The Toughest Industry How to Make it in Today’s Music Game BY JACK DAVIDSON
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t’s your first time performing for an audience, you step on to the stage—you get a little jolt of adrenaline as you see the audience. You’ve practiced for months and have organized your band together to get this gig. You smile at your bassist and start the first song of your set. Breaking into a local music scene can be hard for a young group of musicians just starting out. The way music is listened to, discovered, and talked about has changed significantly over the last two decades and the musical competition, high cost of living, and limited venues contribute to the difficulty of becoming a musician in Austin. Jesse Ebaugh, frontman of Austin country band The Tender Things, has spent decades in various musical climates throughout the South. Ebaugh grew his bluegrass roots living in Northern Kentucky. Ebaugh then played upright bass in The Heartless Bastards until he started his own band, The Tender Things. Ebaugh was introduced to playing music at a young age, taking piano lessons starting at age 11. 14 | Living the Local Language
Ebaugh would practice every day when he got home from school. When Ebaugh was 13-years-old, as soon as he came home from seeing the movie Stand By Me, he learned the bassline from the theme of the movie. “And then probably less than a year later, I had my first band with some friends from school,” Ebaugh said. Ebaugh then moved to Northern Kentucky where he learned the secrets of bluegrass. “I then moved to Kentucky and there were bluegrass people playing all around,” Ebaugh said. “And so I thought, well, I’ll get an upright bass and I can go and play this music, because it’s such a vital folk form that was happening all around.” As Ebaugh got situated in Northern Kentucky, he found lessons from other bass players that lived in the area. “I got some good technique under my belt, and got a nice Original Illustration by Jack Davidson
