Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Jay.
Hi Nick, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Nick Jay. I’m a professional musician, recording studio owner, audio engineer, and music and video producer/editor. I’m originally from a small town called Mustang outside Oklahoma City. I grew up with music. My dad had a southern gospel group in the 70s, my mom played church piano, and I grew up in a Pentecostal church surrounded by all types of music. By the time I was 3 or 4 years old, I was able to pick notes out on the piano from recordings and would throw little mini-concerts on the fireplace hearth. In middle school, I picked up the trombone and excelled at it. By my second year allowed to do the All-State competition, and I was the first chair in the state of OK. I played bass trombone in the award-winning high school top jazz band and bass guitar in the ‘2nd’ band. This is where I developed my love for the bass guitar. After graduating high school in 2001, I started touring as a bass player with a Christian worship band from Houston/Dallas, doing youth camps, conferences, conventions, and whatever else was available to play. This got me officially ‘touring,’ though it was just around Texas for the most part. Within a few months, I was offered to join another group, which took me to MO and helped me see more of the country. I played with that band for about a year and ended up back in Texas. Within a couple of years, I met a little band called Clemency. They were a band from a Baptist youth group in Lewisville, TX. Soon after I met them, through a turn of events, they needed a bass player, and I was called. We changed our name to Auckland and had a few major labels looking at us within a few months. Nothing came of that band, and I left it in 2006. A few months later, the lead singer from the band was about to start a new project and asked his old bandmates to play on the record. We tracked the record and got together under the new moniker, Jonathan Tyler, and the Northern Lights. JTNL ended up gaining some decent success. Within a year, we were signed to a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. We were touring with the likes of ZZ Top, O.A.R., Grace Potter, a one-off show with AC/DC, another with Heart, or even Deep Purple, and other crazy tours like the Kid Rock/Lynyrd Skynyrd Gods and Guns tour, as well as a run with Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and also played on Jimmy Kimmel and many morning shows across the country.
In 2011, my dad’s cancer returned after we thought they had gotten it all the year before. About this time, a friend named JT Holt, whom I had met on the road, but who resided in Austin, asked if I would like to help him run his studio. This was about June of 2011. I wasn’t sure if it was what I wanted, and I continued to tour. In July, I had a minor heat stroke due to drinking and partying after a gig until 6a, waking up at 9, driving to the next gig (outdoors), and then drinking without much food or water. That evening, I made it about 3 songs into the set and almost passed out. I ended up in an airstream trailer with cold compresses all over my body and the EMTs checking me out. Thankfully, it was minor, and I didn’t have to go to the hospital and didn’t gain any permanent damage. This was a huge wake-up call for me, though. Between that, my dad’s sickness, and this offer from my friend, I decided it was time to get off the road full-time. This started my full-time career as an engineer and producer. In September 2011, my dad finally lost his battle and went on to his next life on 9.9.11. I had moved back to OKC and moved into one of my closest friend’s houses, who lived just around the corner from my mom. For 6 months, I would drive back and forth from OKC to Austin.
In March of 2012, JT and I decided to move the studio out of his house and into a place where I could live and run it. We found an amazing spot in Dripping Springs and worked together for several years. At that time, we realized it was tough to profit enough as a partnership, so we decided to run our own studios. (We are still great friends). This was around July 2014. I then started Century Recordings (CenRec). I purchased a vintage Neve recording console (look up the documentary Sound City with Dave Grohl), initially in the Federal Records studio in Jamaica in 1973. If you listened to music from about 1968-1980 and even now, you still heard it was recorded on a Neve console or at least had something from Neve on it. If you need to know what a Neve is, check them out.
Since then, I have had some success with many Texas Music. Ranging from a Texas Regional Radio #1 with Bart Crow, as well as 2 or 3 other top 10s (his last 2 EPs, and are working on a 3rd now), Dalton Domino (Corners 2017), Midnight River Choir (3-song EP), Judson Cole (2 EP’s), Night Traveler, Jessi England, Mike Stanley, and more. I’ve also had the pleasure of tracking some of the Hammond B3 organ for Billy Gibbons’ 2015 record, Perfectamundo, with the illustrious Mike Flanigin beautifully playing the parts. During this time, I also teamed up with my friend Zak Loy and started playing bass for singer Ed Kowalczyk. Ed is the lead singer of a band called LIVE, a multi-platinum touring band in the 90s, and he still kills it today. We toured worldwide for the next couple of years, and while at home, I would track records.
