17-year-old Iowa singer-songwriter releases single after winning statewide competition
By Katrina Markel
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MALVERN, Iowa (KMTV) — A 17-year-old singer-songwriter from southwest Iowa is making waves in the local music scene, earning money from performances and recently winning a statewide talent competition.
Jack Davis, a junior at Glenwood High School, has been performing at venues across southwest Iowa since he was 15 years old. This summer, he won a competition featuring talent from across Iowa and performed for hundreds at the Iowa Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“That is like, what I want to do,” Davis said.
His success has led to a record contract and the release of a single, “Mountains in my Rearview,” which came out last week.
“Everybody pays me. I don’t play for free,” Davis said.
Zack Jones, who owns Art Church in Malvern — Davis’s favorite local venue — has watched the young musician’s growth.
“He can sometimes be relentless,” Jones said. “His strings keep getting cleaner, his vocals getting stronger.”
Davis’s musical journey began when his mother, Jennie, took him to see Thomas Rhett perform when he was eight or nine years old. After that concert, Davis became obsessed with music, he mom says.
“What Zack said about Jack being relentless is very true. We mean that positively,” Jennie said. “When he does something, he does it full force.”
Jack describes his style as Indie-Folk and performs a mix of covers and original songs. His inspiration for the songs he writes often come from his imagination, he says.
“So, the song I put out last week actually came to me in a dream,” Davis said.
After graduation, Davis is considering heading to Colorado for college and to explore the Denver music scene.
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