In 2016, Black River Entertainment's newest artist, Jacob Davis, earned a coveted slot as the opening act on labelmate Kelsea Ballerini's The First Time Tour. The singer-songwriter's gamble of quitting his job and moving to Nashville had finally paid off.

"You work so hard for it, and you think, ‘Man if I could just get a record deal. If I could just get something going,'" Davis tells The Boot. "Nashville is a tough town, and talent can be very intimidating. But once that was presented, it was like, ‘Alright, now it’s time to go to work.’"

A Louisiana native, Davis grew up surrounded by a rich musical heritage, which further fostered his love of music.

"I’m from Shreveport, born and raised. I’ve heard stories from my grandfather and from my Dad, and they talked about Elvis [Presley] and Hank Williams, and everybody coming through there," Davis shares. "A lot of people say that if things had been handled right, it would be Nashville, but Nashville’s what it is for a reason."

But music wasn't Davis' first career: After earning a degree in environmental science, with a focus on geology, from Louisiana State University, the artist went to work for an oil company.

"They put me on an oil rig, working on the night shift. I realized real quick I’d made a mistake," Davis recalls. "I did that, and I wanted to quit immediately, but my parents were really stern on giving this company a year ... But while working there, I learned how to get up and go to work, how to be on time and how to pay my bills. So I feel like I grew up a lot in that year, and then moved to Nashville."

Now, Davis is eager to finally get the music he's been working so hard on out to his fans.

"I was lucky enough to make a record with Forest Glen Whitehead, who produced Kelsea Ballerini," says Davis. "I was fortunate enough to be at a fantastic label, that, unlike a lot of them, gave me the freedom to just say, ‘Alright, go do Jacob Davis. Go be you.’

"It’s all happening," he adds. "We just gotta hang on and enjoy the ride."

Davis will release a single this spring, followed by an EP later this year.

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