The Eden-born “The Voice” candidate Jacob Miller plays Fond du Lac

Vancouver

FOND DU LAC – Former “The Voice” candidate Jacob Miller is back on tour and now he’s back for a number of shows in his home state of Wisconsin.

Born in Eden, he was a participant in the 18th season of the American singing competition, and although he did not win, his musical ventures are far from over.

The artist, now based in Portland, Oregon, is preparing to release a new album and is back touring shows across the country – including shows in Fond du Lac and the surrounding areas in the Midwest for the first time since the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic began.

“Before COVID-19, I used to call myself a full-time touring musician,” Miller said. “Things have changed drastically with the pandemic and navigation through the world of love music, but music is still my life.”

Miller’s love for music began as a child. Born into a musical family, Miller acquired his musical tastes at a young age due to the influence of his family. He spent time listening to early jazz, folk, and ragtime, and as a teenager loaned his singing and guitar playing to his church choir and several bands.

“My family is relatively musical, my aunt Rosie led the church choir in Eden for a long time, and my grandfather Jimmie Braun was a pianist and also performed in the Eden area. He and my grandmother Jeanne died before I was born. “But I’ve always romanticized them and I feel very connected to them through music,” he said. “They would perform, write and sing together. I draw a lot of my musical inspiration from both. “

Miller moved to Portland in 2009 and less than a year later he was traveling across North America picking up new styles of music and supporting World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, according to his website.

In Oregon, he wrote songs for six years and was the lead singer for a six-piece band called Jacob Miller and the Bridge City Crooners. The group broke up in 2017 and two years later Miller released his debut solo album “This New Home” with the help of a Kickstarter campaign. In the same year he graced stages not only in the Midwest, but also in Europe.

In 2020 he was asked to audition for NBC’s “The Voice” singing competition. The Wisconsin native was hesitant at first, believing his artistic skills “didn’t really match the pop star, but he tried anyway and wowed the jury with” The Times They Are A-Changin, “by Bob Dylan.

Judges Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, and Nick Jonas all fought to have him on their team, but in the end he picked Jonas. He won his “Battle Round”, but when she took on 17-year-old Allegra Miles, whom he describes as a “sweet kid,” in the knockout rounds, she was crowned the winner. The victory is deserved, he said.

Although he didn’t win, the coaches praised Miller for his tone, precise pitch and originality, Miller said. Miller’s goal was to remain his authentic self throughout the process and not change into the forms he believed wanted to create.

Now with the competition behind him, new fans following, and some COVID-19 issues in the rearview mirror, Miller is determined to get back on stage and create new music at the same time.

“I usually travel, perform and / or collaborate with others most of the year,” said Miller -19. I have a new album in January 2022 called ‘Around My Head’. “

The pandemic didn’t stop Miller from creating new music, and he spent time preparing his new music, putting the drop early next year.

“I spent the spring and winter of 2020 recording the new music in Vancouver, Washington, with a team of brilliant composers and musicians – several people on the team are Grammy-winning engineers / composers,” he said. “I love songwriting and writing authentic and sincere music is the most important thing to me.”

Although the pandemic is still ongoing and concerns about the new Delta variant mounting, Miller looks forward to getting back on stage and reconnecting with his fans.

“On this tour in August, I’m going to be in the Midwest and then I’m going to the East Coast. It will be my first tour of New York City as a solo artist, which is exciting and I’ve been really looking forward to it. I love the act of performing.” and having this exchange with an audience. Every performance is different in its own way, when you see live music this exchange is just something very special and special. “

Even though Miller is excited to perform on the east coast, he still loves the state of Wisconsin very much.

“It’s a picturesque and very beautiful place. In my own experience, people have an interesting relationship where they grow up. As a child, many people dream of experiencing new things and moving away from their place of birth.” ,” he said.

Although he has lived and loved Oregon for more than 12 years, he misses a lot about his home state.

“I miss the seasons in Wisconsin. I love autumn, my family is still in Wisconsin, and I also miss the thunderstorms – we don’t get them on the west coast. I still have a lot of state. I’m proud of Wisconsin and proudly represent the green and gold. I have this shabby old Green Bay packer hat that I wear all the time on my travels and in everyday life. It’s quite a conversation starter on the West Coast, I still have a lot of love for Wisconsin. “

Miller kicked off his shows in Milwaukee on Thursday at Pete’s Pops Shed. The remaining shows take place on the following dates:

August 13 – Open House, Milwaukee
August 15 – Backyard Show, Fond du Lac
August 18 – The robbery, Ripon
August 20 – Owen Park Bandshell, Eau Claire
August 21 – Open House, Chicago
August 23 – Open House, Chicago
August 24 – Woodbury Brewing Co., Woodbury, Connecticut
August 25 – The Cutting Room, New York City
August 28 – Jaan’s House, Nashville

For more information on Miller and his tour, visit jacobmillermusic.net.

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