At just two years old, Stovehandle Dan Jackson was handed a guitar by his grandfather with a simple challenge: “Let’s hear you play.” He didn’t stop. That first chord marked the start of a lifelong obsession—one that’s taken him from back porch picking sessions to a self-made Americana powerhouse. His latest album, Call Me Stove, isn’t just a personal milestone. It’s a defiant, homegrown answer to a music industry fixated on trends: raw, real, and entirely his own.
Jackson’s music leans into the roots of songwriting without getting stuck in the past. Think Dylan’s storytelling, Springsteen’s grit, and a dash of Paul Simon’s precision, layered with twangy guitars and sticky hooks that lodge themselves in your head. “I love the art of adding music to poetry,” he says—and you can hear it. Every song on Call Me Stove plays like a short story set to melody, with Jackson’s voice anchoring the narrative like a trusted narrator.
But talent was never the issue. For independent musicians like Jackson, the real obstacle is getting heard. “There aren’t enough legitimate outlets for budding musicians,” he says, without bitterness—just clarity. Rather than wait around for a label or playlist break, Jackson built it himself: he wrote every lyric, played every instrument, recorded in his own space, and even mastered the record. It’s DIY in the truest sense—flaws intact, heart wide open.
Call Me Stove doesn’t feel manufactured because it wasn’t. There’s warmth in the rough edges, intention in the imperfections. Jackson doesn’t hide behind polish; he puts his full self in the room with you, track after track. Whether it’s a lovesick ballad or a stomping barroom burner, he gives each song enough space to breathe—and enough grit to stick.
Now, Jackson’s ready to take it further. He’s assembling a live band and plotting a tour, determined to turn his recordings into sweat-soaked performances that hit just as hard in person. “Be bold and get your music heard,” he tells fellow indie artists. “You have the power.” That conviction isn’t just advice—it’s how he’s lived every beat of his career so far.
What sets Stovehandle Dan apart isn’t just his sound—it’s the sense that he’s doing it for the right reasons. For him, music isn’t a brand or a hustle. It’s a family tradition, a personal salvation, and a craft he’s spent decades mastering. If that old guitar could talk, it might just say what his grandfather once did: “Play it again, boy.”
Stream Call Me Stove and follow Stovehandle Dan Jackson’s journey at Stovehandle.com.