Jeremy Pike

Jeremy Pike to release first full-length album
Published on July 25, 2013Share 1 0 Comment
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SYDNEY — Following on the heels of his success in two high-profile music competitions, Jeremy Pike is set to release his first full-length album.

The Cape Breton-based singer-songwriter, who is originally from Dartmouth but now lives in Pleasant Bay with his young family, won the country category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest last year for his song "Every Time I Hit the Bottle," and was one of 30 finalists on the CMT show “Big in a Small Town."

Now he's turned his attention to recording, travelling to Nashville, Tenn. twice over the past year to put together 12 tracks for a new album, working with some of country music's finest players and producers in the process.

In the lead up to the album's release, Pike has made a free acoustic version of the title track "Every Time I Hit the Bottle" available online at www.reverbnation.com/jeremypikesongwriter.

We recently caught up with Pike, via email, to ask him a few questions about his music:

Q: You had quite a bit of success in songwriting/music competitions last year. What did that recognition mean to you?

A: "Winning the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and being a contestant on CMT's 'Big in a Small Town' were both great experiences. It was a little bit of affirmation from the universe that I was going in a good direction with my writing, and that some folks in industry were liking what was I was doing so that felt good. And it was nice to confirm what I had been telling myself — that there was an audience for the music I was writing."

Q: What sort of vision did you have for the album going into the recording process?

A: "I think the vision, as far as the production of things, has always been contemporary country, with an end goal of writing and recording songs that are coming from an honest place in me and that a larger audience can relate to."

Q: What was the experience of recording in Nashville like?

A: "Recording the album in Nashville was an experience of a lifetime — a dream come true. I recorded with Cliff Goldmacher, having already developed a relationship with him while using a long-distance demo recording service he offers and using some of his consultation services for some critiques on my writing and career direction."

Q: When will the album be released?

A: "I'm hoping it will be ready for release in the next three to four weeks. I'm doing all the legwork on it myself so it is a tough thing sometimes being gone for work so much, and then just wanting to be Dad and hubby when I am home, but I'm working on it and hope to have it on major digital distributers in three to four weeks and in local stores in the Maritimes as well."

Q: How would you describe the finished product?

A: "That's a hard one to answer. It's definitely a country album that I think reflects who I am right now and what I have lived. Anyone who knows me will hear that in the songs and I'm hoping that anyone who doesn't know me will want to get know me through the songs I am writing — songs about love, leaving and life."

ljgrant@cbpost.com - Cape Breton Post

Jeremy Pike to release first full-length album
Published on July 25, 2013Share 1 0 Comment
Send to a friend
Print
SYDNEY — Following on the heels of his success in two high-profile music competitions, Jeremy Pike is set to release his first full-length album.

The Cape Breton-based singer-songwriter, who is originally from Dartmouth but now lives in Pleasant Bay with his young family, won the country category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest last year for his song "Every Time I Hit the Bottle," and was one of 30 finalists on the CMT show “Big in a Small Town."

Now he's turned his attention to recording, travelling to Nashville, Tenn. twice over the past year to put together 12 tracks for a new album, working with some of country music's finest players and producers in the process.

In the lead up to the album's release, Pike has made a free acoustic version of the title track "Every Time I Hit the Bottle" available online at www.reverbnation.com/jeremypikesongwriter.

We recently caught up with Pike, via email, to ask him a few questions about his music:

Q: You had quite a bit of success in songwriting/music competitions last year. What did that recognition mean to you?

A: "Winning the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and being a contestant on CMT's 'Big in a Small Town' were both great experiences. It was a little bit of affirmation from the universe that I was going in a good direction with my writing, and that some folks in industry were liking what was I was doing so that felt good. And it was nice to confirm what I had been telling myself — that there was an audience for the music I was writing."

Q: What sort of vision did you have for the album going into the recording process?

A: "I think the vision, as far as the production of things, has always been contemporary country, with an end goal of writing and recording songs that are coming from an honest place in me and that a larger audience can relate to."

Q: What was the experience of recording in Nashville like?

A: "Recording the album in Nashville was an experience of a lifetime — a dream come true. I recorded with Cliff Goldmacher, having already developed a relationship with him while using a long-distance demo recording service he offers and using some of his consultation services for some critiques on my writing and career direction."

Q: When will the album be released?

A: "I'm hoping it will be ready for release in the next three to four weeks. I'm doing all the legwork on it myself so it is a tough thing sometimes being gone for work so much, and then just wanting to be Dad and hubby when I am home, but I'm working on it and hope to have it on major digital distributers in three to four weeks and in local stores in the Maritimes as well."

Q: How would you describe the finished product?

