Every story has a genesis, an emergence, an inception, a start. For rising star North Ave Jax, his tale had its beginning on a small street called North Ave in the tiny city of Burlington, Vermont. Provisioned with all the essentials: tremendous talent and an ingenious stage name — a combination of the street he grew up on and a childhood nickname — North Ave Jax has established himself as one to watch in the world of music. With praise from the press and people all over the world, an escalating singing career, and a recording contract with Interscope Records, the next chapter of North Ave Jax’s story promises to be explosive, expressive, and exciting. “Growing up in Vermont, I did really normal things such as hangout with my friends and go to school,” North Ave Jax explains. “I played basketball with all of the older kids because I lived right outside the basketball court.

There isn’t much to do, so at the time, basketball was my biggest focus until I found music.” Indeed, discovering a passion for music transformed North Ave Jax’s life in truly phenomenal fashion. “My earliest memory of music is watching my dad play the drums when I was younger,” he explains. “My dad is the one who got me into music and taught me how to play drums, which ultimately kicked off my love for music.” Indeed, North Ave Jax’s love and affection for music is evident in all of his work. Describing his style of music as “raw emotion,” North Ave Jax’s songs routinely offer powerful insights into his life and mind. The music video for “Eastside” particularly showcases this raw emotional exchange that the artist describes. The video is an incredibly potent illustration of his life, covering the singer dropping out of high school and struggling with anxiety in a format that feels like a three minute documentary. “Music was a ventilation process for me, especially in high school,” North Ave Jax reflects. “It allowed me to vent in ways that other things didn’t. Making good music made things satisfying. Listening to artists such as Jack Harlow in 2018 and listening to their story and feeling a good melody became addicting. Good music made me feel good, so I wanted to keep pursuing that and make something great from it so others can relate to music as much as I did.”

With this vision driving his music and career, North Ave Jax was determined to make his dreams come true. “When I first started making music, I would record in my friend’s studio that was set up in his closet with just a mic and a computer, and overtime I would just make music in that little studio,” North Ave Jax recalls. “Things really changed when I noticed that the quality of my music didn’t sound great. There are no studios in Vermont, so it was hard to produce quality music. I took myself to a real studio in New York City and drove six hours just to professionally record a few songs. Eventually, those songs I recorded that day in New York City ended up changing my life and pushed me to get signed.” From New York City to Atlanta, North Ave Jax visited city after city in pursuit of his dreams. “Being flown to Atlanta when my first video went viral seemed so surreal,” North Ave Jax recalls. “I wanted to meet the expectations of everyone who started to believe in me when I didn’t necessarily fully believe in myself.

I didn’t know how LVRN believed in me so much without knowing me, so I wanted to prove myself to them since I felt the love and commitment from them from the beginning.” Indeed, North Ave Jax quickly established himself as a rising star, with the traveling schedule to prove it. And still, despite his newfound travel itinerary, the sentiment no place like home still rang true for the talented singer as he sold out a venue of 750 in Vermont. “It was cool that people from my hometown were showing love and I couldn’t have asked for more,” he reflects. “Playing in my hometown is always such a great experience because for a small town, the crowd gets so hype and everyone is on the same level. It’s always good to be home.” North Ave Jax’s work LaZy, but i have goals is incredible from start to finish, often touching on the struggles associated with him feeling trapped in a town where many people suspected he would fail. It’s an impressive body of work — so much so that North Ave Jax struggles to select a favorite lyric from the collection. “I don’t have a favorite lyric, but my favorite songs are ‘Awful’ and ‘Guns & Roses,’" he explains. “The album I think opened my eyes to what I want to do better next time with my music. My music is a reflection of me and my feelings and how I express myself. I only make music about things I’ve gone through, so everything I’ve made has been an experience or feeling I’ve went through. It means so much tome knowing that people can relate to me. I love it.” That transaction of relatability is even more profound at North Ave Jax’s exhilarating live shows. “I like that I am able to share myself with people while performing live and dive deeper into my story with my audience,” North Ave Jax notes. “Being able to see people’s reactions and give someone my presence is my favorite part of performing live. I hope my performances influence people to believe in themselves.”

Looking to the future, all eyes are on North Ave Jax, poised and ready to watch him thrive in his upcoming plans. “My next project is coming with Jetson and we are taking it to the next level,” North Ave Jax shares. As for dream collaborators, North Ave Jax puts Dominic Fike at the top of the list. “I think he’s super talented,” North Ave Jax explains. “And I think he could help me a lot.” Indeed, the future looks bright for North Ave Jax, but so does the present. His work has been recognized by XXL and Complex, among others, a reception that he is “super grateful for,” he explains. “It just shows that I have something good enough for them to talk about.” Through his music, North Ave Jax has a commanding influence on people all over the world, inspiring them to follow their dreams with his story and sound. Moreover, he himself has found personal inspiration from a destination far closer to home — his brothers. “My biggest inspirations are my little brothers,” North Ave Jax reflects. “I gotta win for them. That’s my biggest goal.” Indeed, his noble goals do not end there. “I want to be able to help small communities once I get my platform bigger,” he shares. “I want to help world hunger and help people change their habits so they can live a life they want.”

When asked to reflect on what it was like when his music first started getting traction, North Ave Jax shares a powerfully honest and vulnerable response. Indeed, despite his monumental success, he is still hungry for more. “I am proud of how far I have come,” he shares. “But self consciously there is still a part of me where I get down on myself. I want to walk out in the Hollywood Bowl one day and have the crowd chant my name so loud I can’t even hear myself. I think that’s when I will still start to feel that it’s actually happening for me. Don’t get me wrong, it is crazy the position I am in now in my life because if it wasn’t for music, I would still be painting houses in Vermont. But now I am in a place where I am working towards my dreams coming true.” As North Ave Jax’s story continues to unfold, he is enjoying every step along the way. “My favorite part of my career is the journey,” he shares — a perspective that is powerful in the music industry. From the small streets of Vermont to Interscope Records and beyond, North Ave Jax represents the next generation of creatives making their mark on the business. In pursuing his passions with steadfast precision, North Ave Jax has made a name for himself in the business — one that soon, everyone will know. “The power of music is never-ending,” North Ave Jax says. “Music is so important because it can change people’s lives.”