We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jason Damico. Check out our conversation below.
Jason, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
Content, content, content—did I say content?!? I’ve recently hit a nice stride of virality on TikTok and am continuing to ride the wave. That’s taking up a fair amount of my time these days but I’m loving it. I had a video so far hit 1.2M views where I’m impersonating Fred Durst at Woodstock ’99. From there, it’s just turned into dozens of other impersonation/impression requests from new followers trickling in daily. It’s great to connect with so many wonderful new followers and fans on there.
Besides that, I recently closed on our tour bus as of a couple of months ago. That’s also been a lot of fun, but an incredible amount of learning involved as this is our first one. You can follow me with these new exciting adventures on my YouTube with the vlog series ‘Rolling with Big White.’
And on top of that, I still do everything necessary to keep the business afloat, booking shows, maintaining recording projects for clients in the studio, as well as writing and recording my own music. It’s a lot but I love it!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a proud Raleigh, NC native and grew up in an art-appreciative household.
My mom played classical piano from an early age and my dad played guitar in various bands throughout high school. They both pursued careers outside of the arts but always encouraged and supported me in my creative proclivities and endeavors.
There were always instruments laying around the house. I began tinkering around with the piano as a toddler. But ultimately, I showed an innate love for percussion and drumming—so my parents started taking me to drum lessons at around four years old.
My first professional acting job was, of all things, as a baby model at 18 months old. Someone approached my mom and said they needed a mother/infant pair for a magazine shoot. So that was my first official paid gig! I still find that funny to this day.
Mom had gotten me into some reputable agencies in NC. I continued to build credits as a childhood actor for both regional and national TV commercials and films. I enjoyed taking classes and performing in Raleigh’s own productions at Theatre in the Park, Raleigh Little Theatre, North Carolina Theatre, etc. They played a tremendous part in my training and development as a performer.
A big music “a-ha” moment for me happened when I was 12 and my dad introduced me to Deep Purple. We were going on a road trip and stopped at a Barnes & Noble to pick up some music for the drive (this was at a time when they still had many CDs for sale). I remember him just scanning an album with five dreary and out-of-focus figures on it. He put the headphones on me as Highway Star faded in and my mind immediately exploded. I was like, “whatever this is, I have to do it.”
In high school, I started to play guitar more and became obsessed with Stevie Ray Vaughan. I wanted to be him. Looking back on it now it was kind of hilarious. But I was the kid literally up until the wee hours of the morning on school nights playing along to his records. I’d watch videos of him on YouTube set at half-speed with the screen flipped upside down—this way I could study every subtlety of his hands from his POV. I was hooked.
After high school, I took a gap year to just record and play music. I had formed The Jason Damico Trio when I was 16. Eventually, it would become Jason Damico & The New Blue—the name that still stands to this day. We were playing anywhere and everywhere in the Triangle just trying to gain traction and experience. Around that time, I also won my first Carolina Music Award for Youth Male Artist of the Year in 2011.
At 19, I self-produced/performed and released my first record Blood, Sweat & Blues. This would eventually land me a management deal in NYC as well as help me acquire contacts within the Triangle Blues Society. I won The Triangle Blues Society Solo Challenge in 2014 and advanced to compete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.
Towards the end of my gap year, my pro-education parents lovingly coaxed me into obtaining a college degree. They always told me, “we don’t care what you get it in, but you’re getting something—you’ll always have it in your back pocket.” And with folks that are literal part-shareholders of your business, I figured it wouldn’t be wise to ignore such an admonition.
I had toured Berklee College of Music in Boston, Julliard, and PACE in NYC, but the atmospheres just didn’t feel quite right for me. I was a homeschooled kid throughout most of my life, so I wanted something much more flexible than I could do on my time while pursuing my career and building credits. Hence, William Peace University’s School of Professional Studies Program in Raleigh came into the picture.
In 2013, I enrolled in WPU’s SPS program, which essentially allowed me to obtain a Bachelor’s in Business with a Focus in Leadership entirely online. This would allow me to travel freely back and forth from NYC during production pilot seasons as well as tour with the band.
