Jason Sturgeon

Jason Sturgeon’s new single “Time Bomb,” a self-penned, no-holds-barred tune about living life in the fast lane, could be a metaphor for the Indiana singer’s life. Sturgeon has been running full- throttle with no signs of slowing down since the release of his debut CD THAT’S ME.

The new song is definitely autobiographical for the Indiana native whose love affair with cars and motor sports has been a lifelong passion. “Time Bomb” was adopted as the theme for the2012 Monster Truck Nationals Tour. Jason is a special guest and performs at each Monster Truck arena event. The high-energy song is very apropos for the busy singer, who launched his record label and released his first CD in 2010 and hasn’t looked back since.

“The last few years have really been a blur,” admits Jason, laughing. We’ve been busy on the road and my songwriting always tends to mirror my life. The lyrics to “Time Bomb” just kind of spilled out of me. The song doesn’t really have a deep message… it’s just, ‘Hey, I like going fast and breaking stuff.’ It’s pretty much about doing everything by the seat of your pants! I’m a gearhead and started thinking about all these motor sports and how my life feels, so I tied all that in together. The first line is -- ‘I’m living my life way too fast… and I’m damn sure I’m gonna crash.’ Hey, it just feels like that sometimes in life!”

All that time spent in motion definitely impacts a person and Jason is the first to admit he has plenty more to write about these days after all he’s seen and experienced – when he gets the time to sit down and do it… that is! Days spent at home on his Indiana farm are rare and treasured now and he definitely doesn’t take them for granted anymore. “My lifestyle has certainly changed - I cherish my days at home and try really hard to get home as much as I possibly can. I love the road but I also love being home and seeing my family and friends. I must admit though, road life is great and I do enjoy it. You don’t really understand that until you get out there and do it, it changes a person. When you’re in it all the time, it’s a different world for sure. We did 200 shows last year, and we’re on pace to do even more this year,” says Sturgeon. Sturgeon has opened for artists such as Gary Allen, Brooks & Dunn, Rodney Atkins, Luke Bryan, and Dierks Bentley, among others.

That perpetual motion seeps into the writing as well, as Jason is finding out as he begins putting together his brand new album, due out later this year. Though constantly writing new songs, he’s also reaching back into the vault on this project and pulling out some gems he penned long ago – songs that reflect deeper emotions and sides of him not often revealed. He’s ready now to share those more vulnerable sides.

“When I wrote that first album, I had time on my side to sit down and think about things. It’s challenging to find time to write now; I have the other responsibility that comes with a touring artist. I have to make myself sit down in a quiet spot with my guitar, take a deep breath and find time to put my thoughts down,” says Jason. Because of this, Jason is reaching back into his catalogue for material he wrote before his first release.

Along with some of the personal tracks penned years ago, Jason also touches on some broader subjects on the new collection, like the simple beauty of a downhome girl on “Country Girl,” a song inspired by watching a young woman mowing her lawn on a hot summer day. The songs he’s compiling seem to reflect a newfound willingness to open up and reveal some deeper thoughts and feelings. He hopes his fans will enjoy the candor and spirit he’s bringing to his music this time around.

“Time Bomb” is kind of a guy’s song, a gearhead tune, but “Country Girl” is this sweet simple summer song I wrote after driving home one day and seeing someone out mowing her yard. What she was wearing was just picture perfect, I couldn’t have imagined it any better, so I had to go home and write it.” Jason admits, laughing.

With the explosion of “Time Bomb,” Jason has found a whole new world of friends who enjoy exhaust fumes and the smell of burning petrol just as much as he does. His new buddy Steve Kinser, “The King of the Outlaws” in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, appears in the video for the smoking tune and his alliance with the Tony Stewart racing folks has opened some exciting doors in the racing world for Jason, who is a huge fan of the motorsports world anyway.

“The ‘Time Bomb’ video has just taken off! We have over 700,000 views on YouTube now! Working with Steve and all the Tony Stewart racing folks has been awesome! For me it’s kind of second nature to go out and play motorsports events, because I love it. I get offstage and go watch. I just love it!” laughs Jason.

That world is definitely part of who Jason Sturgeon is, and how he grew up in the tiny town of Petersburg, IN, in a family of coal miners, oilmen and farmers who literally made their living off the land, and still do to this day. Running as wild and free as the quarter horses he learned to ride and compete on from the time he was 14, Jason also grew up listening to country artists like Kenny Rogers, Alabama, George Strait but indulged his rowdier side through Pantera, Rage Against The Machine, and Godsmack as well. All of those influences collide and are evident in Jason’s music, like his latest raucous single, “Time Bomb.”

Along with music, Jason was constantly on a horse from the time he was old enough to ride. Jockeying thoroughbreds from an early age, he eventually started racing in AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) open horse shows and Placed 8th in the AQHA World Championship in the Pole Bending competition. As a teen during the summers, he also worked in the oilfields for his family and learned to build, renovate, and basically do anything that needed done around the farm. “I‘ve always loved construction and architecture, and I can do just about whatever I want, growing up like I did.”

After high school Jason planned to head to Nashville but his father convinced him to attend college at Vincennes University first and learn a trade, just in case. After college he became a medical device engineer for a time and was very successful at that, holding a patent for a stint he helped create. Music was always lurking somewhere in his heart and soul though… and soon Jason found he couldn’t ignore its call. “Music had always been a part of my life and something I always wanted to do, so he started his own cover band and began playing in the area.

Jason’s band opened for artists like Brooks & Dunn, Rodney Atkins, and Luke Bryan, and released their own CD in 2008. Tapped to be part of Kenny Chesney’s “Next Big Star” competition, they nearly won and made some invaluable contacts, but soon went their separate ways. Determined to continue on solo, Jason teamed up with Dane Clark, a member of John Mellencamp’s band, to co-write and co-produce his debut solo CD, THAT’S ME. “That was a great opportunity…I live 5 miles from Mellencamp and they’re a rock and roll hall of fame band! It was an honor to learn from their input, insight, and experience, and they’ve all turned into great friends too. Working with Dane on my first project was an experience I’ll never forget!”

Sturgeon’s debut CD is a vivid collection of audio snapshots of Jason’s life. From the opening strains of the sexy, growling title track to the scorching heat of “Endless Summer,” the CD paints a picture of exactly who he is, where he comes from, and what kind of ride you’re in for around him…which is not for the faint of heart. A hell-raising country rocker who can tear it up all night long, he can also throw his heart into a tear-jerking ballad about the love and devotion of his mama, and travel both ends of the spectrum with equal heart and fervor. And his sophomore effort will likely deliver more of the same.

“I think you can really hear who I am in my songs. If you know anything about my background you know I’ve been to Ozzfest more than once and I love bands like Pantera and Godsmack, but I also love George Strait and the bedrock singers of country music. I’m also a Sinatra fan, and I love Beethoven and Bach and Handel’s “Messiah.” I’m just a fan of music and I dig a lot of it. All I can really say is that’s me, that’s my background, and what comes out of me and it better come across in my music or I’ve done my job wrong! I just really want people to hear my songs and feel them and have a better understanding of who I am just from what I’ve written. And I think they will.”