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Jordan White (musician)

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Jordan White
White performing in February 2023
White performing in February 2023
Background information
Birth nameJordan Frank White
Born (1984-05-06) May 6, 1984 (age 40)
OriginCranford, New Jersey, U.S.
GenresAlternative rock
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active2008–present
LabelsFlexitone Records, Pangea Recordings
Websitehttp://www.JordanWhiteMusic.com

Jordan White (born May 6, 1984) is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter.

Early life and education

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White was born May 6, 1984, in Cranford, New Jersey. His family later moved to Nazareth, Pennsylvania,[1] where he graduated from Nazareth Area High School in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.

White has been awarded an A.A. from Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a B.A. from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and M.S. in psychological science from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.[2]

White explained that periods of depression that he experienced as a teenager led him to begin composing original music, saying in 2010 that music "saved me from being another statistic."[3]

Career

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White has performed as a solo artist, in cover bands, in an acoustic trio,[4] and in an alternative rock band,[5][6][7] KineticBlu, which formed in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 2008. The bad had been inactive until the acoustic act Foreplay, in which White, guitarist Brian Kibler and vocalist Tara Crowe, were performing merged with drummer Rob Lilly to relaunch the group.[8] The band was dubbed "The Lehigh Valley's Sexiest Rock Band" by Eventful.com, in February 2008.[9]

KineticBlu

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KineticBlu was named Alternative Addiction's "Next Big Thing" for October 2010.[10] The band performed at the fifth annual Bethlehem Harvest, the third annual Blue Mountain "Rock The Fall" Festival,[11][12] and, in February 2011, the 15th annual Millennium Music Conference & Showcase in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, an event that draws nearly 300 musical acts from across the country.[13]

Flexitone Records

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During the summer of 2015, White signed with Flexitone Records and began recording the upcoming single "Crazy Girl" with producer David Ivory. The track was mastered by Tom Coyne.[14] The song was released nationally on the Flexitone label in September 2015.

High Road EP

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In January 2016, White recorded a new six-song EP titled High Road with Grammy Award-winning producer Jim Annunziato at Logos Studios in Massapequa, New York. Multi-platinum selling producer and songwriter Eric Sanicola and From Autumn to Ashes rhythm guitarist Scott Gross both contributing to the recording, and the EP was released by Pangea Recordings in October 2016.[15]

Four Songs

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Critical reviews of White's "Four Songs" have been mixed with its single "Maybe Amy" placed in rotation at hundreds of U.S. and U.K. radio stations. In an interview on Philadelphia radio, he explained the EP was an "attempt to fuse the confessional singer-songwriter vibe stemming from Southern California during the 1970s with a 1990s alternative, full band sound."[16][17] The Sentinel reported that Four Songs "contains moments of pop and flavor of southern rock paired with plenty of clean guitar licks amongst White's clear and distinctive vocals."

That Music Mag reported that "White's catchy lyrics really do not really draw attention but are easily stuck in your head, although he seems to be giving you just what he knows."[18]

The Owl Mag described the EP as "taking music back to beautiful simplicity."[19]

One Minute Sound reported that White's Four Songs "kicks off with the track "Maybe, Amy," which is a throwback to the sound of 90s pop icons like Third Eye Blind and Matchbox 20; the EP then rolls into 'Bloodshot' and features heavier driven guitar riffs and a solo borrowed from the pages of Counting Crows. 'Before I Go Out', the third track, is probably the favorite and features subtle slide guitar licks and a quirky piano line. White undeniably has an ear for writing catchy, radio-friendly songs and is extremely talented, however his musical style is a bit outdated Even when he is pushing out creativity, it still sounds as if he is trying too hard to emulate his influences. White's voice is clean and crisp, though it may not be the composition as much as the production to blame."[20]

Dustin Schoof of The Express-Times wrote that, "White goes from belting out a tender, folksy acoustic tune ("Maybe, Amy") to plugging in and cutting loose on "Bloodshot", highlighted by a smoking guitar lead. "Before I Go Out" is more of a roots rocker, complete with background harmonica. "No Promises" is a piano ballad that is heartfelt without veering into cheesy territory. It's a balanced and robust and shows off White's skills as a musician and songwriter.[21]

Michael Phoenix of The Hub wrote that the lead single "Maybe, Amy" "could have been from the television shows Saved by the Bell or California Dreams but gave the rest of the album a positive review, writing that, "White comes back, hitting you with the hard beat of 'Bloodshot', a great change up and a way to keep your attention, while 'Before I Go Out' is a good transition song in leading into the piano ballad 'No Promises' with references made to Philadelphia and the Jersey shore, leading you to feel the passion of the song from both the music and lyrics."

