Northeast Ohio's JD Eicher makes music and tells stories with album, novel

JD Eicher was driving home to the Youngstown area from a tour and passing through the Carolinas.

Thoughts swirled in the head of the singer-songwriter who grew up wanting to be a marine biologist before he discovered his passion for music.

Toiling as an independent artist was a grind. Approaching 30 years old, his wife was carrying their first child. Maybe it was time to stop the man-boy lifestyle and find a job to support the household more easily.

"So I was kind of getting my mind ready to wind things down and transition to the real world and being an adult in society and stuff," Eicher recalled with laughter.

And then he got a phone call that changed the trajectory of his career.

A record label executive connected to famed novelist Nicholas Sparks heard Eicher's music and became a fan. Sparks, who penned "The Notebook," "Message in a Bottle" and "A Walk to Remember," among other New York Times bestselling books, was looking for music to include as a digital companion to his 2016 work, "Two by Two."

Sparks chose Eicher. Phone calls and collaborations between the two followed. Admitting nervousness, Eicher crafted the title song on piano in the basement of his Austintown-area home before notes were sent back and forth with the author who has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

"It's kind of one of those stories that I never really believed in, which was (being in) the right place at the right time," Eicher said. "You gotta catch your breaks ... and people will find you. That kind of talk you hear in the music industry, and I always thought you just tour until you die."

Synching of song and book didn't catapult Eicher to national stardom or land him on the Billboard charts. But it undeniably boosted his notoriety, allowing him to tour more extensively and aiding his full-time commitment to making music.

"They played the song on Good Morning America, and (Sparks) wrote me into the book as a character that comes on the radio, so it was really beyond an honor and a truly lucky thing," he said. "And (he could have picked a famous musician), but it was really kind that he decided to lift someone up who was unknown.

"They put my name on the cover of the first print run, which is around 800,000 books," Eicher said. "I was really kind of shy throughout the whole thing. There are so many wonderful songwriters – it really felt ridiculous that I got the chance, but I tried to be a good steward of the opportunity and everything."

"It was a wild ride," he added. "I went on a book tour with (Sparks), and I always joke that some of the gigs were just like book signings at a Barnes & Noble, so I'd be like between two book shelves playing songs."

Other events were in a theater setting, with Eicher joining Sparks on stage.

The experience with Sparks also inspired Eicher to write a novel himself, "The Lights Along Majesto," pairing it with his new album, "Majesto Sessions," which was released earlier this month.

Set to the backdrop of life on the road for the working-class musician, the 213-page self-published paperback follows the adventure of four unlikely companions as they find themselves in a tour van headed across the country and straight to hell, Eicher said.

To purchase the album and book, and for tour dates, visit http://jdeicher.com. A digital version is available via https://www.patreon.com/jdeicher with a $6 membership.

Eicher said the book is "realistic fiction geared for adults, and it borrows some conventions from the thriller and drama genres."

Sparks wasn't involved in "The Lights Along Majesto."

However, "it was those days on the road with him that really fired me up to try this whole thing," the singer said. "But it didn't feel right to ask him to be involved because this really was/is a crazy endeavor, and I would have been the only one to really gain something from his involvement. I didn't want to put him in that position."

Guitar-strumming daddy

Life has changed since those days on the road with the romance novel icon. Eicher is now a 35-year-old father of two young children who experiences both the beauty and milestones of parenthood as well as the challenges.

Talk of first steps and first words fill his voice with the tenderness of a doting father. A 1-year-old son not prone to sleeping through the night leaves him reaching for another cup of coffee.

"He slept through the night like twice in his first year, so we're definitely the exhausted parents," Eicher said. "When he's awake ... we call him, 'Sunshine Jack.' He's just like a little ball of joy. And his (5-year-old) sister is really sweet with him, and it's a good era for us. We're feeling great."

Stretching out musically

Eicher said the novel has pushed him into new lyrical and musical territory.

Fans of his work undoubtedly will recognize his acoustic-based melodies and rasp-tinged, soulful vocals, but the new album features a push and pull between pop refinement and quieter moments.

"Sometimes, I’ll begin to write a song and just see where it goes, and I’d found myself with a small batch of songs and half-written songs that I liked, but that I felt were out of character for me," he explained. "I remember thinking that they almost felt like alter egos of each other, and that I’d need to sing them as if I were taking on different roles."

Those songs led to Eicher's novel by "fleshing out these song characters into a story."

More songs followed in that mold. "I allowed the music to play a part in the story and the story to play a part in the music," he said.

"The story follows two artists on tour, and they are quite different in style and personality," Eicher explained. "When I went to record their songs, I leaned into this fully, so the arrangements and approach for the tracks embrace this diversity in their personas. This went as far as using different producers and musicians on different tracks."

Album release shows this month

Eicher signed last year with AntiFragile Music, which has offices in New York City and the UK and a reputation for developing indie acts.

Previous plans for a show at the Auricle in downtown Canton were canceled due to the pandemic. Eicher has performed in recent summers at Gervasi Vineyard in Canton.

He also performed in Summit and Stark counties as part of the Sidewalk Serenades Northeast Ohio series, along with playing a few house concerts in the Canton area.

In 2019, Eicher performed as part of the Canton Symphony Orchestra's "Divergent Sounds" series combining a string ensemble with his band's music.

Prior to the pandemic, he played around 170 shows per year, including West Coast, Midwest, European and Florida tour legs.

A surge in COVID-19 cases has forced him to scale back his original plans for the album release tour.

Saturday's show at The Soap Gallery in Youngstown is sold out.

Other upcoming concerts include Feb. 23 with Dan Tedesco at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and on Feb. 25 at the 20 Front Street club in Lake Orion, Michigan.

Other shows are March 4 at The Loft in Washington, D.C., and March 26 at the Club Cafe in Pittsburgh.

'He's the real deal'

Eicher has built relationships with many fellow musicians in the region.

Producers on his new album include singer-songwriter Ryan Humbert, of North Canton, who now is lead vocalist for The Shootouts. Marc Lee Shannon, who performed with the late Michael Stanley, also has worked with Eicher.

"JD has the voice and the writing ability that stands out as a top-tier talent, but it is what's underneath that makes the difference to me," Shannon said. "He is first and foremost a firmly-rooted human being with good values, work ethic, and determination that separates him, in my opinion."

The musical artists performed on each other's songs in 2019. Shannon also has played in Eicher's band.

Shannon continues to be an ardent fan.

"JD is as good as or better than anyone else in the local, regional and national platforms," he said. "It's just a matter of time for the rest of the world to catch up to what I know about JD. He's the real deal."

Music man

Spanning both classic and contemporary artists, Eicher's musical influences include Paul Simon, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, Sting, David Gray, Coldplay and The Killers.

Being a fan of such notable acts, however, doesn't mean stardom is his guiding aspiration. Working as a full-time indie artist is about grit, not glamour, Eicher assured.

"It is a sustainable income, but it's a humble one," he said. "Fame is a driver that can help you get into a comfortable living, but if you're like me or many of these developing acts that are working to get our music out there still, being full-time just means you're hustling all the time ... (but) I'm willing to do it because it comes with its rewards and I get to make art."

Playing in front of arena crowds would be a thrill, Eicher admitted. But he more realistically focuses on supporting his family, band and support staff "while making the art that I want to make.

"If I can chase the stuff that I really want to chase, it will feel right when people hear it, I think, so I'm kind of sticking to that."

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com. On Twitter: @ebalintREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Inspired by Nicholas Sparks, musician JD Eicher releases album, novel