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If you are familiar with the soul scene of Nashville, then you have heard about AJ & The Jiggawatts. Born and raised in the south, AJ Eason has played in a number of bands ranging from The Spades to Space Capone since 1998 and his latest work helps spread the group’s groovy funk-rock from East Nashville to Murfreesboro and beyond. The Jiggawatts all play with other bands in the funk-soul genre, and use that musical experience to bring a deeper element to AJ & The Jiggawatt’s sound. A few days after releasing their first full-length album, which is self-titled, I had the chance to catch up with AJ of AJ & The Jiggawatts.
Q: What path did you take to get in to music?
A: I was born in Atlanta and raised in Memphis since the age of 5. I started singing around campfires and had a little bit of church in there. I went to University of Tennessee to study business and started playing drums. I released an album with a three piece band, Hitch, around 2005. Around that time I got tied in with the G.E.D. Soul Records crowd and was able to tour with the band Sky Hi in Atlanta. I then moved to Clarksville for a job, and later traveled with other bands. I moved to Nashville around 2008 and started playing with Space Capone after begging them to play percussion. I toured with them from 2009-2011and got to play a lot of festivals, including Bonnaroo. AJ & The Jiggawatts formed soon after with G.E.D. Soul Records founder Nick DeVan. DeVan plays drums, Andrew Muller, who plays with Deep Fried 5 is on guitar, and Tim Hawkins is on bass, while I made the move to the front of the stage. We pick up players along the way and for certain performances. Austin Little joins us on trombone, and Andrew Hagen joins us on saxophone. We have had the chance to tour the St. Louis and Chicago circuits, as well as the southern circuit, opening for acts such as Nappy Roots and Dirty Dozen Brass Band.