HOW TO GO:
What: JT Woodruff solo album release show
Where: Rock Star Pro Arena, 1106. E. Third St., Dayton.
When: 6 p.m. Friday, March 21.
Cost: $12. Front Porch Step, Before Their Eyes, Grey Gordon, The Story Changes and others will also perform.
More info: www.rockstarprowrestling.com.
Artist info: www.jtwoodruff.com.
JT Woodruff can’t stop working.
He’s prepping for another European tour with Hawthorne Heights while working on the Dayton-based hardcore band’s 10th anniversary album. However, the industrious frontman also found time to explore his pop side on his third solo album, “Field Medicine.”
JT Woodruff recently sat down over espresso at Winans Chocolate and Coffee in Troy to discuss his first release for InVogue Records in Findlay, Ohio. He’s promoting the new album — which ranges from acoustic ballads to upbeat pop-rockers to classic rock-inspired songs — at an all-ages show at Rock Star Pro Arena in Dayton on Friday, March 21.
“I first started doing solo stuff so I wouldn’t have to force slow songs on the rest of the band. If I write a song, just because it doesn’t work within Hawthorne Heights doesn’t mean it’s not a good song. In a 10-song rock ‘n’ roll album you don’t want three slow songs but I also love that type of music. I grew up in the rock ‘n’ roll realm, the punk rock realm, but I also grew up in the singer-songwriter realm.”
“An album that was always cranked in my household was Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ I had an appreciation for Springsteen, Tom Petty and people like that early on so it’s great to be able to do something closer to some of my different influences while still being able to play in my heavy rock band.”
“I’m very protective of my solo stuff. I don’t want anything holding me back, like pushing the release date back six months because it’ll be better. That’s great for my fulltime band but for this I want to be able to do what I want in my off time and not worry about things, which was a really good scenario for InVogue too.”
“We have similar goals. They understand how much I tour with Hawthorne and that I do solo stuff in my off time. I wasn’t signed on preconceived notions I was going to try to piggyback my solo career off of the band. That’s when I knew we were going to be able to do something really cool here.”
“I don’t have a lot of expectations on sales with my solo stuff. I’m not worried if it’s too soon to release another album. I’m not trying to be a millionaire. I’m a musician, I like music. I want to write music, record it and release it. It’s fun and it keeps me on my toes as a songwriter.”
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