In early 2020, right before the pandemic hit, I moved to Oak Hill and downsized my studio to a post-production room only, meaning we ‘finished’ records at my spot. After we have tracked the core music at one of Austin’s, or even somewhere else’s studio, we will bring that to my place and track final vocals, background harmonies and parts, and any other instrumental tasks. Then if I’m hired, I will mix the song at my place and prepare it for mastering. Move into the pandemic, and the music biz got highly rough. Thankfully I could survive, but I decided to add video production and editing to my skill set during this time. This started CenRecFilm, which is still in its early stages but is growing quickly.
In early 2021, due to some unfortunate circumstances for my landlord, I was forced to leave the oak hill. This was a bummer as we had worked out a deal on the house for me to buy, but everything happens for a reason. I now reside in Wimberley and honestly couldn’t be happier. I still run Century Recordings and CenRecFilm and am excited to see what this new chapter has in store for me now that I’m back in the hill country!
Let’s dig deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you overcome?
I don’t know anyone with any success who has yet to see at least some obstacle. A lot of the time, I got in my way. I wouldn’t allow myself to grow. I drank away my loneliness and fears, constantly hiding behind a drink or a drug. I was told not to be myself. I was told to play my role, even if it meant being who I wasn’t. And I did it, and honestly hated myself for a long time. There was a time when our guitar player and I put our money together to buy a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a pack of camels. (of course, the camels were the most important part. Hahaha). Being a “rock star” isn’t quite as glamorous as Motley Crue made it out to be. Don’t get me wrong, we had a ton of fun, and I’ve been blessed enough to do some things that most bands and musicians dream about, but it’s not all just music. It’s a ton of driving. It’s a lot of lonely nights with 7-8 people in one hotel room, or even sleeping in the van because you have to get to the next town that’s 8 hours away. It could be better food and lots of alcohol and whatever else you want. I was 60+lb overweight because the food I did eat was crap, and there was so much alcohol. The money was tough in the beginning. We would make $1000/night for the entire band on these huge tours. On the tours, we needed more people, so at least 8-10 people had to get paid out of the $1000, plus gas in your 4mpg van and trailer and any hotel stay. Not a complaint by any means, but to put things in perspective for those that see these bands hustling day in and day out and are curious. The moment you get on that stage and hear the crowd singing your songs, it makes it all worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m creative. And I’m a facilitator. That’s what I do. I help people bring their thoughts and their visions to life. Whether that be in an audio form or a visual form, my goal is to tap the potential. To dig deep into someone’s idea and take it further than they could imagine. In music, I specialize in anything with a backbeat. Suppose you want something soulful, deep, full; come to me. I love music that makes my head move or my ass shake. I love bringing depth to the music. Sometimes that’s a piano and a vocal. Sometimes that’s a total production with a chamber string orchestra. In the video, I want to shoot what’s real. I want to bring the quality that a lot of people can’t. Using high-end gear and a musical mind, I can craft edits that move seamlessly and make sense to the visual user. What sets me apart? My passion. My skill. My seasoned knowledge. The heart behind all of it.
So, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you before we go? How can they support you?
I’m open to all sorts of collaboration! Email me at nick@centuryrecordings.com if you need music help or hello@CenRecFilm.com for your video needs. If I can’t get it done, I know someone who can and will gladly connect you with the person who can best help you. I have a wealth of contacts in all parts of the creative business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.CenturyRecordings.com
- Instagram: @CenturyRecordings, @NicktotheJay
- Facebook: CenturyRecordings
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXDeUUCCEd-htW9Mar6UFxw
Image Credits
Cal Quinn (shades pic), Maurice Moonen (live shots with Ed K)
