Jared Deck’s debut self-titled release won’t be in the hands of fans until May 6th, but it’s never too early to hop in the car and take a ride with Jared via his video for “17 Miles”. He was recently named as a country artist you need to know by Rolling Stone. If “17 Miles” is our introduction to Deck, we’re eager to hear the rest of the album.

His story may seem familiar to the country music scene- he grew up in a small Oklahoma town where his parents ran a local business, he worked in the fields, a factory and an oil rig to pay for school and get by. But Deck and his music are anything but ordinary. When he needed to supplement his income, he became the pianist at a gospel church and calls the experience an unparalleled musical education.

Wes Sharon of 115 Recording (Parker Millsap, Turnpike Troubadours) produced the upcoming release. Deck calls his music “MidAmericana”. You may not know what that means just yet, but you will after listening to “17 Miles”. The album is filled with stories about life on the road, and unfortunately, the broken dreams along the way. Deck explains:

“With this album, I set out to make the sound and tell the story of where I come from. “17 Miles” does both. Growing up two hours from anywhere, the idea of leaving seemed more like a dream. When I finally worked up the nerve to go, I had a flat tire 17 miles down the road without a spare. I never got any further than that.”

Deck’s music is full of hope, though. And so is his career. Watch the video for “17 Miles” below. Deck says, “when it came to making the video, with the way I-40 runs parallel to Route 66, the setting was an obvious choice.”

-Brenda Hillegas