Jon Troast

Artist Information

Biography

I love music, but there was one song I really didn't care for as a kid - “I Like to Take My Time” by Mr. Rogers (yes, the one from the “Neighborhood”). Nothing against Mr. Rogers. Actually, I thought he was great. He even taught me how to snap. However, my brother used that song to tease me (bound to happen when you grow up with 6 siblings). He’d sing it if I was taking a little longer to get something done. I didn’t enjoy it. My mom would remind me that the song says “I like to take my time...to do it right”, but that didn’t matter much at the time.

Now that I’m not quite as vulnerable to my brother’s teasing, I’m actually thinking about making it my theme song. As funny as it might sound, Mr. Rogers’ message is found in a lot of my songwriting- taking time to notice what’s going on around you, taking time to think about what’s important in life, taking time to enjoy what you have, taking time to “do it right.”

It’s been my motto since becoming a full time musician six years ago.

I started out playing coffee shops, bars, churches, etc. in the Midwest, slowly building my repertoire. I did some recording on my own, but wanting to “do it right”, I saved up enough to work with a producer in Nashville (Mitch Dane). I’ve since released four full length projects- “Second Story”, “A Person and a Heart”, “With, To, From”, and “Living Room”.

Trying to get to the essence of my work as a songwriter, I also started doing house concerts a couple years ago. You connect with your audience a lot more when you’re singing in front of their fireplace and sleeping on their couch! The idea took off, and I’ve since played in hundreds of homes all over the country including one extended coast to coast tour of 100 concerts in 100 days.

There have been other highlights- a chance to perform on NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion”, something I won’t soon forget. But even those opportunities, the ones that seem too come out of the blue, are usually the result of something you’ve been slowly and carefully building over time. I think it’s a pretty good philosophy. It’s kind of like learning how to snap. You work at it and work at it, and then suddenly...

I’m so grateful for the loyal and supportive people I’ve met along the way thus far. People who listen to and appreciate the songs, but also people who’ve given a lot back to me. As a musician, I’m pretty sure this is “doing it right.”

In conclusion, Mr. Rogers was brilliant, and I’m bigger than my brother now.

Instrumentation

Jon Troast - Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Paul Eckberg - Drums
Kevin Whitsett - Bass
Andy Osenga - Guitar, background vocals
Stacy Lantz - Piano, background vocals

Discography

B- EP
A- EP
Living Room - LP
With, To, From - LP
A Person and a Heart - LP
Second Story - LP
Awesome Wonder - EP
I Wrote My Brother for Advice - LP w/Ashby Furlough
Say Something - LP
Light and Momentary Troubles - LP
Through the Westgate - LP w/the rubberband

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• MySpace

Audio

• Get It Together
  Listen  
• Carried By The Wind
  Listen  
• The Most
  Listen  
• Favorites
  Listen  
• Knock Down
  Listen  
• A Person and a Heart
  Listen  
• At Least They'll Know
  Listen  
• A Break-up Song
  Listen  
• v1_01 Love Is Motion
  Listen  
• At Least They'll Know
  Listen  
• Easier For Two
  Listen  
• v1_02 One Of These Nights
  Listen  

Video

IMG_2032.MOV

One of These Nights final web.mov

Photo Gallery

Press

• Performing Songwriter [+ Show ]
  

  Jon Troast alternates between folky and funky. His smoky, David Gray–style vocals jump from sweet, s...Jon Troast alternates between folky and funky. His smoky, David Gray–style vocals jump from sweet, spunky love songs to edgier, rhythmic explorations of life and responsibility.
  Mandolin gets cozy with a honky-tonk piano on “The Most.” “Dish and the Spoon” is a playful look at the Mother Goose nursery rhyme while “Knock Down” is an intriguing cross between “House of the Rising Sun” and “Mama Told Me Not to Come.” But the real jewel of the record is “Better Love,” in which Troast warns a potential lover that he may not make the best partner. Troast’s agonized delivery of lines like “My lips don’t kiss a thing, they’re too busy singing / He waits every evening just to kiss you goodnight, it’s a better love than mine” ensure that you’ll want to give Second Story a second listen, and a third, and fourth …

• Garrison Keillor
  

  "I love your songs"

• Daily Vault [+ Show ]
  

  "Jon Troast possesses that indefinable something that separates the wheat from the chaff, folksinger..."Jon Troast possesses that indefinable something that separates the wheat from the chaff, folksinger-wise -- that je ne se quoi of sincerity, wit, melodicism and observational power that elevates these songs from folk-pop cliché and lands them squarely in the rich storytelling tradition of a David Wilcox or a James Taylor.
  
  "In every case, Troast’s words and the music behind them mesh beautifully; these tunes all grow from the base of his sharp acoustic playing (love the lilting intro to “Everything Not Her”), but deliver variety as well as Troast builds out tracks like the gorgeous ballad “Mary Jane” with piano and strings, while going for a spare, gritty, almost urban sound on the self-lacerating “Knock Down.” Troast’s vocals have the throaty, lived-in sound of a James Blunt or John Ondrasik, with precise yet effortless phrasing that’s pitch-perfect for these songs."
  

• The Music Review [+ Show ]
  

  "With the combination of crafty lyrics and exceptional musical accompaniment, Jon Troast has the pot..."With the combination of crafty lyrics and exceptional musical accompaniment, Jon Troast has the potential of becoming the next greatest discovery in the music world.
  
  "Jon’s musical influences appear to span a wide range including folk, rock, country, pop, alternative and Christian. He is easily comparable to James Taylor and John Mayer and yet, stands on his own two feet effortlessly."
  

• Indie-Music.com [+ Show ]
  

  "Jon Troast’s soul is vibrantly alive, and his writing is filled with an appreciation for everything..."Jon Troast’s soul is vibrantly alive, and his writing is filled with an appreciation for everything and everyone in his life. His warm, slightly raspy voice puts you right in the song, and even when he’s singing about something not so wonderful (for example, “Knock Down,” with its musings on social awkwardness), there’s something more philosophical about it than depressing. He’s a pure, honest, true folkie in his heart and soul. And he’s a pretty gifted guitar player, too."
  

Setlist

Basic Requirements

Calendar