From Tokyo Trains to Sunset Strip Nights: The Rise of Jack West

From Tokyo Trains to Sunset Strip Nights: The Rise of Jack West

Jack West has lived more musical lives at twenty‑one than most artists twice his age. From a chance encounter with Eddie Vedder at twelve that launched him onto a stadium stage, to modeling runways at the United Nations, to a packed room of fans waiting for him in Tokyo, West has carved out a career built on instinct, fearlessness, and a refusal to let anyone else define him. Now bi‑coastal between New York and Los Angeles — and stepping onto the iconic We Found New Music stage at Hotel Ziggy — he arrives with a new album that feels like the moment everything clicks into place. This is Jack West stepping fully into his own story.

You’ve been traveling quite a bit lately, and one of your recent stops was Japan. Tell me about playing there — what was the highlight of that trip?
The Japan trip came together really suddenly. I had a few followers on Instagram telling me, “Come to Japan, come to Japan,” and eventually a venue called the Ruby Room in Shibuya reached out. I was already planning to go to Paris for a few weeks to see a friend and do some modeling, so I just added Japan to the trip.

I honestly had no idea what to expect — the turnout, whether anyone would know me, anything. But when I showed up, I was shocked. The room was full, and there were even girls who took a nine‑hour train ride just to see me. That blew my mind. People knew who I was, wanted photos, knew what I’d been doing the past couple of years.

The show went great. Everyone was super kind — very shy, but very sweet. And yeah, I definitely stood out because I’m tall and white, but the whole experience was amazing. I’m already planning to go back, hopefully this fall. I want to return ASAP.

Tonight you’re playing Hotel Ziggy for We Found New Music. What are you looking forward to most about performing at this iconic showcase?
I’ve known about the shows at Hotel Ziggy for years, but when Grant Owens messaged me, that really got my attention. I already knew who he was because I’m a big fan of Yungblud, and I’d heard the story about how Yungblud came to LA, played for Grant, and things really took off for him.

So when Grant reached out, I was like, “Okay, I have to do this.” He’s clearly a big presence in the LA music scene, and I wanted to show him what I can do. I think a lot of people are coming out tonight, and the other artists seem cool, so I’m expecting a great show.

Pick two songs you might be playing tonight — preferably new ones — and tell me the inspiration behind them.
There’s one song I’m playing tonight that doesn’t have a title yet. I started writing it two or three months ago, and I literally finished it two days ago. It’ll be on my third album — I’m almost done with it, and the first single drops in June.

The song is kind of a slower ballad, very Zack Bryan/Americana‑inspired. It’s about drinking and how it messed up a relationship with a girl I used to see. One of the lines is, “When I taste tequila, baby, I still see ya in that white dress you wore down by the shoreline.” You’ll hear it tonight.

Another one is “Just Want My Way.” I think I played it for you at Hotel Café. It’ll also be on the third album. I wrote it a couple months after I moved to New York at eighteen. It’s another song about a girl — she didn’t live in New York but would come visit me. Things didn’t work out, and the song is about being young in the city, going to lower Manhattan, getting messed up, and figuring out life. You’ll hear that one tonight too.

You sang with Eddie Vedder when you were twelve. What was that experience like, and have you talked to him since?
Singing with Eddie Vedder at twelve definitely changed my life. It opened a lot of doors. Pearl Jam fans — especially in Seattle — still follow me and come to shows wherever I am. When I was in Tokyo recently, Eddie actually played the night before, so I got to see the show, but I didn’t get to talk to him.

The last time we spoke was in 2021, so it’s been a while. The whole story is wild — I ran into him in a hotel lobby in Nashville in 2017. I asked for a picture, then straight‑up asked if I could sing with him that night. I showed him a clip, and an hour later I was backstage in his trailer practicing the song.

My family watched from the side of the stage, and near the end of the show he brought me out in front of thirty thousand people. Billboard covered it, I was on the Today Show — it was surreal.

But I’m twenty‑one now, and I don’t want that to be the thing people know me for. It was a moment that shaped me, but I’ve come a long way since then.

Somewhere along the way, you also crossed paths with Martha Stewart. How did that even happen — and what was she like?
Yeah, that was a wild one. I did a runway show for a designer named Andy Yu — he’s a Chinese designer who held a show at the United Nations headquarters. I went to the casting, landed the job, walked the show, and he really took a liking to me.

About a week later, I ended up at his house for Fourth of July. He and his husband were super kind, very successful, and he sort of took me under his wing. Not officially as a manager, but he started bringing me to events and introducing me to people.

Somewhere in that mix, I got introduced to Martha Stewart — they’re neighbors. A month later, I was asked to perform at her birthday party upstate. Clive Davis was there, Martha was there, and everyone seemed to love the set. Martha has a reputation for being tough, but she was incredibly nice to me. Amazing food, amazing drinks, amazing vibes. Definitely a one‑in‑a‑million experience.

Let’s talk about the present. Tell me about the new album — what can people expect, and who are you working with?
I’ve got about twelve songs I’ve been working on for the past year and a half, since fall 2024. My second album was very electronic — I was sixteen, experimenting, figuring things out. Looking back, I’m not super proud of that one, even though at the time I thought it was awesome.

This new album is different. It’s more acoustic‑leaning but still very pop and rock driven — even a little punk‑pop‑rock in places. Most of the songs are inspired by things I’ve gone through in the last two or three years, especially since moving to New York at eighteen.

I’m working with Barrett Jones, the producer from Seattle who did Nirvana, Foo Fighters, The National — he produced my first record too. He was kind enough to help me with this new batch of songs, and we’re almost done.

The first single, “California Conversations,” comes out in June. It’s inspired by my girlfriend, who’s ten years older than me and lives right over there. The vibe of the album is full‑band, guitar‑driven, real vocals, real melodies — not synthetic. You can expect a steady run of singles all summer and fall.

This feels like it could be the defining Jack West album.
I hope so. And I’m not just saying that — I really think these songs are top‑notch. Writing lyrics is my strongest suit, and I’m proud of how these turned out. I’m confident they’ll do well, and I hope this becomes a major turning point for me.

You’ve been performing since you were twelve. Now you’re bi‑coastal between LA and New York, you’ve played Japan — what advice would you give a younger kid reading this who wants to do what you’re doing?
The biggest thing is to chase what you want in life. Growing up, not many kids from my school were supportive. People made fun of me, I didn’t have a lot of friends — all that stuff. So I learned early on that you have to wear what you want, write what you want, and not let anyone else dictate your path.

Even my dad tried to influence me — he wanted me to grow my hair long, and I did for a while. I had hair down to here. But when I was seventeen, I cut it all off. I didn’t want to look like Ozzy Osbourne. I also worked with a big marketing agency when I was fourteen, and I don’t work with them anymore either.

Now that I’m older — well, twenty‑one — I’ve realized you just have to do what you want. Don’t let anyone tell you who to be or what to do. That’s the key.

In Conclusion

As Jack West gears up for the release of his third album, there’s a sense that the years of wandering, experimenting, and growing up in public have led him exactly here. The new songs are raw, melodic, and unapologetically his — the sound of an artist no longer shaped by expectation but by conviction. Whether he’s playing to fans who rode nine hours across Japan, performing at Martha Stewart’s birthday party, or lighting up the Sunset Strip, West carries the same message he hopes younger artists will hear: trust yourself, chase the life you want, and don’t let anyone else write your script. If this album is the turning point he believes it is, Jack West is only getting started.

(Interview by Ken Morton – Photos by Scott Waters)

Jack West on Instagram