Local artist, Jake Parshall, making his way to Nashville

Jake Parshall, from Sayre, Pa., grew up intrigued by the sounds of The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Metallica. His love of music hasn’t wavered since, and in June 2018, he made his own move to Nashville. 

A 2011 graduate of Athens High School in Pennsylvania, he is justifiably chasing his dream.

It all started when Jake was a kid and Dan Scopelliti first introduced him to music. From there, he took music lessons from Brian Murphy, where drum lessons turned to piano lessons from Jeremy Hildebrant.

From the age of 13 until he turned 15, Parshall also received guidance from Audie Mincer, a local musician in town.

At the age of 15 and until he was 18, Jake and two other boys (a bass player and a drummer) started the Jake Parshall Experience (JPE), playing in the Valley and throughout the Tri-County area. 

By 18 years old he put down his guitar and went off to college only to discover that wasn’t his calling, the music was.

“We played in an upstate New York bar for four hours on a Sunday afternoon,” said Parshall, adding, “They were having a pot roast special, and at the end of that gig, we were still playing to just the bartender and we had to buy a pot roast.”

“I lived on peanut butter sandwiches and instant coffee for two years,” he exclaimed.

Soon after, Tim Wood suggested they write a song together. “Dark Side” became quite popular, drawing the attention of a manager in Kansas, whom he signed with. However, he ended up voiding this contract to continue following his dreams to become a session player in Nashville.  

And he is well on his way. Opening for Brantley Gilbert was the best part so far, according to Parshall. He has also intermingled with singers such as Cody Johnson, Randy Houser and Tyler Farr.

“I would love to perform with Justin Moore,” he added.

When asked what his favorite song and artist was, Jake replied, “Hot Wired” by Brent Mason, and Charlie Worsham, a guitar player.

When asked about the hardest part of his job, Jake replied, “The down time, introspect, wondering if you’re good enough.” 

“It’s the song, not the person singing it,” he says.

Jake will be performing at Kegs Canalside in Jordan, N.Y. on Nov. 3 along with Devon Franks, Small Town Shade, and Jacob Bryant. Admission to the show is $15. The doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.

To learn more about Jake Parshall and his music, visit www.reverbnation.com/jakeparshall or find Jake Parshall Music on Facebook.