We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jesse Sunga. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jesse below.

Jesse, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with something countless entrepreneurs have had to figure out on the fly – how have you dealt with the rise of remote work?

I made the move to Nashville from Atlanta in February 2020. The world shut down March 2020. Playing live shows has been my bread and butter for a majority of my music career and that was brought to a standstill. Music was still alive and well; people were playing at home, perfecting their craft. And with all of the free time a lot of music was being written. Luckily enough, I had some friends reach out to me needing guitar parts recorded. I have never really stepped into the recording/production side of the industry so it was time for me to learn out of necessity. I purchased a Focusrite audio interface and was off to the races. With the help of friends, family, and YouTube I developed my own little production setup in my bedroom and was ready to work. Once I got the hang of things I started to advertise remote-recording as a service. It has led to many great opportunities from local artists to even working with musicians in Portugal. This is how the band “Staff” began. My friend, Zeke Brown, and I started posting little songs online and eventually collaborated with enough people to start a band. Our first album to be completed very soon. So despite all of the negatives Covid has brought upon us, there was some light to be had.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Jesse Sunga. I’m a Filipino-American residing in Nashville, TN. I play guitar. I was primarily a bedroom player until 2014 where I played a few songs in a live band. Since then I’ve been hooked.

Like many guitarist, we all have a slide laying around for that one song or so. I recall being/feeing musically stagnant one day so I put the slide on and kept it on (metaphorically). When I realized I was able to play “normal” guitar riffs and imitate a singers voice I became obsessed (and still am). I truly fell in love with the sound and thankfully other people thought I was decent at it.

The slides unique sound allowed me to meet and play with a plethora of musicians. From live shows to recording studios it kept me pretty busy and out of trouble. Currently I’ve been writing/recording original music with Atlanta based band “Staff” as well as on my own solo work. Additionally, this summer, I am playing local Americana/Folk shows with Nashville based artist Lorie Jo Bridges.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe being persistent, professional, and genuine allows me frequent gigs. In a town where everyone is strung full of talent and passionate at their instrument it can be difficult to stand out. However along with musical talent, being personable and easy to work with speaks greatly. A lot of musicians get a bad reputation for living that “rock n roll” lifestyle. Showing up inebriated or late to a rehearsal (or worse, a show) speaks louder than words and makes everyone in the band/crew look bad. But keeping your word, doing your homework, and showing up is what gets you hired repeatedly. At the end of the day, it is a (fun) job.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I consider getting to meet and play with many musicians to be the most rewarding aspect. There’s no greater high than playing with a group of people and creating a new jam or song. I strongly believe music is a language where you either get it or you don’t. I enjoy listening to various genres and love meeting people of different cultures and their music. It is a sonic adventure with enough sounds to last multiple lifetimes. Additionally we do work with other creatives, such as graphic designers and photographers, who in their part have a whole universe of their own. Let’s just say I have a lot of ground to cover and appreciate.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessejsunga
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessesungamusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jessesmusic830

Image Credits
Brittany Nicholson Phil Silverberg Ross Lenenski Rhonda Windham Allie Lamb Koty Allen