It took me nearly six years to finish my degree while continuing my career pursuits—but I was able to graduate Summa Cum Laude while also maintaining enough music industry presence to take home another Carolina Music Award for Rock Male Artist of the Year in 2015.
After graduating from WPU in 2019, I was ready to take on the world. With classwork and exams finally behind me, I was in the process of fully relocating to NYC as well as looking forward to touring the US blues-rock circuit with undivided attention and commitment.
And then the pandemic hit.
While the world was shut down, I tried the best I could to stay positive and productive. I had already started The Jason Damico Show in 2019—but in 2020, I saw a tremendous opportunity to keep the momentum moving via Zoom.
The show became a lifesaver. Not only was it a way to document stories of incredible artists and creative entrepreneurs in NC, but it also built relationships internationally. Over 130+ episodes in, I have learned so much from a diverse pool of talented people—from all walks of life. It has single-handedly been one of the biggest blessings for me personally and professionally.
Throughout the pandemic, I also wrote/recorded new music and produced other artists remotely. I landed some great UGC commercial contract work for companies like TikTok, 1-800 Flowers, Wolf & Shepherd, Adobe, and many other great brands.
As things began to slowly open up again, I was fortunate enough to work with legendary blues-rock icons such as Eric Gales, Gary Hoey, Kenny Aronoff, etc. on some recent single releases—one of which would garner a new career milestone with four GRAMMY® Considerations.
I’m constantly juggling a multitude of opportunities spanning different sectors within the industry. I’ll be honest, sometimes I wish I wasn’t as spread out as I am. It’s a lot to manage even with multiple managers and agents working alongside me. But I always knew from a young age that I would never work a traditional 9-5 and the only desk you’d find me behind is one with a recording console on it.
The bottom line is I love what I do—even if I don’t know exactly what it is that I do at times. But that’s precisely the magic of the arts and entrepreneurship. And all of my fellow artists reading will know exactly what I mean when I say that “you don’t choose this path—it chooses you.”
Regarding the business and brand specifically, the three main career passions in my life at this point are music, acting, and production. My umbrella company New Blue Entertainment, LLC handles my intellectual property as a recording artist/creative while also operating and managing a multi-room recording studio and production house located in the Triangle near Jordan Lake. It also serves as a label and oversees coordination for all live music events and touring for Jason Damico & The New Blue.
I started dabbling in music production after having a few negative experiences early on with outside producers. At around 15, I began building my own recording studio. I did everything I could to push myself more and more in learning the process.
I told myself that I would always be “the artist’s producer” and proudly adopted that mantra because I wanted to treat every artist with empathy and respect.
I’d further learn how to do this at Manifold Recording Studios in Pittsboro, NC—which I was blessed to intern at for a little over a year while in college. Working in a world-class
environment like that helped me develop and refine proper studio etiquette, problem-solving skills, and overall understanding of the music production process.
As a songwriter and recording artist, I resonate most with organic music—specifically rock and blues. But I love all genres. I just try to take a little bit of everything that I like and create something with a touch of originality. A great song is a great song—especially when it can effectively communicate and inspire others in some way, shape, or form that is relatable.
Growing up as an actor, I always felt comfortable in front of a camera and on set. I’ve also spent a significant amount of time behind the camera directing various projects as well as editing in post-production. Wearing so many different hats generates an experiential advantage.
There’s so much that goes into the medium of film and on-screen storytelling. The more you know, the more value you can provide us as a creative asset, and the more respect/awareness you can have for everyone else involved in a project.
As a content creator, I have a huge passion for documenting people’s unique stories and experiences. The Jason Damico Show is a platform that focuses on the artistic and entrepreneurial community of the Triangle—conducting interviews in an informal yet educational and entertaining manner.
Guests have often praised the atmosphere of the show to be “healing and therapeutic”—propelling positivity into the often-negative saturated space of social media. I take great pride in effectively creating a safe space for talented people to express themselves so freely.
