Hello Pump it up magazine Family!
We are beyond excited to introduce our exclusive interview with Jasmine Cain! Here at Pump It Up Magazine, I’m Anissa Sutton, and together with my husband, Michael B. Sutton, we’ve built our indie music label – The Sound of LA from the ground up. We know firsthand the unique journey of working alongside your partner in the music industry—there’s nothing quite like it! Jasmine and her husband are doing the same, navigating the challenges and rewards of an industry that demands passion, grit, and resilience.
In this interview, Jasmine Cain shares her 20-year journey as an independent artist, the importance of a dedicated fan base, and the way her music brings people together. She’s an inspiration not just for aspiring artists but for anyone who’s ever dreamed big and stayed true to their path. Read on as Jasmine talks about her incredible career, how working with her husband has impacted both her music and their lives, and what keeps her motivated to keep rocking on!
PIUM: Tell us a bit about your journey as an independent artist—how has it shaped who you are today?
Jasmine Cain: When I began my career as a full-time professional artist 20 years ago, I was young and wide-eyed and thought as long as I worked hard, I could achieve anything I wanted. While youth was definitely on my side in getting me more opportunities right out of the gate, I found that my lack of knowledge, experience, and obviously funds was keeping me from achieving anything.
I realized that if I wanted to survive in this industry, I had to work harder than anyone else, but I also needed to make very strategic moves to gain anything in my career. I learned the business inside and out and I kept everything in-house, meaning either I was handling it or someone I knew and trusted was handling it. I stopped believing everyone that said they were going to deliver and just pushed forward on my own. Looking back 20 years later, I know now that this knowledge and experience I have cannot only keep me thriving in my own career, but also…I’m more interested than ever in being a voice of reason and a compass to up and coming artists that face the same challenges I did when I was starting out. It makes me happy to know that I can be solid for someone else when they need honest answers. I didn’t have that when I began in my career.
PIUM: What would you say has been the biggest factor in achieving your success as an artist?
Jasmine Cain: The biggest factor in achieving success is, without a doubt, having a solid fan-base. If I didn’t have the strong support in my music career from people that have been listening since my first album all the way to the people, I meet for the first time that tell me what it means to them, there is no way I could continue. There is something so powerful about hearing a story from a complete stranger about how your 3-and-a-half-minute song changed their lives that will just never stop being amazing. That’s divine. I need those people just like they need me.
PIUM: Your music carries a strong message. What impact do you hope it has on your listeners?
Jasmine Cain: I want people to feel good about their lives. I hear so many stories of regret and loss and I think people lose sight of the fact that we are just humans trying to live our best lives while holding down our responsibilities and hopefully becoming better humans on a daily basis. I grew up in a slow-paced cattle ranch in rural South Dakota, which is the polar opposite of the high-speed rat race of Nashville music scene I live in now. But thanks to my upbringing, I can take that 5 minutes and appreciate the smallest gift of the day and I love that. I’d love to teach that to anyone I could. It’s such a gift to just step back and take a breath and find something incredible about that moment. Also, I hope that all the young girls out there are watching and wanting to grow up to be a powerful force of nature. I love to see them come out of their shell and really explore who they are!
PIUM: How has your unique approach influenced the type of audience and fans you attract?
Jasmine Cain: I think most people that are drawn to me and my music are people that maybe don’t feel like they fit in. I meet a ton of talented people that are just kind of hiding within themselves and there’s something about the crowds that come to our shows that just allow everyone to step outside of themselves and be something freer and more uninhibited for a change and that just opens up so many more doors for them. I’ve watched friends just emerge from their cocoons in the most beautiful way and they’re becoming the hero they were waiting for.
PIUM: What do you think sets your music and live shows apart within the rock genre?
Jasmine Cain: Honestly, it’s just the connection with the audience. I get to know our fans personally and I look for their faces in the crowd. They’re not just there to see the show, they are part of the show. Without them, there is no show. I rely on them, and they feel a part of it. Many of my songs I’ve written about fans I met and got to know, and they were brave enough to share their story and now their words are part of a bigger story. Rock music as a whole, though I feel has always been great about making those connections with fans. I’m not sure that makes me any different. I love the inclusiveness of rock music. It just hits different.
PIUM: You’ve earned numerous awards, including Rock Artist of the Year at the Josie Music Awards. How does it feel to receive this level of recognition as an independent artist?
