We were lucky to catch up with Jordan Stoute recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jordan , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
I created Jayebird Bookings to pave a path for independent artists who need something in-between being completely DIY and signing to a large agency. Something without a long-term, exclusive contract. This leaves them in the driver’s seat of deciding who is on their team and exactly how long/how much they want to invest in additional support.
There are so many full-time musicians or musicians just starting out who need someone on their team advocating for them, but can’t seem to get the attention of agents only working with big names. If they’re not making a substantial amount on their own, no agent is going to work for 10% of very little to nothing when big name over there is raking in the big bucks. That’s where I come in, I’m a building-block– a stepping-stone for musicians to help them break into new markets and eventually evolve into something more sustainable for long-term success.
As a songwriter, recording artist, and performer myself I know first-hand what it’s like to be the one singing for free beer while no one listens. Those gigs are needed for paying your dues and getting good at what you do, but at some point, it’s got to become sustainable if you’re looking at musicianship as a career and not a hobby.
I find purpose in advocating for the indie scene because I know it’s full of hard-working, humble, and real people just trying to make a dream happen. They are people who want bigger for themselves, to break out of the typical 9-5 matrix. It’s brave, and because that world is so full of dreamers there are snakes lurking around every corner ready to take advantage. I’ve had it happen to me. I’ve seen it happen to others. I’ve learned exactly how not to run a business first-hand through previous work experience. Safe places in the industry are few and far between for independent artists, and I take great pride in choosing to make that my niche.
Jordan , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hi! My name is Jordan Stoute, and I’m a 27 year old entrepreneur, business owner, songwriter, recording artist, and performer! I grew up with a bubbly force of creative energy and a lack of patience for being told what to do. As I evolved to my current self, I discovered a love of singing & performing. I was the quintessential theater kid. For a second there I really thought I was the second-coming of Rachel Berry from Glee. This lead me to pursue Commercial Music at Belmont University where I graduated with a degree in, essentially, singing. I also gained an understanding of the business side of things there as well. College didn’t teach me near as much about the industry and human-nature though as actually working one-on-one with artists with multiple agencies since graduating.
I found a love of the hustle and bustle, wheeling and dealing, and the general organized chaos of working within the music industry. During this time, I recorded a debut album with my twin sister Madison at Revolver Recordings in LA with Grammy-Award-winning producer Mikal Blue, co-produced by Dean Dinning of Toad the Wet Sprocket. This landed us placements in platforms such as Medium, Today in Nashville, and Tennessee Star. Along with this, we signed a sync deal with Rock Salt Music and got some exclusive spins in stores such as Abercrombie & Old Navy. Our band is called Jaye Madison! @jayemadisonband
After a series of fateful events, I took the leap of working for myself. I was already doing what I am doing now for other people, I just had to take the risk of jumping into the full-time business owner thing. So far, I have absolutely no regrets. Looking back on my journey here, it makes complete sense I went the entrepreneur route. I have my own way of doing things, and I have major self-discipline to get results. If I had to hear one more, “everyone go around the room and tell us a fun fact about yourself” from a dead-end job I hated, I was going to lose my mind. I hate corporate culture, unnecessary urgency, and power-hungry supervisors. I decided to be my own supervisor. At least I know what to expect with myself. I now answer to only my clients. They’re awesome. No middle man, just me doing my thing. It’s the best!
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
So far all of my growth has been completely organic. I am a firm believer in never forcing anything and letting business naturally ebb and flow. You won’t find me cold DMing or emailing anyone. I work completely on word-of-mouth & referrals. I’ll also respond to general postings of people in Facebook groups looking for an agent. This usually causes an influx of interest to my email when people within the group see my comment. I’m against high-pressure selling. Even if it’s a slow month for me, that’s not an artist’s problem. It’s up to me to figure out how to hit my goals. I’ll do a call, tell them about me, give them time to look over everything and send a few follow ups. If I don’t hear back, I just let it be. I never place all my eggs in one basket. So far, the right artists find me. It’s very effortless when what you offer is aligned with what someone is looking for. It’s all very organic. I never want to feel like an obnoxious car salesman. My price is my price, my service is my service, it either fits or it doesn’t. I don’t haggle or convince. I’m all about quality over quantity. I nurture my client relationships to create long-term artists on my roster. Quick client turnover and the stressful need to constantly bring in new business is a recipe for disaster and just not sustainable. It makes more sense to do my absolute best for ten consistent clients over and over again than needing to find constant income replacements. Slow and steady growth while providing quality service is what I’m about.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I learned that when I’m walking down a wrong path for myself, I can always take a detour. Within two years of time, I lost my grandmother, uncovered betrayal from a long-term mentor, lived through an unthinkable betrayal from a person very close to me personally, experienced job loss, financial strain, and constant no’s from any potential job or music opportunity I was coming across. For the most part, 2023 sucked, and Jayebird Bookings saved me.
I eventually got tired of knocking on doors just for them to be shut in my face, so I built my own damn door!
I was pretty much at an all time low at the time I decided to start Jayebird Bookings. I thought, “What do I have to lose? I’m already starting from ground zero.” They say rock bottom is the best place to start over! 5 Months later, I am making more than I was in my previous position. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I took the risk, and it’s working. I just had to believe in myself. I couldn’t have done it without the support from my husband, Ian, who encourages my ideas & embraces calculated risks.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jayebirdbookings.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayebirdbookings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Jayebird-Bookings/61550753735015/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jayebirdbookings
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayemadisonband
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JayeMadisonBand
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/jayemadisonband/ https://jayemadison.com/