{"id":3786,"date":"2014-09-16T00:22:50","date_gmt":"2014-09-16T07:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/?p=3786"},"modified":"2014-11-11T06:53:22","modified_gmt":"2014-11-11T14:53:22","slug":"polly-interviews-the-white-buffalo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/polly-interviews-the-white-buffalo\/","title":{"rendered":"Polly Interviews The White Buffalo"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"banner_001\"<\/a>\"White<\/a>The White Buffalo a.k.a. Jake Smith has had a very good year. A successful tour with Chuck Ragan and Jonny Two Bags, playing summer festivals and the ever increasing legion of fans due to successful song placements (TV show Sons of Anarchy) he was in a great mood. So, on a recent phone conversation with the upbeat, talented singer\/songwriter he was multi- tasking as usual. Pounding away on his handmade leather WB coasters in this humor filled chat we discussed his music, his crazy loyal fan base, playing the big room (Majestic Ventura Theater) and his college baseball career.<\/em><\/p>\n

Polly: Hey Jake, how\u2019s it going? You\u2019ve been busy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Pretty busy, yeah, been a pretty cool summer\u2026<\/p>\n

Polly: Your last record came out in 2013 (Shadows, Greys and Evil Ways) and it actually charted on Billboard how did that make you feel to get more people to recognize your music?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s entirely true. I guess it did chart huh? Ha-ha, I don\u2019t really keep track.<\/p>\n

Polly:\u00a0 \u00a0Ha-ha, it was number 164.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Really? Well that\u2019s pretty cool ha-ha. I don\u2019t think it changed my life very much but, that\u2019s cool. I mean it\u2019s cool\u2026 to be 164th Ha-ha.<\/p>\n

Polly: I\u2019m a fan of your music and I see when stuff pops up on facebook and I\u2019m so excited for you. Like Jimmy Kimmell! How cool was that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, that\u2019s super cool. It\u2019s great to get these little things that do get some recognition. I think a lot of it kind of legitimizes what I do in some people\u2019s eyes. For me, I feel like I\u2019m kinda doing the same thing.<\/p>\n

Polly: But on a broader platform which is so cool.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, it\u2019s cool. I think it\u2019s great that we\u2019re reaching a few more people and that\u2019s kind of the goal, to get it quicker rather than slower.<\/p>\n

Polly: It took you about ten years to be an overnight success\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Hahaha, that\u2019s great.<\/p>\n

Polly: What do you think the key is? What did you do different last year and the year before? Just more records coming out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: I think so. I think it\u2019s a matter of just building it and keep building up the fan base. I think the majority of it is touring and getting the occasional licensing\u2026 all the Sons of Anarchy stuff and all the other licenses I think help hugely. It\u2019s great that people don\u2019t stop at those songs. They go deeper into the catalog, not everybody does obviously, but some people do and you actually get fans out of that.<\/p>\n

Polly: Sure.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: So it\u2019s just a matter of staying at it and not doing anything stupid ha-ha.<\/p>\n

Polly: Ha-ha.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: I don\u2019t know it\u2019s just staying true and writing and trying to write good songs and playing hard and performing with passion.<\/p>\n

Polly: Right, definitely, because you know when your first EP came out, gosh that was like 8 or 9 years ago and it didn\u2019t seem like there was anything out for 4 or 5 years after and then all of sudden boom we get EP\u2019s and records almost every year. I think a key to your success has been doing something new and fresh every year.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, and we\u2019re going to start recording again shortly.<\/p>\n

Polly: Wow.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, I always had a bunch of songs I just didn\u2019t have the means to record stuff. You know what I mean? And it wasn\u2019t necessarily a lack of material it was a lack of focus, ha-ha\u2026<\/p>\n

Polly: And resources.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, resources and funds. My first couple of records I made from nothing you know, it was friends who helped, but I don\u2019t think those records are worse or better or anything less than the current albums. It was a different schedule we had to work with and it was a different time but you know?<\/p>\n

Polly: And on a shoe string.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"White<\/a><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, but in a way it makes you dig a little deeper.<\/p>\n

Polly: It keeps you humble.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, as far as being on a different label that\u2019s probably been the biggest luxury and you know, there\u2019s still not any of them telling me what to do. Like I\u2019ll tell say, I\u2019m going to make a concept album of this fucking crazy story, and they\u2019re like alright, let\u2019s do it. Ha-ha.<\/p>\n

Polly: That\u2019s nice. So who influences you these days? Is there somebody out there new or old <\/strong>that kind of grabs you these days?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Umm, musically? I don\u2019t know. Not really.<\/p>\n

Polly: OK, that\u2019s fair.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t think inspire is the right word. A lot of times people ask who inspires you, and rarely\u2026 because I try not to be derivative of or inspired by\u2026 but as far as people I like\u2026 I like the last Jason Isbell record called Southeastern. I thought that was fucking pretty great. Super emotional and I just got part of that new (Jeff) Tweedy album pretty cool so far. You know there are lots of great people that I like. I really like Dr. Dogg\u2026 I like Deer Tick.<\/p>\n

