Carry on: McVey puts Iowa values to work building
Cedar Rapids Gazette ~ Posted on Mar 11, 2010 by Diana Nollen.
Rising country singer/songwriter Jake McVey is swinging through his native Eastern Iowa this month for lots of gigs, to thank the fans who helped launch his career.
By Diana Nollen
It’s payback time for Jake McVey.
The Eastern Iowa native landed in Nashville five years ago and is making his mark on the country music scene.
He’s been performing 300 concerts a year for three years, opening for such heavy-hitters as Dierks Bentley, Sugarland and Martina McBride. And he’s creating a stir with his second album, “Anything is Possible.”
The video for “Carry On” is consistently landing at or near the top of Country Music Television’s “Pure 12-Pack Countdown,” earning more viewer votes than videos from the likes of Keith Urban, Toby Keith and Carrie Underwood.
But wherever he roams, he makes sure the road brings him home to where it all began.
McVey, 29, was born in Washington, Iowa, and has lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Burlington and a farm south of Mediapolis, where his family still lives. He now has places of his own in Nashville and Crawfordsville, north of Mount Pleasant.
He played 10 days straight at the Iowa State Fair last summer and will return there for a couple of days this summer. This month, he’s back on his home turf to play for the folks who helped him launch his career.
He’ll be at City Beat in Cedar Rapids at 7 p.m. March 11; the Chrome Horse in Cedar Rapids at 3 p.m. March 17; the Riverside Casino Show Lounge on March 19; the Stockyard in Wayland on March 20; J&A Tap in North Liberty on March 21; Dance-Mor Ballroom in Swisher on March 27; Cooter’s in Cedar Rapids on March 28; Sammy’s Lounge in Cedar Rapids on March 31; Bourbon Street & Voodoo Lounge in Cedar Falls on April 2; and Wildwood Smokehouse in Iowa City on April 3.
For times and details, go to http://jakemcvey.com/fr_index.cfm
McVey grew up surrounded by music of all kinds, from the Beatles to Johnny Cash. His dad, Lewis, plays drums and his mom, Janice, plays piano. At age 9, he decided to play bass. But first, he had to earn the money to buy one.
“With good old family values, if you want something, you gotta work for it,” he says by phone from a recent tour stop in Potosi, Wis. “I’d mow lawns, bale hay — whatever I could do to make some money. I learned nothing in life is free. That work ethic has paid off immensely.”
He switched to guitar about a year later and stuck with it. After graduating from Mediapolis High School in 1999, his parents said, “What’s next?”
“I told them I was moving to Nashville to be a big ol’ star,” McVey says with a laugh. “They said, ‘That’s great, but what else do you want to do.’”
So he went to school in Phoenix for a year to learn how to build guitars. He uses his own creations on stage and figures those skills will come in handy later in life, too, especially after he’s married.
“When my wife gets mad at me, I can go to the garage and build guitars.”
"Carry On" CMT's New Video of the Week!
New-comer Jake McVey, with his hit music video “Carry On” has just won CMT’s New Video of the Week contest! McVey beat out Keith Urban’s “Til Summer Comes Around”, based upon fan voting; winning 53% of the popular vote and gaining his name in CMT‘s video hall of fame!
Jake McVey has been touring professionally for the past 4 years doing over 300 shows per year and is steadily climbing the country music ladder. The single “Carry On” was released to radio in October 2009 and is finding success on Music Row’s charts. The video is being played on CMT’s Pure Country as well as GMC’s video line-up.
Today's Country Magazine
Band: JAKE MCVEY
Album: "Anything Is Possible"
Label: Purple Cow Records
By: Jef Kurits
Young, new talent that has the ability to rise to the top of the country music scene is something that everyone in this town is always looking to get a piece of. Look no further than newcomer Jake Mcvey. He has spent the better part of last year, 300 dates to be exact, on the road bringing his music to fans across the nation and opening shows for the likes of Darius Rucker, Martina McBride, Sugarland, and more. Not to mention his countless stops playing free shows at nursing homes, hospitals, etc… and all of this was done before his album was ever even released. With the release of Anything is Possible, Mcvey is well on his way to attracting that much more attention. Positive & upbeat songs like “Any Road Will Get You There,” “Anything is Possible,” and “Carry On,” the current single that sees a way to get through the tough times life tosses our way using mama’s simple advice to carry on through it are attractive with the shape of the economy right now. Another standout track from the album is “I Wanna Live Like That,” a song that’s focus is on the most important aspects of a well-lived life. We all could use a little bit of a positive approach to our own thinking and with this type of effort, Jake Mcvey lets you know that you can get through anything in front of you. Mcvey’s incredible ability to wrap these positive lyrics around a very mainstream friendly sound that gives listeners mid-tempo and catchiness while at the same time knowing how to soften things down is what is going to help him become a household name so get on the Jake Mcvey wagon now and be there first!
Nashville Music Cream of the Crop 2009
NASHVILLE MUSIC GROUP -- Feature Article
August/ September Issue 2009
The Cream Of The Crop
Nashville's Unsigned Country Artists
By Staff & Affiliated Writers of Nashville Music Guide
Jake McVey has been touring professionally for 3 years and he performs over 300 shows per year touring with his band all over the country. Jake has opened shows for many national acts including: Darius Rucker, Sugarland, Ty Herndon, Jason Aldean, Martina McBride, Pat Green and Dierks Bentley. In additon Jake has started a "Pay it Forward" tour in which he performs free shows for nursing homes, hospitals, veterans, and other deserving organizations to give back to the communities he visits while on tour. His new Album ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE will be released in August 2009 with the first single release to radio entitled, “Carry On”. Jake McVey is truly a star on the rise and an artist to watch as he pursues his career in music.
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Copyright August/September 2009 Nashville Music Guide
