Biography
A singer and songwriter whose music blends roots rock, contemporary folk, and mature pop with lively energy and emotional depth, Jamie Kent was born in 1988 and raised in Northampton, Massachusetts. Growing up, he absorbed an eclectic range of sounds at home, from Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Cab Calloway to the Beatles and Sly & the Family Stone. His interest in singing first surfaced during high school when he tried out for a production of Pippin in an attempt to catch a girl’s attention and instead realized how much he liked performing in front of an audience; around the same time, he put together a mariachi band for a school talent show that became the crowd’s clear favorite. After finishing high school, Kent attended Babson College while simultaneously taking voice lessons at Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music, graduating from Babson in 2009 and immediately turning his focus to a career in music.
Once established on the local scene, he issued his debut album, Neoteny, as a self-release in March 2010. He also formed a backing group called the Options, initially a trio featuring his vocals and guitar alongside bassist Rhees Williams and multi-instrumentalist Tim Boucher. To support his growing career, Kent launched an initiative he named “The Collective,” which served as both the title of his label and publishing company and the name for a circle of fans and backers; in return for financial contributions that funded his projects, members received early access to new and unreleased music, complimentary concert passes, official merchandise, and a voice in select creative and business choices. Thanks to this support network, Kent was able to work as a full-time musician and soon found himself performing as many as 200 shows annually.
On his earliest recordings, including Neoteny, Kent’s acoustic groove approach evoked a leaner take on the Dave Matthews Band, yet over time his songwriting grew more nuanced and literate while his melodies began reflecting contemporary folk and roots-rock influences. His second album, Navigation, arrived in 2012, followed in 2015 by the five-song EP Embers and Ashes. By then Kent had moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and the Options had expanded as well, now consisting of Kent and Williams along with Ryan Hommel on electric guitar and pedal steel and Dan Holmes on drums. In 2016 he finished his third full-length release, All American Mutt, the first album he issued on Road Dog Records and one produced by Dave Brainard.
Once established on the local scene, he issued his debut album, Neoteny, as a self-release in March 2010. He also formed a backing group called the Options, initially a trio featuring his vocals and guitar alongside bassist Rhees Williams and multi-instrumentalist Tim Boucher. To support his growing career, Kent launched an initiative he named “The Collective,” which served as both the title of his label and publishing company and the name for a circle of fans and backers; in return for financial contributions that funded his projects, members received early access to new and unreleased music, complimentary concert passes, official merchandise, and a voice in select creative and business choices. Thanks to this support network, Kent was able to work as a full-time musician and soon found himself performing as many as 200 shows annually.
On his earliest recordings, including Neoteny, Kent’s acoustic groove approach evoked a leaner take on the Dave Matthews Band, yet over time his songwriting grew more nuanced and literate while his melodies began reflecting contemporary folk and roots-rock influences. His second album, Navigation, arrived in 2012, followed in 2015 by the five-song EP Embers and Ashes. By then Kent had moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and the Options had expanded as well, now consisting of Kent and Williams along with Ryan Hommel on electric guitar and pedal steel and Dan Holmes on drums. In 2016 he finished his third full-length release, All American Mutt, the first album he issued on Road Dog Records and one produced by Dave Brainard.
Albums
Singles
