South Jersey Singer-Songwriter Series will feature profiles on active singer-songwriters living, working, and performing in the South Jersey area.
PITMAN, N.J. — It doesn’t take a Ph.D. in German Language and Literature to write clever, wry, and observant songs with titles such as “Google Jawn,” “Tony From Tycony,” “Fake News,” and the holiday offering, “Santapause,” but in singer-songwriter Jason Ager’s case, it can’t hurt.
Ager, an adjunct college professor and stay-at-home father, does not just sit down and write songs. That would take way too much attention which, he admits, he has some issues with.
Married with two children, Ager, who has been playing in bands and writing music since he was 16, said sometimes it could take years to write one song.
“Usually, I let the music tell me what kind of a song I’m writing, and then I try and let my subconscious be a part of the process by singing whatever comes to mind,” Ager said. “Sometimes, I’ll have an idea for a song, like a clever idea about something I’ve been dealing with, but I’ll need to find a chord progression and melody I like before it ever gets anywhere.”
With musical tastes ranging from G. Love and Bruce Springsteen to Hoagy Carmichael and Taj Mahal, Ager describes his music as bluesy and country with a soulful sound.
“I come from a blues/country approach these days,” he said. “But I try to be as soulful as possible, and I’ve described my music before as “Funky, Nerd-Folk,” which seems to hit the nail on the head in my opinion.”
Mostly focusing on guitar now, Ager also plays harmonica, piano, and the tuba, “Which I occasionally feature on recordings,” he said.
Ager, who grew up just outside of Northeast Philadelphia, but has lived in Vienna, Austria; Washington D.C./Northern Va; Baltimore; and currently resides in Pitman, has been actively recording and releasing music for the past ten years.
His latest, “Prime Number,” was released on Nov. 7 and can be found on Spotify.
Ager’s next show in the area will be Dec. 14 at the Pitman Gallery and Art Center in Pitman for the “Uptown and in the Round” Songwriter Series that he curates and hosts. “This round featuring Christopher Davis-Shannon, Brooke DiCaro, Camille Peruto, and myself,” he said.
Ager has a number of other live shows coming up which include:
- Dec. 4 at DC9 Nightclub in Washington, DC
- Dec. 5 at The Living Room at 35 East Ardmore, PA
- Dec. 19 at Settle Down Easy Brewing Co. in Falls Church, VA
- Dec. 20 at Zeroday Brewing Co. in Harrisburg, PA
- Jan. 10 at Blue Earl Brewing Company in Smyrna, DE.
Listeners can find more information about the music of Jason Ager by visiting his website: www.jasonager.com.
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