An Interview with The Jack Wharff Band on their newest EP 'Strange'
Blending bluegrass, country and rock into what they simply call American music, The Jack Wharff Band has quickly built a name for themselves with their energetic live shows and deeply personal songwriting. Formed in Richmond, Virginia, the band came together almost by chance but quickly found a musical chemistry that set them apart. Just ahead of the release of their new EP, Strange, we caught up with Jack Wharff, Garrett Howell, and Evan Novoa during their first European trip and C2C Debut in Berlin to talk about their musical roots, life on the road, Nashville hangouts, and the stories behind their new songs.
HERE'S THE FULL INTERVIEW:
For readers who might not know you yet, could you introduce yourselves and tell us how you first came together as a band, and when you realized that the chemistry between you was something really special?
Garrett Howell: Ryan, who’s our bass player, and I were in a different band, and we played at this bar called The Camel for an open mic in downtown Richmond. Jack and Ryan kind of knew one another, and we went in and played, and Jack came up to Ryan and was like, “Hey, y’all sound pretty good! You want to come play with me?” I didn’t know who this kid was and was like, “What songs are we playing?”
He’s like, “There are a couple of originals. You’ll figure them out.” I’m like, “Okay, when do you go on?" So he’s like, “Right now,” I’m like, “Okay." So we just turned right back around and went on stage. It sounded not quite bad. It was pretty good. Ever since then, we've just kind of kept playing shows and writing together. We found Evan about two years ago.
Jack Wharff: When we found Evan, it was like a match made in heaven. We played with him for the first time in New York. I guess I was pretty stiff on stage before Evan, because when he came on and was playing with his tongue behind his head and jumping all around on the drums and stuff, I couldn’t help but get into it too. So he elevated our sound a ton, and we took him on the Sam Barber tour. And after that, we knew that we couldn’t play another show without this guy. So we made him part of the band with *singing* tears in our eyes and hugging each other.
Evan Novoa: We describe our sound as "American music", and we grew up listening to all different kinds of music. Jack is very heavily influenced by bluegrass since his dad played in a bluegrass band. Garrett loves bluegrass, too, country, all that side of things. Ryan, our bass player, loves the punk scene. I love classic rock and blues. So we all just got together and made that our own sound called American music.
You just described it: your music blends bluegrass, country, and rock. So would you say that the fusion was rather natural than intentional?
Jack Wharff: It was so natural because each of the people in this band plays such a big part in this band. So the influences are unmistakable because everyone plays such a big part. Ryan on the bass, you can see where his influences are, Evan when he’s soloing, me and how I play rhythm, and obviously G when he’s drumming.
Garrett Howell: We just got together and played, and it just worked. So it was a really cool a-ha moment when we all sat down together for the first time.
Jack Wharff: Not to just beat a dead horse into the ground, but I do have to say: when we started, we were never calling ourselves country or trying to fit into some kind of narrative when we started. So anything we all like, we just keep going with it.
How is it in Europe so far for you guys? You are playing your Country to Country debut in Berlin and Rotterdam, but also stepping foot in the UK and Ireland. What can fans expect when coming to see you guys?
Evan Novoa: Well, it was so awesome flying into here. It’s like a whole different planet, too. This is our first time ever in Europe. And we woke up this morning, and you see all the road signs are in a different language, especially in Germany. And we have our manager, Mason, here. He’s taking us around town to show us all the spots he knows. But our live shows are always full of energy. I feel like if you hear our songs on Spotify, you can’t really imagine what a live show would be like. But once you go, you’re just having the best time of your life, especially because we are on stage too. We hope that translates over to our fans, too.
You live in the city of music. What are your typical hangout spots when you are in Nashville? Share some of your secret tips for tourists and visitors to Nashville.
Garrett Howell: I think my favorite, my wife and I, we love to go to Love Circle. So it’s really just this giant grass hill. You walk up to the top, and you can see the entire city. You can see all the lights. You just go up there, you just hang out. I think that’s the spot I always take my parents to. I took my grandma up there and she loved it.