Polly: What\u2019s been your favorite show experience so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: My favorite show experience?<\/p>\n

Polly:\u00a0 Was it Kimmell? Was it when you went out with Jonny Two Bags and Chuck (Ragan)?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: That was cool. I don\u2019t know if I have one thing. I mean there are places I like to play, cities I like to visit. I think people you know, are pretty spirited and we always seem to have good people come out to our shows.<\/p>\n

Polly: Yeah you do.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: I don\u2019t know why. I guess we\u2019re just lucky in that respect that we have pretty nice fans that are respectful of other people. Other than those couple of fights at Zoey\u2019s ha-ha!<\/p>\n

Polly: Ha-ha holy cow! I was hoping you weren\u2019t going to bring that up.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Ha-ha. Right? I mean have you had many fights at solo acoustic shows?<\/p>\n

Polly: Geez no! And it was during one of your freaking ballads that they started pounding each other. It was because one guy was really getting into it and he couldn\u2019t hear and the other guy\u2019s – well F you and fists started flying and I thought, well thank God you kept playing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: People are serious about it! I got it going on\u2026<\/p>\n

Polly:\u00a0 Yup they love you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Ha-ha. You know I probably had my eyes closed.<\/p>\n

Polly: Yeah, there you go. Ha-ha. Has there, ever been, other than the fight at Zoey\u2019s, a bad experience? Like you pulled up to some place and it was totally not what you thought?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, but I\u2019ve been doing this for a long time. There have been times we\u2019ll go to some place and nobody would be there. Now it\u2019s a little different. Now we can go to a place where we\u2019ve never played before and people will be there! We went to Des Moines and there wasn\u2019t a whole lot of people but there was maybe 150 which five years ago it wouldn\u2019t have been like that.<\/p>\n

Polly: Well, that\u2019s cool.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: I\u2019ve had some funny experiences and heckling and all kinds of stuff.<\/p>\n

Po<\/strong>lly: How dare they heckle you!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Right? It happens though people get drunk\u2026<\/p>\n

Polly: He must\u2019ve been drunk ha-ha.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: He was drunk Ha-ha. He was drunk as shit Ha-ha!<\/p>\n

Polly: Ha-ha! So you\u2019re writing. You\u2019ve got that old-west sensibility in your music and your songs could be like the sound track to a Deadwood film\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Hmm\u2026<\/p>\n

Polly: Are you a fan of westerns? Is that a lifestyle that kind of intrigues you or that\u2019s just where the music takes you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, I mean, some of my songs have that kind of western feel and some are entirely different. I always just let the song dictate whatever it does. I don\u2019t ever set out to- now I\u2019m going to write a country song here. Or okay that song feels more folk or that one feels more bluesy you know? So the songs go where they may and I just let them. Just let it happen.<\/p>\n

Polly: So tell us something we don\u2019t know about you. This is the boxers or briefs question.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Boxers or briefs\u2026<\/p>\n

Polly: Ha-ha.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Boxers or briefs\u2026um I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m fairly athletic I had a baseball scholarship\u2026<\/p>\n

Polly: Oh Really?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: I got a full ride in college. Played Division 1 baseball. I still enjoy playing golf and tennis.<\/p>\n

Polly: Oh that\u2019s cool. Where did you go to school?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: It\u2019s St. Mary\u2019s college in Moraga, in the East bay. Same league as Pepperdine and Santa Clara.<\/p>\n

Polly: Sure, wow.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: That\u2019s a little known fact. There you go.<\/p>\n

Polly: That\u2019s a cool fact.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Sure.<\/p>\n

Polly: Is there a card or something with your picture on it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Oh you want some proof of it? No, there\u2019s no proof anywhere. Ha-ha.<\/p>\n

Polly: Ha-ha you burned the pictures right?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Ha-ha, that\u2019s good. I\u2019m sure my mom has something but I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

Polly: Oh I would love to see that. You know you should do a throwback Thursday with you in your uniform.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: That\u2019s pretty clever. Alright, I\u2018ll consider that Polly. And I\u2019ll give you a shout out if that happens.<\/p>\n

Polly: Oh that would be awesome. People are amazed that we are friends, like my brother, now thinks I\u2019m cool.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Ha-ha. Nice, that\u2019s funny.<\/p>\n

Polly: What advice, and this is your generic interviewers question, would you give to somebody that\u2019s looking to be in the music business other than find a second job or make sure you graduate from school?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Um, I think that\u2019s important but at the same time I think the biggest thing is to play as much as you can. Play live as much as you can. At least that gives you a fighting chance. To really hone your craft, to really write good songs that mean something to you and feel it. I think that\u2019s the only way to approach it and to just stay at it, you know? I think a lot of it is trying to write songs that touch people, at least for me, and try to write something that moves somebody in any way. Whether it be something nostalgic or happiness, love, fear, heartbreak or you know there\u2019s so many things. And don\u2019t limit yourself. And if you do something that\u2019s pure I think in the end other people will relate to that.<\/p>\n

