Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeremiah Stricklin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jeremiah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

For our newest single, Blue Jean Jacket, we rented out a bowling alley to film the music video. We’re an indie band, so budget is always our biggest obstacle. Also, a band our size has no business trying to make a full blown music video. It’s too expensive. But, if I’ve learned anything in my ten years pursing this career, it’s that you need to take every chance you can to make something that brings you joy. It’s such a grind getting told “no” on a daily basis or breaking your back to push the needle forward. We found a small and charming bowling alley in Birmingham Alabama. They gave us free reign to make whatever we wanted and they didn’t charge us much. Now we have this wonderful piece of our story archived in a music video. All in the name of a little bit of joy.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Erin and I started the band Oh Jeremiah about ten years ago. We always say that the lines between dating/starting a band were a bit blurry. But it all kind of happened at once. We got married in 2016 and have spent our time traveling, recording albums, and making music videos. Our newest single, Blue Jean Jacket, releases June 1 with a companion music video. We focus our songs into indie-folk stories that lean on the happier end of things. We’re in this business for life and we are enjoying every step of the process.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Everyone in our business wants to sell you something. And it’s not just our business. I swear, sometimes I feel like I have a thought, “I wish I had a new toothbrush” and then Instagram shows me an ad for Crest. We’re being sold something all the time and it’s exhausting. And in music, everyone is trying to sell you a one-way ticket. And, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that there is no silver bullet and everyone is making up the rules as they go. If you have a dollar to spend and you had to choose to spend it on a magic cure or more studio time, spend it on the studio time. The only thing worth your time and money is your craft and you should avoid anyone with a ‘for sale’ sign as long as you can.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

After Covid, Erin and I decided to make up for lost time in pandemic by buying/living in a van. We bought a sprinter van and outfitted it into a home over the course of about a year and a half. We sold all of our belongings, and prepared for the move. Two weeks before the move, though, we hit a deer on the interstate and totaled it. When we got back to our empty apartment, we realized we had to make other plans. So, we moved to Nashville instead. In the stillness that followed, I learned to collaborate with other writers and producers. Instead of being on the run, we decided to plant roots. Now we call Nashville our home. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ohjeremiah.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/oh_jeremiah
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ohjeremiahmusic
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/ohjeremiah
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/ohjeremiahmusic

Image Credits
All photos taken by Anna Shackleford