Meet Jay Maybry

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

Hi Jay, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?

I started running about 9 years ago which was not long after I started playing guitar and writing songs. I’m a firm believer that physical health and mental health have reciprocal benefits. I use the mental clarity that comes after a run as well to foster any critical thinking about a song or an idea for a song.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’ve been traveling the country for the last 30 years as a NASCAR crew member. Most of that tenure has been in the role of a hauler driver. That experience has exposed me to many different cultures, landscapes, and personalities. I use these experiences and relationships in my songwriting as well as the hours of travel time to develop ideas and lyrics. Most of my songs have been written behind a windshield.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

In my journey as a songwriter specifically, the three most influential experiences I’ve had are loneliness, homesickness, and down time. These aren’t areas of knowledge, qualities, or skills per se but they’re certainly conducive to songwriting. My advice to myself and to any one wanting to write songs is write what you know about. It sounds oversimplified but the best songs and lyrics come from the most genuine places.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

My biggest source of inspiration and encouragement comes primarily from other songwriters. I try to attend and participate in as many open mics as I can. In particular those that encourage original material. The networking and performance interactions at open mics lead to booking gigs. There’s nothing that I’ve found to be as critical to the development of the songwriting craft than playing out. And the more you do the easier it becomes and the better you get at it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: jaymaybry
• Facebook: Jay Maybry
• Youtube: Jay Maybry
• Other: Jay Maybry Band on streaming services.

Image Credits

Mark Tebalt