Polly: That\u2019s so true.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: And I think you have to kind of be talented to start with ha-ha.<\/p>\n

Polly: Ha-ha.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Not that I\u2019m saying I am particularly, but that probably helps ha-ha. Yeah, for me it\u2019s fucking keep it honest, keep it real. You know there\u2019s so much bullshit out there these days that people do. And don\u2019t do something totally stupid. Ha-ha.<\/p>\n

Polly: Like every other YouTube pop song that comes out.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah\u2026<\/p>\n

Polly: Is there anyone that you\u2019d like to collaborate with or go on tour with. Like if you had your wish right now, would it be like go on tour with Jason Isbell or\u2026 ?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Well for me I am a songwriter but I do have a family and I\u2019m a businessman as well, so I have to\u2026 when I look at tours there\u2019s got to be some way that I can capitalize. I\u2019ve never had that career changing tour where I get to open for fucking Neil Young or somebody like that.<\/p>\n

Polly: But would you want to?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"White<\/a>Jake: Tom Petty or Neil Young and play in front of fucking 10,000 people a night that are going to get it, would be the ultimate kind of thing. For me that\u2019s the kind of tour that I would love. There are bands that I love but I think there\u2019s a balance to those things. To check your finances, seeing if you can do it and seeing if at the end if it makes sense. In order to break into other markets and stuff like that, summertime especially, you just have to bite the bullet and you have to say okay I\u2019ve never been to this place so I better support somebody and get there to these places. So I\u2019m not starting out and I\u2019m not playing in you know, Nashville, for 3 people. That you\u2019re getting in front of somebody else\u2019s crowd and hopefully converting some of those people to your Church and hope they come out the next time. The headlining tour with Chuck (Ragan) was cool. And I thought musically and our approach to songwriting and performing were similar. We just kept on getting after it, on and off stage every night giving our all. You know. I think I might have gone off topic\u2026<\/p>\n

Polly: No, I like it when you riff. How is the family?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Rilo and Tanner, the wife. Everyone\u2019s good. Rilo is in 2nd grade. Crazy\u2026<\/p>\n

Polly: What?!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: I know, yeah, he\u2019s so big. Doesn\u2019t want to hold my hand in the street anymore. Ha-ha, but he\u2019s still a sweetheart. Yeah, it\u2019s good. Everything\u2019s good.<\/p>\n

Polly: Is Tanner still into his music? Is he going to carry on the family business you think?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Ha, I don\u2019t know I hope so. I heard him playing guitar today. Not sure if he\u2019s going to be in Ventura but he\u2019s sat in with me every once in awhile. I think I\u2019ve got this other guy out which it should be fun.<\/p>\n

Polly: Nice. So speaking of Ventura you\u2019re doing the big show. They\u2019ve called you up from the minors and you\u2019re playing in the big leagues now, the Ventura theater.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, right? Well they shut down the best place in town (Zoey\u2019s).<\/p>\n

Polly: Ha-ha that\u2019s nice of you to say.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, I think this is going to be a good jump. You know, but what else do you do? It\u2019s like we play in Santa Barbara all the time. There\u2019s really not that many great mid size venues. Soho is what it is, there\u2019s the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara. It\u2019s all seated but it kind of doesn\u2019t totally vibe with our drunken crowds. Ha-ha. But, Yeah, I\u2019m excited. I\u2019m little nervous. Hoping we make it feel good and fill the room up.<\/p>\n

Polly: Well we want to get your fans out. It\u2019s been awhile since you\u2019ve played Ventura so that\u2019s what we\u2019re aiming for.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: I hope so.<\/p>\n

Polly: Have you thought about where you want to be in 5 years or is that too far into the future. You have goals?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: In 5 years?<\/p>\n

Polly: Or in 2015 you\u2019ve got this album coming out\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yeah, I\u2019m always looking closer into the future than that. But I keep my expectations small so that hopefully next year is better than the year before. Partially it\u2019s the nature of how I\u2019ve built my business and how I\u2019ve built the fan base. It\u2019s just slowly and surely I just keep churning out songs and keep playing and performing. And you know it just keeps getting a little bigger and a little bigger and it seems like more people come every time. That\u2019s just how it\u2019s been which has been good.<\/p>\n

Polly: As it should be.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake: Yup. I\u2019ve been lucky.<\/p>\n

The White Buffalo www.thewhitebuffalo.com, at The Majestic Ventura Theater Saturday Sept 20th 7pm doors\/8pm all ages show. Tickets www.venturatheater.net<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The White Buffalo a.k.a. Jake Smith has had a very good year. A successful tour with Chuck Ragan and Jonny Two Bags, playing summer festivals and the ever increasing legion of fans due to successful song placements (TV show Sons … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1,257],"tags":[644,226,247],"class_list":["post-3786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews","category-polly","tag-jake-smith","tag-polly-hoganson","tag-the-white-buffalo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3786"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3996,"href":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3786\/revisions\/3996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/venturarocks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}