Golden Times for Jake Owen

Jake
Owen couldn’t have picked a better single to announce his upcoming
fourth album than its title track, “Days of Gold.” Not only is its
fast-paced arrangement and Jake’s acrobatic vocal entirely different
than anything currently getting spins on country radio, the song, and
its glimmering title, defines exactly where the Florida native is in his
career.
Owen couldn’t have picked a better single to announce his upcoming
fourth album than its title track, “Days of Gold.” Not only is its
fast-paced arrangement and Jake’s acrobatic vocal entirely different
than anything currently getting spins on country radio, the song, and
its glimmering title, defines exactly where the Florida native is in his
career.
For Jake, these truly are golden times.
Since the release of his 2011 watershed album Barefoot Blue Jean Night—which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s
Top Country Albums chart and delivered four consecutive No. 1 singles:
the double platinum title track, the platinum “Alone with You,” and the
gold-certified “The One That Got Away” and “Anywhere with You”—Jake has
been riding high, and he’s channeled that energy into “Days of Gold.”
Top Country Albums chart and delivered four consecutive No. 1 singles:
the double platinum title track, the platinum “Alone with You,” and the
gold-certified “The One That Got Away” and “Anywhere with You”—Jake has
been riding high, and he’s channeled that energy into “Days of Gold.”
Far
from simply a summer song, the single is about living to the fullest.
“‘Days of Gold’ is definitive of all seasons, of the good times we all
remember, the times with our friends,” says Jake. “But it’s more than
that. It’s not just a song about getting out on the riverside with your
buddies. There’s so many instances that people can pinpoint in their own
lives as days of gold.”
from simply a summer song, the single is about living to the fullest.
“‘Days of Gold’ is definitive of all seasons, of the good times we all
remember, the times with our friends,” says Jake. “But it’s more than
that. It’s not just a song about getting out on the riverside with your
buddies. There’s so many instances that people can pinpoint in their own
lives as days of gold.”
Jake—ever
the daredevil—acknowledges the ambitious song is a creative risk for
him as an artist. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. “When you take
risks you get great rewards and that’s how I’ve always approached life,”
he says.
the daredevil—acknowledges the ambitious song is a creative risk for
him as an artist. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. “When you take
risks you get great rewards and that’s how I’ve always approached life,”
he says.
The forthcoming album furthers that carpe diem mindset through both empowering anthems and introspective ballads. As such, Days of Gold is set to be a milestone for Jake.
“An artist’s career is defined by their catalog of songs and that’s really what I want to put together on Days of Gold,
a solid collection of great songs,” Jake says, citing the versatile
work of heroes like Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney and, especially,
Alan Jackson. “Alan wrote songs that were fun-loving, but he also had
‘Remember When.’ That’s what I want in my own career, to record the best
songs I can and give them to people.”
a solid collection of great songs,” Jake says, citing the versatile
work of heroes like Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney and, especially,
Alan Jackson. “Alan wrote songs that were fun-loving, but he also had
‘Remember When.’ That’s what I want in my own career, to record the best
songs I can and give them to people.”
Jake
has already come into his own as a live performer. His
concerts—including the epic free summer block party he hosted for 20,000
fans in Nashville this summer—are thrilling affairs, and he’s also at
the forefront of fan engagement in country music. He frequently
organizes hangouts with surprised fans via Twitter. “I have the ability
to reach out to people and give them more than just music—I can give
them my personality,” he says.
has already come into his own as a live performer. His
concerts—including the epic free summer block party he hosted for 20,000
fans in Nashville this summer—are thrilling affairs, and he’s also at
the forefront of fan engagement in country music. He frequently
organizes hangouts with surprised fans via Twitter. “I have the ability
to reach out to people and give them more than just music—I can give
them my personality,” he says.
With a new album on the way, Jake is ramping up to give listeners more of both, sharing with them his own “Days of Gold.”
“I want people to feel more than they did with my past albums, and I think they will,” he says. “Days of Gold is going to be a step forward.”
Or more fittingly for risk-taker Jake, a leap ahead—without a net.