Ultimately, I’ve been fortunate enough to build and continue to shape a career that is dynamic with complementary passions. There’s music ubiquitously in films and TV. There are infinite performance aspects required in music. And both art forms rely heavily on production savviness, conscientiousness, and core competencies within various content creation skillsets.
Comfortably interweaving and combining those skillsets and experience banks is probably what differentiates me (and my team) the most within the arts & entertainment industry.
As of recent, one of my recent film contributions to LAWS OF MAN (created by Phil Blattenberger) is now out in selective theatres as well many of your favorite streaming platforms such as Amazon, Google Play, etc. I played a severely injured German Solider who is facing his last moment before death in a riveting scene with Jackson Rathbone and Jacob Keohane. I also had the honor of contributing an original song entitled “Torn in Two” to the soundtrack as well as my rendition of the famous Elvis song “That’s All Right.” Both songs are available for listening on all of your favorite streaming platforms such as Spotify, iTunes, etc.
Coming up, I’ve got a new single ‘Blues Star’ featuring my good friend and incredible harmonica player Tony Holiday set to drop August, 22nd 2025. This newest single is also available for pre-saving/listening on all of your favorite streaming platforms such as Spotify, iTunes, etc.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
What first comes to mind regarding my earliest memory of feeling powerful is drumming. I just remember being infatuated with the instrument and becoming more and more obsessed with it daily. There was just something about plugging in your favorite music, cranking up and getting lost and immersed in it, learning new songs, and ultimately honing the craft. Hitting skins and metal with sticks and making noise is incredibly fun—then as you mature and realize the primal impact it has on moving people and getting an audience up on their feet and moving is alluring. Even though I’m primarily a front man singing and playing guitar these days, I’ll still at heart always be a drummer first. I believe it is the most powerful and dynamic position in a band.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I love this question – I ask it to every guest on my podcast The Jason Damico Show at the end of every episode.
For me, with what I know now, I would keep it simple and say “feel good now—choose to feel good now regardless of the circumstances or whatever you are going through. You have complete control over your mind and how you perceive reality. Just continue to do what you love and feel good now—don’t focus on the how, just focus on what you want. Always look for the gold. Every adversity has within it a seed of equal or greater benefit. Everything always works out in the end, and if it isn’t worked out, it’s not the end.”
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Growing up in the entertainment industry, you come across a lot of hive mindsets that can create snares of limited belief thinking. One of the biggest is that everything has to be “perfect” before you post or release. This is the biggest lie I’ve come across. The reality is the world is constantly changing and doesn’t even really know what it is. Don’t mistaken that for universal truths and laws—those are very real and should be honored. But don’t fall for the trap that you have to have all your s*** together so to speak in order to be worthy of success. There’s no perfect time to “post”—stop overanalyzing and just take massive action. There are no shortcuts. Your determination and consistency will outweigh all of the imperfections. In baseball, you are praised and accepted in hall of fames if you maintain a .300 batting average. That means you are only making good contact 30% of the time in the major leagues! Take the pressure off yourself and allow that other 70% to foul off or strike out. It’s all part of the process and as long as you love the process you are winning.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I’ve had the unique experiences of losing many close friends in my early twenties to either cancer or car accidents. It changes you. It makes you really respect time more than the average person who hasn’t experienced that. I believe I feel a deeper and more important sense of the pricelessness of time than your typical person in their 30s. If I had any advice to offer, it would be to just stay in today and enjoy every day—whatever that means for you. Because tomorrow isn’t promised. Dream for all that you want to have and be while still accepting and loving yourself for where you are today. Life’s a constant paradox—embrace it and enjoy it. The greatest gift you can give the world is yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jasondamico.com
- Instagram: @jdamicoofficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-damico-96831262/
- Twitter: @jdamicoofficial
- Facebook: @jdamicoofficial
- Youtube: @jdamicoofficial
- Other: TikTok: @jdamicoofficial
Spotify: Jason Damico
Image Credits
New Blue Entertainment, LLC / Zachary Jenson
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