Taylor OhrynSeptember 06, 2025Jack Van Cleaf, JVC Deluxe Edition, I Had You For A Second, Ameri Kinda Fest, East Nashville, Dualtone Records, AmericanaFest 2025, Basement East, Skinny Dennis, Noah Kahan Tour, Zach Bryan Rattlesnake, Indie Folk Rock, Nashville Songwriter, Live Demos, Vinyl Exclusive TracksComment

JACK VAN CLEAF JVC (DELUXE EDITION) OUT NOW

JACK VAN CLEAF
JVC (DELUXE EDITION)
OUT NOW VIA DUALTONE RECORDS
LISTEN HERE

RELEASES VIDEO FOR PROFOUND, NEW SONG “I HAD YOU FOR A SECOND”

ANNOUNCES "AMERI-KINDA FEST"
IN EAST NASHVILLE SEPTEMBER 12
FREE HOUSE SHOW WITH PERFORMANCES BY JACK VAN CLEAF, MEDIUM BUILD, WINYAH & MORE. VENUE WILL BE REVEALED DAY OF SHOW - RSVP HERE

RELEASES DELUXE EDITION OF LAUDED LP
INCLUDES DIGITAL RELEASE OF VINYL EXCLUSIVE TRACKS, LIVE PERFORMANCES, & DEMOS OF ORIGINAL SONGS

HEADLINE TOUR CONTINUES WITH STOPS IN DC, BOSTON, BROOKLYN, & MORE
+ OFFICIAL AMERICANAFEST SETS AT SKINNY DENNIS & SHOWCASE AT BASEMENT EAST

September 5 (Nashville) – Today, emerging singer-songwriter Jack Van Cleaf released a deluxe edition of his critically acclaimed album JVC via Dualtone Records. The sophomore record is a seamless blend of indie rock, Gen Z folk, and impressive lyricism that explores themes of identity and existentialism. With the expanded deluxe version, Van Cleaf digitally releases tracks that were previously exclusive to vinyl, plus demos of original songs and live performances.

Listen to JVC (Deluxe Edition) here

“I’m excited to get to release a proper “deluxe” version of ‘JVC,’ complete with some live performances and demos of the songs in their earliest form,” says Van Cleaf. “There are so many forks in the road that lead to the final master of a song; it’s nice to peel back the curtain and share some of the alternate lives that each track could have lived. I’m also excited to release a cover (of one of my very favorite songs, no less) for the very first time in my catalog.”

Alongside the deluxe, Van Cleaf released the music video for the profound new song “I Had You For A Second.” Speaking on the inspiration, Van Cleaf shares, “‘I Had You For A Second’ is a song I built off of a play on words to capture a relationship in which I felt seen, and thus safe, but also “found out.”
Of the video, he continues, “The trickery implied by the phrase at the end of the song inspired Sam Lindsey to make the music video revolve around a magician. We had a blast creating a scene with our friends in which Josh (my keyboardist and bassist) puts on a magic show that teeters between failure and success in the same way as the narrator of the song toes that line in his relationship.”
Watch the music video here
In addition to “I Had You For A Second,” the new digital releases include the moving tracks “Easter Sunday” and “Remember Katrina?,” all produced by Alberto Sweald. Fans will also be treated to original voice memos/demos and two live recordings: one of Jack’s original songs, “Couch Potato,” from a WFUV session, and the other is a solo cover of The Killers’ “When You Were Young,” from Jack’s Track Star Presents session.

On Friday, September 12, Van Cleaf is hosting “Ameri-kinda Fest” in East Nashville, presented by Little Operation and LoyalT Management. To shine a spotlight on Nashville’s indie and DIY scene, the free house party will feature highly-anticipated performances by Jack and friends, including Medium Build, Winyah, Emma Ogier, Sydney Rose, Clover County, Merce Lemon, and Morgan Nagler. The celebration of the city’s creative edge is also in support of public access radio, which is foundational to the growth of the local music scene. With the recent decision to cut federal funding, supporting local stations is important now, more than ever – donations for WNXP and Public Access Radio will be accepted at the event.

Also during AmericanaFest, Van Cleaf will perform a Bands do BK session at Skinny Dennis on Friday, September 12, and an official showcase at Basement East on Saturday, September 13. His headline tour will also continue with upcoming stops in DC, Boston, Brooklyn, and more – see full dates and get tickets here.

Jack Van Cleaf – described by Consequence as “a Nashville-based artist [who] has retained the grit and authenticity that have made him a buzzy name in Music City and beyond” – was still an independent artist when “Rattlesnake” became a viral hit in 2023, earning praise from songwriters like Noah Kahan (who hand-picked Jack as the opening act on his sold-out Stick Season Tour) and Zach Bryan (who began covering the song online). For Jack, it felt like a pivotal moment in a career that had been building since his teenage years.

