If you ask him to describe his music, he will tell you it is “soulful groove; funky pop.”
Jared Mahone, a native of Columbus, is no stranger to the music scene, and now, along with his band, he is venturing out into new territory.
The band’s latest venture is “The Mixtape Project.” Mahone will write a song a week for 52 weeks and release them on his Web site every Sunday in 2010. Fans who subscribe to the project for $20 will be able to go on the site to download songs and create their own mixtapes. As a bonus, Mahone will add video that explains the meaning of the song and the writing and recording process.
The fans will have the opportunity to give feedback by rating and commenting on songs.
Mahone says, “It’s set up to be an interactive experience.” He is aware that he may create a song that is not received well by fans, but he says he is ready to receive the criticism.
His ultimate goal is to create a catalog of songs that are listener influenced. He says whether five people sign up or 2,000 people, he still plans on writing one song a week.
Mahone has spent his whole life around music. His family has had an independent band for 35 years. His first memory of being on stage was when he was singing at two years old. He went on to write music for his middle school choir, a few pop pieces in high school and he even wrote a rap to get out of his high school senior project.
When Mahone turned 19 years old, he taught himself how to play guitar. He began to play open mic nights in Columbus and he made connections within the local music scene. A lot of his writing comes from personal experiences.
“I want to write from experience, not research. I want to write it from a central perspective through the eyes of a kid from the Midwest,” Mahone said.
Mahone does fear that he will not meet the 52-week writing challenge. He describes going into this challenge as, “hesitantly jumping head first,” but he felt he had to put himself to the fire in the public’s eye.
Unlike many bands that have come before them, Mahone says his band has never felt the need to leave the Midwest in order to “make it.” He says people have this notion that real life exists only on the West and East coasts, and that they must fly over the hicks and cornfields.
But growing up in Columbus, Mahone says he has grown up in a “concrete cornfield”. He says Columbus isn’t a city like New York, but it is a city where you have to drive 20 minutes from the center before you even hit a cornfield.
“I don’t have any idea what that life is about. All I know is my street corner and that is nothing but concrete,” Mahone said.
Mahone and his band have committed to developing the local music scene and changing the perspective of the Midwest. The band travels around performing at different colleges in the region and in the South.
The band will have a concert with the Andy Shaw Band and the Wet Darlings on Jan. 29 at Skully’s Music Diner at 1151 N. High St. The first 100 people in line will receive free download cards as a sampler of the first releases from “The Mixtape Project.” Doors for the concert open at 8:30 p.m. and music starts at 10 p.m. There is a cover charge of $6 for ages 21 and over, and $9 for ages 18 to 20.
