Country artist Jason Brown to perform in Corning

After years of opening for eminent country acts and releasing original music, independent country recording artist Jason Brown is taking a different networking approach with the goal of being signed to a major record label.

Originally from Pella, Brown moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and has recently been driving a tour bus for big-name country artist Brett Eldredge.

“(I’m) just seeing how things are done on a whole different scale than I’ve ever personally witnessed,” Brown said. “It’s been an eye-opener and very humbling.”

Brown is still performing when he has time, mostly in the Midwest. On Saturday, he will play at 7 p.m. at the Corning Opera House.

Radio single

On Monday, Brown went into the studio to cut a new radio single, which will be released early this year and shopped to some major record labels and radio stations. The title of the single is still under wraps.

In the past, Brown has charted songs on Billboard and Mediabase country charts. His strategy then was releasing full albums or EPs. This year, for the first time, he will promote solely a single.

“Right now, it seems like the single thing is the way everyone’s going – that’s what the major labels are focusing on, that’s what the radio stations are focusing on,” Brown said. “The success of this first (song) will determine if we do a full EP or full CD.”

So far, most of Brown's radio play has been on independent Iowa stations. He's also had some success with iHeartRadio and Spotify.

Some of Brown’s musical influences are from past country generations, such as Jim Reeves, George Strait and Mark Chestnutt. Other influences he has are more on the outlaw side of country, like Jamey Johnson. Brown said he has an appreciation for all sub-genres of country.

“I think today’s country music is right where it needs to be,” Brown said. “The neat thing about country music is it always changes. Jim Reeves, when he came out and sang in a suit, people didn’t want suit-singers ... when Kenny Rogers came out, they said he was a rock ‘n’ roll singer. It’s always had its controversies.”

As a whole, country music has always been about the place America is in, Brown said.

Nashville

Though he misses his extended family in Iowa, Brown said he has found a music family in Nashville, as the city is bursting with talented artists trying to make it big.

“(Artists) don’t really talk bad about each other down here,” Brown said. “They might not appreciate each other’s music or understand it, but everyone understands they went through something to get to where they’re at.”

Between driving for Eldredge, recording and doing some of his own shows, Brown said it’s been hard to get his foot in the door in Nashville. So, he’s been focusing on performing in the Midwest, where he is more established as an artist.

“I thank God every day for the success I have had because, man, I see guys down here that are way more talented than I am who never really got a break or a chance,” Brown said. “It’s not easy. I’m thankful for the support and fans we do have in Iowa and the Midwest.”

Performing

De Heaton, executive director at Corning Opera House, said she decided to bring Brown to Corning due to requests from fans in the area.

“We do really well with country shows, and (Brown’s) lyrics are really heartfelt and resonate with people,” Heaton said.

After releasing his single, Brown’s next step will be performing frequently to promote it. Currently, he has more than 70 songs penned and ready to be cut. He’s just waiting to see how the first single is received before promoting more of his music.

“We’re really excited,” Brown said. “It’s been a long road, but it feels like things are starting to move in a direction we’re excited about, and we look forward to 2016 and what lies ahead.”