Years after penning his first song as a high school freshman in San Diego, Jack headed east to Nashville, where he studied songwriting at Belmont University and released his debut album, Fruit from the Trees, after graduation. Jack experienced unprecedented early industry debut album buzz, drawing the attention of the likes of Noah Kahan, opening for him on Jack's first ever major US tour, as well as touring with artists from Briston Maroney to Madi Diaz. When his single “Rattlesnake” landed him a spot on Spotify's 2024 Best New Artist List with tastemaker playlist "juniper," it drew over 13 million streams, and one fan in particular, Zach Bryan, became a major champion of Jack, covering the track on his social media.

This unexpected success induced an intense period of self-doubt in Jack, "I was shell-shocked," he remembers. "I'd spent my whole life being told what to do every single day, and I always dreamed about growing up to be my own boss. Then graduation came, and I got what I wanted… but I realized I had no idea how to function on a day-to-day basis."

He regrouped and retreated to his songwriting, and found solace in creating music in far-flung locations like Joshua Tree and the Texas/Mexico border, where he and producer Alberto Sewald (Katy Kirby, Sierra Hull) created this remarkable body of work. Those geographic choices were deliberate, their landscapes evoking the spiritual barrenness of Jack's lyrics. "I felt like I was staring into an emotional desert when I wrote these songs, experiencing this feeling of desolation around me and looking for little signs of life," he explains.

Alongside all-star collaborations with established stars like Zach Bryan and Gatlin — who features on seize-the-day anthem "Teenage Vampire" — the album also features his closest friends, Austin Burns, Ethan Fortenberry, Hunt Pennington, Adam Carpenter, Nathan Cimino, and Aaron Krak - plus Annika Bennett and Heaven Schmitt (aka Grumpy) who contribute background vocals - whom he met during his time at Belmont University and remain part of his closest creative circle.

Previously, Jack’s confessional and cathartic folk songs have garnered comparison to sparse verses of Nathaniel Rateliff and Gregory Alan Isakov and the directness of Kris Kristofferson and Leonard Cohen. On JVC, Jack takes another approach, focusing on blurring the dividing lines between acoustic singer-songwriter and electrified indie music. The result is an expansive sound, sparse one minute and grungy the next, dreamt up by an artist who's never been afraid to write songs that shine a light on his own challenges.

A sharply-written record that measures the long, winding road from past to present, deftly capturing the vertigo of early adulthood, drawing on his own struggles with his post-college success and disorientation that followed. Songs like "Green", a climate-conscious song whose indie rock pop hooks heighten the song's activist bite, and moody acoustic rocker "Shouldn't Have Gone to L.A." find Jack in transit, caught between locations without a clear anchor. His songs draw on deeply personal experiences including a constant evolving approach to religion and the emotional gravity of young adulthood to its full.

Jack recently released a new version of single "Rattlesnake," a reimagination of his own viral hit featuring a new duet with friend and fan Zach Bryan. It also featured every musician who had appeared on the song’s first recording, a group composed of Jack’s best friends from college. Setting up shop at Electric Lady Studios, they recorded the heart of the new production live, leaning into instinct and inspiration as Zach and Jack traded off lines in the spur of the moment while co-producer Eddie Spear captured their camaraderie. Listen to single HERE. Watch music video directed by Ivey Redding HERE

On the track, Jack stated, "Zach started sharing the song on social media, then eventually sent me a DM that said, 'If you ever want to record a version of this with me, I’m in!'" Jack remembers, adding "Zach really inspired me in the studio. I was moved by his dedication to the moment and capturing something alive, rather than painstakingly pursuing perfection with endless takes.”

Zach Bryan stated on Instagram, “To become the best of friends with people through music in the city. Think that may be the point of all this. Jack & me re-recorded one of the best written songs of all time (jack is a genius) and hope u guys listen to it.”

With JVC, Jack Van Cleaf turns personal experience into something universal: a soundtrack to the years we all spend in existential free-fall, and while he finds gravity in the chaos, he has also made an album set to establish him as one of the biggest breakout singer-songwriters of his generation.

TOUR DATES - GET TICKETS HERE
Sep 12 - Sep 13 - Nashville, TN - Americanafest
Sun Sep 14 - Atlanta, GA - Smith’s Olde Bar
Tue Sep 16 - Charlotte, NC - The Evening Muse
Wed Sep 17 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle - Back Room - SOLD OUT
Fri Sep 19 - Washington, DC - Pearl Street Warehouse
Sat Sep 20 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
Sun Sep 21 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Upstairs
Mon Sep 22 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right
Wed Sep 24 - Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground
Fri Sep 26 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Stache
Sat Sep 27 - Urbana, IL - The Canopy Club
Sun Sep 28 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
Sat Oct 4 - Ocean City, MD - Country Calling Festival
Nov 7 - Nov 8 - Scottsdale, AZ - Dreamy Draw Festival
Mon Nov 10 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent *
Thu Nov 13 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre *
Sat Nov 15 - Los Angeles, El Rey Theatre *
Mon Nov 17 - San Diego, CA - Music Box *

*Supporting Waylon Wyatt