Jasmine Cain: I feel like I won the lottery every time that happens. There’s just so many talented artists out there and to be recognized as Rock Artist of the Year…ESPECIALLY because there was no male and female category…OVERALL Rock Artist….it’s mind-blowing. I don’t know what else to say. I’m honored.
PIUM: You mentioned it’s “just me and my husband” managing everything. How has working together impacted both your career and your relationship?
Jasmine Cain: My husband ran the Kramer Guitar division of Gibson for 14 years and was still there when we met. He has always admired my hard work ethic and ability to make things happen in unconventional ways. We talked about marketing a great deal because Gibson didn’t really give them a budget to be able to grow his division and yet, he managed to grow it from about a $200K/year company to over $2M/year company with zero budget. He had toured with an incredibly successful band for many years prior to that and just lost his fire to tour when his band imploded due to the singer’s drug addiction. So when we would get together and talk about the road, I could tell he missed it a little. And for me, listening to him tell me his marketing ideas would have my brain running on all cylinders. He had Kramer Guitars at the top of their game and sales were coming in left & right and they wouldn’t let him manufacture. They wouldn’t even give him the proper title or pay raise that came with the job he was actually doing. He was miserable. So, we made a decision to grow this business together. With his marketing skills and my drive and determination, we were an unstoppable team. He took a huge pay cut to join me, but he is happier, and we are working for ourselves now instead of someone who will never see us for the value we bring to the table. Our relationship IS this business, and we are all in together.
PIUM: Looking ahead, what upcoming projects or goals are you most excited about?
Jasmine Cain: I’m always excited about something we are doing. We have a music video scheduled to shoot in December that I’m sure fired up about for our single “Victory”! I’m running the shots in my mind all day. I’m also upgrading out merchandise line right now and I can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions when that drops. I’m also livestreaming again on Twitch and I’m finally falling into that comfortably for the first time. iI’s not nearly as forced as it was when I started. Our acoustic tour for Winter 2024-2025 starts in just a couple of weeks and last until March and I’m playing a plethora of instruments I don’t normally get to play, so I’m learning the inner workings and trying to find fun ways to incorporate new stuff. There is never a time when I don’t have something new about to drop that I’m excited about.
PIUM: For those thinking about going independent, what’s one key piece of advice you’d offer?
Jasmine Cain: Get ready to work your ass off. It’s a full time thing. You don’t sleep normal hours like someone that has a 9-5 and then shuts it off. You’re “on” all the time. Those incoming messages don’t stop and if they do, you better have a backup plan to get more incoming messages. I always say it’s like a giant wheel. To get a giant heavy wheel to spin, you have to exert a ton of effort for a pretty extended period of time to get it moving. But once it starts moving, the weight of it will carry it somewhat while you take short rests. You gotta keep the giant wheel spinning because if it ever stops, you have to start all over.
PIUM: What keeps you inspired and motivated, especially through industry challenges?
Jasmine Cain: I just really enjoy finding creative and unconventional ways of making things happen. There’s always something that you can do that nobody has thought of just yet. I love finding those loopholes and then building solid relationships with important people because if you’re in their circle, then you’re on their mind and the next time something comes up that they think might work, your name comes up.
Hard work never goes out of style and ultimately, the fans are buying “YOU”. No matter what industry changes we go through, “YOU” just have to stay consistent, and you’ll do just fine.
PIUM: At Pump It Up Magazine, we aim to “pump up” our readers by spotlighting artists who inspire and uplift. Why do you believe you would be an excellent fit for an award here, and how does your work align with our mission to motivate and energize others?
Jasmine Cain: I’ve found myself really focused here lately on helping new up and coming artists try to find their stride. I meet a lot of them. I love their creativity, and I love that they want to speak their minds through music. I watch them struggle with the industry in Nashville and get kicked around and then just lose their fire and give up. I just don’t want them to give up.
Sometimes all you need is just one person who believes in you to offer a hand, or help with a recording, or make you a sandwich and a coffee. I had that 1 person…and I mean ONE that wouldn’t let me quit. I barely knew her, but she was an exceptional writer. She built me up and filled me with encouragement whenever I got to see her, which wasn’t often. I don’t know if I would’ve stuck it out without her. She also got kicked around and eventually left town and quit music. It crushed me. I want to be that “ONE” for the new music creators. This city needs that. It was built on that. I want to be part of the next wave of music in Nashville, Tennessee.