DJ "RJ" from WPHT-FM's "The Note" described the collection of songs as "engaging, thoughtful, and very focused; it's an enjoyable listen from a talented singer."[22]

Sandy Lo of WHOA magazine wrote that, "White's music is certainly lyrically based which is a breath of fresh air nowadays with so much machinery and big beats thrown into songs." White also responded regarding his much publicized affair with American Idol that "the problem [with the show] is the judges dismissed the best singers but would then send a guy through wearing a clown costume."[23]

Musical influences

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In June 2011, White said his musical influences "started with singer-songwriters out of the 1970s," and referenced Van Morrison, Jackson Browne, and Billy Joel as influences.[24] He also cites Guns N' Roses, Counting Crows,[25] Tom Petty,[26] The Beatles, Ritchie Valens, and The Clash.[27] His music is considered a mixture of alternative rock and acoustic-confessional pop-rock.[28]

Awards and recognition

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In November 2007, White was a finalist in the Lehigh Valley Acoustic Competition and, in 2008, KineticBlu was nominated for two Lehigh Valley Music Awards. In August 2010, White was nominated for three 2010 Lehigh Valley Music Awards for Best Songwriter, Best Lyricist, and Best Band Website, which included 3,000 other fan and industry nominees. On December 5, 2010, White performed at the awards ceremony in Allentown,[29] which was well received.[30] White was nominated for two Montgomery/Bucks County music awards in November 2011 and also nominated for two more Lehigh Valley Music Awards, Best Songwriter and Best Male Vocalist, in April 2012 returned to WFMZ-TV.[31]

In 2012, White was nominated for three Lehigh Valley Music Awards, including Best Lyricist, Best Singer-Songwriter, Best Folk Band/Soloist. The same year, he was nominated for Outstanding Songwriter in the 2012 Philadelphia music awards, and, in November 2013, was nominated for five Philadelphia Music Awards, including Outstanding Performer, Outstanding Singer-Songwriter, Outstanding Male Vocalist, and other awards. White accompanied American Idol's "Top 100" contestants Tyler Grady and Tim Marchetto at the 2014 Lehigh Valley Music Awards on March 9, 2014.[32]

Personal life

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In August 2021, White began chatting with Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Slash on Twitter after White attended the band's first North American tour date of 2021 at Hershey Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Both musicians follow each other's Twitter profiles.[33] "The people who are successfully making a living playing music, the reason they got to that level is because they see music as a lifestyle," White told the Northeast Times in June 2011, adding, "[This] requires talent, dedication and endurance."[34] In July 2011, he told the Sun-Gazette that, "there are a lot of setbacks and accomplishments. Often you take two steps forward and one step back. It's just how it goes."[35] In February 2015 article, White said he has recurring bouts with depression but is undergoing treatment to "stop dwelling on the past and focus on the future" but admitted it "could be a lifetime battle".[36]

White is a Nissan and Mazda racing enthusiast, and has custom Datsuns, Nissan Sentras and 200sxes that are powered by the SR20DE and SR20VE engines. He mentioned that if he wasn't a musician he "would love to work on race cars." White says that when he first purchased a brand new Chevrolet Corvette he soon returned it "because it just wasn't me." He is also a registered independent and animal lover, owning Chihuahuas, Dobermans, Siamese cats, and recently adopted a 2 lb chihuahua from a rescue. His mother also raises seeing-eye German Shepherds.[37]

White is a lifelong Philadelphia Phillies fan. In an interview with Mike Viso from Through The Fence Baseball, he described the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies victory in the 2008 World Series, saying, "I'll always know exactly where I was when it happened. I had waited for it for 20 years. The 1993 World Series loss to the Blue Jays crushed me. I was just a little kid. I stood there in shock as I watched Joe Carter round the bases jumping up and down. The Phillies winning it all was something I thought I'd never see in my lifetime. When you break it down it really is just a game, but it was one of the few things not in my control I wanted to witness before I'm gone and I'm really thankful."[38]

White has also spoken about hearing loss among performing musicians, saying he did not use ear protection but that, "It's something to think about more as I older and want to protect my senses. After shows, I'll have this ringing in my ear where it sounds like there's a television on," he said in 2011.[39] White claims to have developed a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder over the years, noting his tendency "to perform certain actions in sequences of even numbers" and says he is "obsessed with the number 4" and also has a fear of flying on airplanes, and has never flown.[40]

White currently lives in suburban Philadelphia.

