After more than two decades in Nashville, Jake Owen is taking a moment to look back on the leap of faith that changed his life. The Florida native opens up about the risk he took leaving home at a young age and how trusting his instincts led him exactly where he was meant to go.
“I think a lot of people don’t trust, sometimes, their inner gut feeling and instinct, and I just encourage anybody out there to follow that, follow your heart, follow your dreams,” he told Country Now while hanging with us backstage at Country Thunder Florida.
Despite everyone who was worried about this major life shift he made in order to chase a dream, Owen continued down his own path and in the process he learned a very important lesson: “No one will ever believe in you as much as you believe in yourself.”
“So when I think back about the last 22 years, if there’s anything I’m proud of, I’m proud that I made that move,” he continued. “I’m proud that I got out of Florida and took the risk to make it because if I hadn’t have done that, I don’t know that this would’ve ever happened. So take a chance.”
Advice For Fellow Dreamers
Looking back on the early years, Owen said he’d tell his younger self to do the exact same thing, challenges and all, because it made him the person and artist he is today.
All the time and experience he’s gained in Music City have given him a clearer understanding of what life as an artist is really like. From the outside, fans often focus on the partying and drinking that seem to go hand in hand with performing. But since beginning his journey to sobriety, Owen has realized that success in the music industry doesn’t have to come with that lifestyle.
“I quit drinking four years ago,” he shared honestly. “No one talks about it enough. You don’t need to drink alcohol to have a good time. You can sing songs about it. You can have a fun time. You don’t need to not tell people not to, but I’m just saying, ‘Hey man, it’s good.’ If I could go back and tell myself a lot of mistakes I made along the way, a lot of things I said to people that I shouldn’t have said, decisions I made that I could take back, I would say that those are always things you can give little insights to people.”
How Fatherhood Has Impacted His Career
Along with all the growth Jake Owen has seen in himself both personally and professionally, his life has also been greatly impacted by becoming a dad to his two daughters Paris and Pearl.
While he admits fatherhood hasn’t necessarily changed the kind of music he makes, it’s added a layer of emotions he carries with him into songwriting. So even when it’s not intentional, this part of his life has inevitably shown up in his music over time.
“I definitely think that it’s made its way into my music as far as sentiments and things I want to sing about, but it’s not the first thing I think about when I sit down,” Owen admits. “I compartmentalize my life sometimes and I know what I do kind of musically, and then I know how I am off the stage and sometimes this business is about blending the two together, but it’s also sometimes about keeping them separated. I think it makes it into my music sometimes. Sometimes it doesn’t.”
Set To Launch A New Musical Chapter This Year
Jake Owen is currently in the midst of making “a lot” new music that he is “really excited about.” These upcoming releases will help usher in a new chapter for his career and keep the momentum going throughout his summer full of shows.
“I’m going to put out a bunch of new music this year, so it’s going to be good,” he shared.
In between all his upcoming festival appearances, fans can catch Owen on The Driftwood Ramble Tour with Uncle Kracker. The run kicks off May 30th in Council Bluffs, IA and includes stops in Illinois, Indiana, and more through August.
“I’ve always been the guy from Florida, the guy that has a good time and fun, and those guys know how to have a good time…I’m just grateful that my music is connected in those types of ways, that there’s a feeling there. It makes people feel good, and that’s a dream come true because when you can be a part of someone’s life or make them feel good, that’s really the point. Whether you’re singing music or not, if you can make someone’s day, that’s a powerful thing.”
A full list of Jake Owen’s 2025 tour dates can be found HERE.
The post Jake Owen Talks Sobriety, Fatherhood, And Following His Dreams To Nashville 22 Years Ago [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.