Jack Wharff: I think one of the best food spots there is Joyland.
Everyone: *laughs*
Jack Wharff: They don’t like it.
Evan Novoa: We just ate too much.
Jack Wharff: But I think a lot of people will like Joyland. The first time we came down there, Mason, our manager, showed us Joyland, and I never stopped liking it.
Evan Novoa: I guess it technically is in Nashville, but it’s a little south. But I love Leiper’s Fork and the Franklin area a lot. It’s very rural. They have a lot of live music out there, too. Another spot I haven’t been to yet, but these guys have, is the 12 South Tap Room.
Garrett Howell: 12 South Tap Room on Mondays. Check out Chris Cappazzulli and Friends. It’s a big bluegrass jam on Mondays at 12 South Tap Room.
Jack Wharff: If you want to go to Nashville and see what the locals do on the weekends, Leiper’s Fork. You’ll see anybody there. From Noah Kahan to Josh Sloan. I saw Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit there. That’s where everyone hangs out.
Evan Novoa: It’s so nice and chill there. You’re not bombarded by the crazy Broadway life.
Jack Wharff: *laughs* Are we giving away a secret? Should we not say that?
Evan Novoa: *laughs* No! Don’t go there! It sucks! It sucks!
Let’s talk about music. Your new EP, Strange, will be out next week. How are we feeling about that?
Evan Novoa: Basically, with Strange, that is a very personal and more vulnerable side of us. We just moved down to Nashville. Just learning and getting more into adulthood, deeper and deeper. And getting into the side of our passion and our dream. It’s a love song too. Missing places, too. But also just experiencing the change that’s happening in your life. So it’s very honest. It’s very vulnerable and very authentic to us.
How does the songwriting process usually look for you as a band? How do you create a song like “Strange” or the EP in general?
Jack Wharff: It took us a while. Maybe even years. We found people in Nashville. We get down with them. We get in there. Honestly, these people that we’re close with, we just talk for an hour before anything happens. We have a little therapy session. We only write real music that actually feels like something to us.
That song, the conversation at the time, that day, was a lot about missing home. A lot of being like, when I go back home to Virginia, it’s nice, but everybody’s kind of moved on. It’s weird to go back now when I’m trying to pick up where we left off and everyone’s way farther gone. It’s really as real as it can get, just talking and then trying to find how to get that emotion, the feeling, the words into a song that a lot of people will like, including ourselves.
Evan Novoa: It’s also incredibly collaborative. You’ll see on this EP that there are two songs that have features on them. We’re really excited about that, too. That’s our first time doing that as well. There’s definitely going to be more to come as well. Just learning that too.
How was it working with Ketch Secor and Solon Holt?
Jack Wharff: So fun. Ketch is like a dream come true to work with. I grew up listening to him like “Wagon Wheel”, everybody knows that tune, or “Motel in Memphis”, a lot of the greats that my dad raised me on. So when we got to work with him, it was like a dream come true, seriously.
There is a title track on your upcoming EP, Strange. Was the song created first and the EP built around that, or how did that come about?
Garrett Howell: I think we wrote “Strange”, and then I was like “Oh, this is a really, really good song. It’s real, it’s vulnerable, it’s us“. Then we had some other songs on the EP, and we thought that these would work awesome together. Then we did the one with Ketch, and we knew this was the EP; they all fit the Strange vibe. So we were like, “Strange, isn't it?”
The EP is our second EP, but I think our heart and soul are in it. We really dug deep for all of these. Kind of like what the boys were saying, we don’t write anything but real music. All the songs are real life; they are our story. I don’t think I would have it any other way.
Evan Novoa: One cool thing to note about the song “Strange” in particular: we were writing that and pouring our hearts out, like, “Hey, this was the snapshot, this was this memory”. We were like, "Well, what’s this song even called?" while we were just talking about places. The chords are going along with it; it’s just kind of moody. We were writing with Joe Clemens, and he goes, “Yeah, the sound is just strange”. So we were like, “That‘s the title.” So we just threw that in the song. It fits so well with everything we’re talking about.