Discography

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Four Songs EP (2012) Track listing:

  1. "Maybe, Amy" (3:45)
  2. "Bloodshot" (5:25)
  3. "Before I Go Out" (3:28)
  4. "No Promises" (4:20)

Crazy Girl single (2015)

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"Crazy Girl" (3:54)

High Road EP (2016)

  1. "High Road" (3:02)
  2. "Like The Rain" (3:50)
  3. "12/26" (2:25)
  4. "September" (3:52)
  5. "Comin' Round Again" (3:04)
  6. "Random Hearts" (3:44)

References

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  1. ^ Ragonese, Dana. "Cranford native Jordan White featured at Rev It Up concert starring Crystal Bowersox", Cranford Chronicle, August 4, 2011. Accessed February 20, 2013.
  2. ^ "Cranford native Jordan White featured at Rev It Up concert starring Crystal Bowersox", Cranford Chronicle, August 4, 2011. Accessed August 1, 2021
  3. ^ Jackie Szymanski, "The Sun-Gazette", September 2, 2010 "[1]" September 3, 2010
  4. ^ Dustin Schoof, "The Express-Times", 2010 July 9 "[2]" 2010 September 1
  5. ^ "California Chronicle" 2010 December 5 "[3]", 2010 December 12
  6. ^ Denise Sanchez, "The Morning Call", 2010 August 10, "[4]",2010 August 31
  7. ^ "The Chicago Tribune", 2010 August 10, "[5]", 2010 September 6
  8. ^ Sound Check With KineticBlu, "Chester County Cuisine & Night Life", 2010 September 8 "[6]" 2010 September 9
  9. ^ Eventful, San Francisco Metro Area, 2008 February 15 "[7]" 2010 September 18
  10. ^ "Alternative Addiction", 2010 September 1 "[8]" 2010 September 1
  11. ^ "Bethlehem Harvest Festival" in 2010 "[9]" 2010 September 3
  12. ^ John J. Moser, "The Morning Call", 2010 October 6 "[10]" 2010 October 6
  13. ^ Brad Patton, "The Times-Leader", 2011 January 14 "[11]" 2011 January 26
  14. ^ 2015 August 28 "[12]" 2015 September 10
  15. ^ "Music Monday: Jordan White" 2015 December 28 "[13]"
  16. ^ "Jordan White" 2013 November 26 "[14]"
  17. ^ "Hunterdon County Division of Recreation" 2013 July 1 "[15]"
  18. ^ "That Music Mag: Jordan White, Four Songs" 2012 September 21"[16]"
  19. ^ "The Sentinel: Adele and Jordan White" 2012 September 15"[17]"
  20. ^ One Minute Sound: "Review of Jordan White's "Four Songs" 2012 November 9 "[18]"
  21. ^ "Playing Catch Up With 2012 Music Releases" 2012 December 28 "[19]"
  22. ^ "Your Local Note: Music From Your Philly Neighborhood" 2013 June 3 "[20]"
  23. ^ "WHOA Magazine: The Band Issue" 2013 September 14 "[21]"
  24. ^ "Lehigh Valley Live" 2011 June 15" [22]" 2011 July 20
  25. ^ Abby Drew, "The Morning Call", 2010 July 3 "[23]" 2010 September 3
  26. ^ "The Orlando Sentinel", 2010 August 10 "[24]" 2010 September 27
  27. ^ Dustin Schoof, "The Express-Times", 2008 August 8, "[25]",2010 September 6
  28. ^ Melanie Vanderveer, "Pocono Record", 2010 August 20, "[26]",2010 August 31
  29. ^ "2010 Lehigh Valley Music Awards", 2010 August 28 "[27]" 2010 August 31
  30. ^ "Lehigh Valley Music Blog", 2010 December 7 "[28]" 2010 December 12
  31. ^ K. Montgomery "Finding Zenith", 2011 September 12 "[29]" 2011 September 12
  32. ^ Dustin Schoof "Lehigh Valley Music Awards will feature Bruce Springsteen drummer, former 'American Idol' contestants", 2014 January 27 "[30]" 2014 January 30
  33. ^ 2021 August 2” [31] 2021 August 3
  34. ^ John Loftus, "Rhythmic Revelations", 2011 June 29 "[32]" 2011 June 30
  35. ^ A.M. Wertz, "After 'Idol,' Jordan White is Living Out His Dream", 2011 July 21 "[33]" 2011 July 21
  36. ^ E. Grayes, 2015 February 24 "Jordan White: Double Trouble 2014". 2015 February 20
  37. ^ 2013 February 2"[34]" 2013 March 1
  38. ^ 2013 August 19"[35] 2013 August 23
  39. ^ Kelly Huth (July 17, 2011). "Musicians Sound Off On Hearing Loss, Prevention." 2011 July 20
  40. ^ Joshua Kreger, "White: Unrestricted", 2008 May 1 "[36]" 2010 September 3
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