A: "That's a hard one to answer. It's definitely a country album that I think reflects who I am right now and what I have lived. Anyone who knows me will hear that in the songs and I'm hoping that anyone who doesn't know me will want to get know me through the songs I am writing — songs about love, leaving and life."

ljgrant@cbpost.com - Cape Breton Post

N.S. songwriter wins international contest

Nova Scotia songwriter Jeremy Pike has won the 2011 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the country category for his song Every Time I Hit the Bottle, and is now eligible for the song of the year award to be announced in July.

Pike, originally from Dartmouth and now living in Pleasant Bay, Inverness County, is working as a roughneck on an oil rig for six months of the year, and began seriously pursuing songwriting in September 2010, writing in the early morning hours before heading to work, or after his 12-hour shifts had ended.

Hear Pike’s winning song and the rest of his song catalogue at www.reverbnation.com/jeremypikesongwriter
- Chronicle Herald

N.S. songwriter wins international contest

Nova Scotia songwriter Jeremy Pike has won the 2011 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the country category for his song Every Time I Hit the Bottle, and is now eligible for the song of the year award to be announced in July.

Pike, originally from Dartmouth and now living in Pleasant Bay, Inverness County, is working as a roughneck on an oil rig for six months of the year, and began seriously pursuing songwriting in September 2010, writing in the early morning hours before heading to work, or after his 12-hour shifts had ended.

Hear Pike’s winning song and the rest of his song catalogue at www.reverbnation.com/jeremypikesongwriter
- Chronicle Herald

One of 12 finalists in a prestigious international songwriting competition lives in the last house with electricity at the end of a four-kilometre road in Pleasant Bay.

“You don’t get any more country than that,” Jeremy Pike chuckles during a telephone conversation from his Inverness County home Tuesday.

Pike, 35, is up against finalists in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest with his country song Every Time I Hit the Bottle. Categories also include such genres as rhythm and blues, jazz and hip hop.

As a grand-prize winner — each of the finalists is one — he has already taken in $6,500 worth of instruments, equipment and software.

If he wins song of the year, he will take home $20,000 and lots of other “goodies” from the New York-based competition.

Contest judges include Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, the Veronicas and Natasha Bedingfield, along with such MTV notables as Matt Pinfield.

Living in one of the most picturesque communities in Cape Breton, Pike said he is sometimes inspired by the dramatic clash of ocean and mountains, but he is always inspired by his wife and two small children.

“This is a pretty place to live, with fine, fine people,” said Pike.

When he is not writing songs and playing, Pike works on an offshore rig in Scotland.

“Three weeks there and two weeks back home, and I get in as much writing as I can, but the kids keep me busy when I’m home.”

He has written 40 songs over the past two years and doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon.

As for Every Time I Hit the Bottle, Pike admits the song may be a little autobiographical.
“I used to party quite a bit when I was a younger guy, working the rigs or in construction and we’d always say ‘Ah, I hit the bottle last night and it hit me back.’”

Not so much these days, however.

All right, so he was born and bred in Dartmouth, but Cape Bretoners are still claiming him as one of their own.

(mmacintyre@herald.ca)
- Chronicle Herald

One of 12 finalists in a prestigious international songwriting competition lives in the last house with electricity at the end of a four-kilometre road in Pleasant Bay.

“You don’t get any more country than that,” Jeremy Pike chuckles during a telephone conversation from his Inverness County home Tuesday.

Pike, 35, is up against finalists in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest with his country song Every Time I Hit the Bottle. Categories also include such genres as rhythm and blues, jazz and hip hop.

As a grand-prize winner — each of the finalists is one — he has already taken in $6,500 worth of instruments, equipment and software.

If he wins song of the year, he will take home $20,000 and lots of other “goodies” from the New York-based competition.

Contest judges include Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, the Veronicas and Natasha Bedingfield, along with such MTV notables as Matt Pinfield.

Living in one of the most picturesque communities in Cape Breton, Pike said he is sometimes inspired by the dramatic clash of ocean and mountains, but he is always inspired by his wife and two small children.

“This is a pretty place to live, with fine, fine people,” said Pike.

When he is not writing songs and playing, Pike works on an offshore rig in Scotland.

“Three weeks there and two weeks back home, and I get in as much writing as I can, but the kids keep me busy when I’m home.”

He has written 40 songs over the past two years and doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon.

As for Every Time I Hit the Bottle, Pike admits the song may be a little autobiographical.
“I used to party quite a bit when I was a younger guy, working the rigs or in construction and we’d always say ‘Ah, I hit the bottle last night and it hit me back.’”

Not so much these days, however.

All right, so he was born and bred in Dartmouth, but Cape Bretoners are still claiming him as one of their own.

(mmacintyre@herald.ca)
- Chronicle Herald