Speaking of other artists and songwriting: what is a song by another artist that you wish you wrote or where you’d love to hop on?
Garrett Howell: Mine’s easy. “Where the Red Fern Grows” by J.R. Carroll. I think that song is one of my favorite songs of all time. We actually met J.R. pretty recently, and he’s such a good guy. And that song right there just kind of hits you right in the chin.
Evan Novoa: We’d love to collab, J.R.
Out of the songs you released so far, what is a song that you feel captures the essence of The Jack Wharff Band the most, and the one you want to be remembered by?
Jack Wharff: Yeah, that’s an easy answer. I think it’s “Washed”. I think everybody in this band would say that. That is literally the one song I hope does well forever, and the one I want people to think on more. It’s the song about how everything changed for us: meeting God, meeting Jesus personally, and living differently because of Him. That’s what that song’s about, and that’s what we’re about now, which is so awesome.
Garrett Howell: Yeah, I mean, “Washed” is our story. It’s Jack’s story, it’s my story, it’s Ryan’s story, it’s Evan’s. It’s just us, and how Jesus really did come in and completely change our whole view on music. So “Washed” is the one.
The dynamic between you seems really special. But being in a group, or even in a friend group, can get difficult sometimes. What is the strangest or most absurd argument you ever had?
Garrett Howell: That’s a good question.
Evan Novoa: There’s got to be one between Ryan and me. Ryan and I go back and forth so much, even though we don’t really argue. I don’t really argue with any of you guys. I just get mad at Ryan sometimes. *laughs*
Garrett Howell: You also live with him.
Jack Wharff: Let’s do the John Mayer thing.
Evan Novoa: My favorite artist of all time is John Mayer. I don’t care what anyone says.
Jack Wharff: *laughs*
Evan Novoa: His music is so good. I grew up with it. Continuum came out the year I was born. And I listened to it throughout my whole childhood. And Garrett just hates me.
Garrett Howell: No, hold on, hold on.
Evan Novoa: He has nothing against John. He just hates me.
Garrett Howell: I think there is nothing wrong with his music. I just like making fun of you because you're such a big fan.
One more question for you guys. Next to the release of your EP, Strange, what excites you the most about the future of The Jack Wharff Band?
Jack Wharff: I’ve been working on this album thing since, I mean, genuinely since I started playing music. Really starting to act as if it’s coming out tomorrow, when we first got on that tour with Max McNown back in October or September. So it’s the culmination of who we are. It’s the album. It’s the biggest thing that we’re going to do ever, period, since we picked up this music and started posting online. So I’m so excited for that.
Garrett Howell: You can only release your first album once. Very, very much looking forward to that. Looking forward to more shows. Looking forward to just getting on the road more.
Evan Novoa: I’m really looking forward to our live setups and stage design as well. We finally started to get more creative in that sense, where we used to kind of go out and just be like, “What’s up, what’s up?” But now I think we’re like: “What are the little things we can do?” So stay tuned for some cool stage props.
Jack Wharff: You’re not going to want to miss a live show ever.
Evan Novoa: And we’re going to be jumping around a ton, of course.
Andy: Thank you so much for taking the time today! I had a blast.
Jack Wharff: Of course.
Evan Novoa: Yeah, absolutely. This was so fun.
CHECK OUT THEIR NEWEST EP STRANGE HERE:
INTERVIEW BY
Andy
(Live) music is one of my biggest passions, which is why I enjoy exploring pop culture in my writings. From analyzing albums to reviewing concerts. I'm especially interested in fandom culture, which often comes through in my work.
PHOTOS BY
Lilly Marie
I am a music photographer with a passion for capturing raw emotions and storytelling through live performances and artist portraits. My work focuses on creating authentic and visually compelling moments that connect artists with their audience.
