Jake Cassman refuses to make false choices. He crafts sharp, thought-provoking lyrics rooted in the Americana tradition without losing the drive and edge of indie rock. Onstage, he moves effortlessly between dark, gut-busting humor and disarming vulnerability. Shaped both by California dreams and east coast grit, Cassman arrives with his remarkable debut solo album Idling High—a record that channels “a sound that feels both urgent and timeless, recalling Tom Petty, Counting Crows, and Jason Isbell” (Rock The Pigeon).

Cassman’s winding path through music has been anything but predictable. He’s done nearly every gig imaginable—busking, dueling pianos, wedding bands, musicals, improv and sketch comedy—and even stepped away from an Ivy League education to pursue songwriting full-time. Over a decade, he released five records with his former project Drunken Logic. Today, he balances life as a school music teacher with co-writing for other artists and occasional production work on the Vulture music podcast Switched On Pop. He also plays pickup basketball every weekend and enjoys trying new beers at craft breweries based on the inventiveness of their names.

Raised on equal doses of Elton John and Green Day, Cassman started playing piano with enough force to snap strings, writing songs he believed could change the world. That same spirit fuels his award-winning music videos, his benefit concerts for organizations across the country, and his connection with fans around the globe. His songs are introspective yet anthemic, personal yet political—a blend of “freeway-bright guitars beside canyon-echo pianos; folk earth under indie-rock boots” (Uranium Waves). With the release of Idling High, Jake Cassman stands firmly as “an essential, must-watch voice” in contemporary music (B-Sides and Badlands).