
guitar and Nelly’s ‘Ride Wit Me.’ I don’t
want to be pigeonholed.”
Those various artists are represented in
his list of influences as well. One person
he really looks up to is John Mayer.
“I really love his music,” Cummings
says. “I found him a little late—in college.
I thought, ‘This is amazing stuff.’ Someone
gave me the ‘Continuum’ album. I just
dove right into the music. I try to take a
little of what he does and put it into my
music.”
Motown played a big part in the
formative years of his music career. But,
again, not one to be stereotyped, he pulls
an unusual infl uence out of his pocket.
“I remember when I was a kid, my fi rst
album I ever recall listening to was ‘AC/
DC Live,’” he says with a laugh. “My dad
said, ‘Here. Check this out.’ We were in his
offi ce with the loud Bose speakers and he
cranked it up to 11. I was enthralled ever
since then.
“I can remember hearing
‘Thunderstruck’ and Angus Young just
started playing that riff. I thought, ‘Oh
wow. That’s so cool. What’s that sound?’
Whenever I have a couple drinks in me, I
try to imitate Angus Young skipping with
the guitar. It turns out horrible. I’m not
very graceful.”
The tour, Cummings says, is serving as a
springboard to further his career.
“Right now I’m trying to get the name
out there,” he says. “I don’t mind starving
and sleeping in my van. If I bring other
people, I feel obligated to feed them and
not sleep in a van.”
Jacob Cummings performs at 10
p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at SanTan Brewing
Company, 8 S. San Marcos Pl., Chandler.
Admission is free. For more information,
call (480) 917-8700. He is also set to take
the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at
Fiddler’s Dream, 1702 E. Glendale Ave.,
Phoenix. Cover charge is $8. Call (602) 997-
9795 for more information.
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski is the
executive editor of the SanTan Sun
News. She can be reached at christina@
santansun.com. - Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Liz Kearney - The Livingston Enterprise

Singer-songwriter just wants to make people happy

Jacob Cummings is only 23, but he’s already nearly been arrested just for playing his music. Cummings took himself on a tour, playing the usual coffee shops and bars, and selling copies of his first CD, a five-track EP called “Hopeless Love Songs.” Cummings who will be at the Murray Bar Wednesday night, said in a phone interview Tuesday he got the idea to try singing at sorority houses on and near college campuses. After all, he had been in a fraternity briefly when he was getting his degree in broadcasting at the University of Idaho in Moscow. “If women in sororities love it when 50 tone-deaf frat boys serenade them, I figured they’d appreciate me,” Cummings laughed. Most of them did. He was applauded and occasionally fed. And only one- at the University of Puget Sound- called the cops on him. But he takes it all in stride, recalling the event with a good-humored laugh. “I was driving around having fun” he said. Cummings whose musical style has been compared to Dave Matthews and John Mayer, calls his style of music “blues, pop, soul.” He like the old Motown sound, like The Temptations and Smokey Robinson. And currently on his iPod, he’s listening to the Miles Davis classic, “Kind of Blue,” Stevie Wonder’s “Songs In the Key of Life” an “everything” by John Mayer. Cummings said he wasn’t aware Mayer had a house in the area. Mayer has been known to drop in on groups with local gigs. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed” he laughed. Cummings writes his own songs and accompanies himself on the guitar. He said he gets inspiration for his songs from everyday events in his life, including his love life. “I write about the blissfulness of love,” he said “And a lot about girls.” When he is not performing or on the road Cummings has a flexible day job. He can show up and work at an auction company, where he works as a laborer, moving items. “I’m the young back,” he jokes. Cummings, like many musicians, started playing guitar when he was a kid. He started getting serious about it in college, writing a few songs, getting a few gigs. He liked performing in front of audiences. “I can’t shake the feeling you get when you make people happy,” he said. And that’s why you should come see his show, he said. “Come spend a date night and we’ll have some fun,” Cummings laughed. He’ll be at the Murray Bar on Wednesday, April 9. His show starts at 8 p.m. Listen to tracks on his website, www.jacobcummingsmusic.com. - Liz Kearney

Lindsey Treffry - Inland 360

Almost six months after graduating from the University of Idaho, Jacob Cummings is returning to Moscow with guitar in hand and a van full of CDs. The singer-songwriter has set aside his broadcasting degree and a full-time job to travel the nation, play his music and share his new album. Here, Cummings talks about his roadside plan and maps out his future in music.

360: How does it feel to be able to return to Moscow and play to your college town?
JC: I really miss Moscow. It is such a cool place. I love the atmosphere. It’s a fun place where you can go and experiment. I’m looking forward to going back to the vibe, that place where you feel really welcome, where the arms are open. It’s a cozy place.

360: What’s your musical background?
JC: My parents really wanted me to learn an instrument, just a hobby when I was younger. They bought me a guitar. I learned a little bit, but it couldn’t make the cool sounds in the albums like Zeppelin, Hendrix. My uncle has been playing music his whole life, and he got me an electric guitar. I dabbled around in high school. In college, I thought maybe I’d do this more than a hobby.

360: How’d you start singing?
JC: In a sense, it felt like a necessity. A lot of people when they listen to guitar, they want to hear lyrics to go with it. I’m so nervous about my voice. It’s very personal when you’re singing. I was trying to find singers, and try to get this sound out of my head, and no one wanted to do what I wanted to do. I started doing it and went from there.


Photo by LionLady Photography Cummings poses outside of The Garden Lounge in Moscow.

Photo by LionLady Photography
Cummings poses outside of The Garden Lounge in Moscow.

360: What is your biggest musical influence?
JC: I’d have to say John Mayer. I love his sound and the guitar playing. The lyrics are so deep. I found his music in college and loved it. I wanted to dig up every record he’s made. Or, kind of a Dave Matthews sound.

360: Where do you find inspiration to write your own songs?
JC: I usually find most of my inspiration just coming to day-to-day life, anywhere from relationships to what’s going on in the world. Most of my music is the relationship theme, the interaction. … It starts more with the guitar. I float around and play the guitar and find a catchy riff or a cool chord progression. I put it in the back pocket. … At the end of the day, that’s what I love the most, is guitar playing. … The singing’s cool, but I love being that kid that goes into his room and plays guitar for hours on end.

360: Tell me about your new EP “Hopeless Love Songs.”
JC: It has a wide sound to it. I have many sides to my music. You have fast songs. You have more bluesy songs. You have more love-felt songs, where it’s a little more soft. It’s a good first step to show people what I can be. Grand total, it took about seven months. I was doing it when I would come back from breaks at college.

360: What’s next?
JC: This is the start. I’m going to go to South Dakota and Nebraska. I’m going to go across campuses and play sororities, play open mics, start a base in these areas. Now’s the time to do the leg work, and sleep in the back of my van and play around and introduce myself and try and make a name for myself. … I’m really just trying to get out my music and hoping people enjoy it and I’d like them to know, if you like my music, share it. It’s not about the money, it’s about getting out this music, and I love going out performing for people. When someone comes up to me and says, ‘That song touched me, because of this situation,’ there’s no better feeling than that. - Lindsey Treffry