Intro by King Musa
“Yo, what it is? You know what it is. It's your man, King Musa! Welcome to First Impression Nacogdoches, the podcast where we showcase the vibrant local businesses, unique brands, and hidden gems right here in our incredible town. We're helping students, parents, and visitors discover what truly makes Nacogdoches special. And I'm your host, King Musa, and today we're digging into another local favorite you need to know about. Today, we have a very special guest who's making a real impact in our local scene. We're excited to learn more about Mr. JSoul and Huffy and the Paint Fish, and more. Before we jump into our chat, let's learn a little more about Jay Soul. Introducing Mr. JSoul!”
Getting to Know Mr. JSoul
King Musa: “Before we even jump deep into that, step back, step back, icebreaker, right? Musician, artist in the band, what would you say was your very first favorite concert, first concert, you know, any of that?”
“My first concert was Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, when we lived in Alaska. And a favorite concert was Prince in 2012 at the Forum in L.A. I have a whole Google Doc with hundreds of concerts I’ve ever been to. I love live music—seeing it, performing it. I’m a singer, I can't play anything, but everybody needs a singer!”
Alright, go ahead and introduce yourself and what you do here in Nacogdoches.
“All right. So, I am Jay Soul. I am originally from Nacogdoches, although I haven't lived here my entire life. I am the founder and lead singer of Huffy and the Paint Fish. We're a cover band. We started out as a Hootie & the Blowfish cover band, but we expanded to popular covers across genres. Our oldest song is from '84, and we play songs that came out last year. We cover rock, pop, hip-hop, R&B, blues—a little bit of everything. We make sure what we play is something everybody knows and can sing along to. We don't do originals, just all covers.”
Personal Background and Passions
You said you were from Nacogdoches. How did the band come together? What was Nacogdoches like before Huffy and the Paint Fish?
“I was born here. Both my parents were in the Air Force, so we lived all over the place: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Anchorage, Alaska; the Shreveport area; and the Washington D.C. area. I moved here for two years in 2002 and started going to Angelina College. I was in the show choir, the AC Singers. My choreographer, Stacey, asked if I’d ever thought about being in radio. Her mom was the general manager of a country station, and they were starting a hip-hop station called B94.7 Jams. They hired me in May 2003 to do the Slow Jam show at night. Radio has always been my love, just singing and radio. In 2021, I got an opportunity to be part of a morning show on 103 The Bull for two years. I even have my own old-school hip-hop and R&B station at my house.”
You kind of segued us into some of your hobbies. If you're not doing this stuff, if you're not making music or performing, what are your hobbies outside of this?
“Honestly, everything is just wrapped around music. I also own a trivia company. I’ve been doing that out here since 2021 when we moved from San Diego, where I also had a very successful trivia company. This is what's going on Thursdays at Fredonia Brewery. It’s one of the biggest nights of the week for them. We have a 30-team limit, and we always reach it. People are there when the gates open!”
Huffy and the Paint Fish: Formation and Overcoming Challenges
How did the band come together? What made you feel like it's time to start a band?
“Back in 2018 or 2019, in San Diego, I asked a friend who played guitar if he'd ever think about starting a Hootie & the Blowfish cover band. He said, 'I would rather huff paint than be that band!' When I moved here, I noticed a vibrant music scene, so I put it out on Facebook that I was thinking about starting a band, mentioning his comment. Some guy said, ‘I’ll only go and see your band if you call it Huffy and the Paintfish.’ And that’s where the name came from. We started auditioning people and had a lot of lineup changes, but we have a really, really solid group now, including Trey Cartwright on bass, his son Cater on trumpet and vocals, and his wife on ukulele and sound. It’s a very talented family affair!”
What would you say were other challenges the band faced getting started?
“Equipment is a big thing—having the infrastructure to handle so many different instruments. Rehearsals are hard to nail down because people have lives; this isn't their main job. Jacob Barnhill, who plays keys and saxophone, is by far the busiest man, in like three different bands. Our guitarist is in three or four different bands, too. Trying to navigate through that is difficult, but we make it happen. I'm a planner; I don't do things spontaneously. This comes from my experience running a very successful DJ company in San Diego for 10 years, which took a lot of coordination.”
Accolades, Success, and Community Connection
What are some of the accolades, some of the successes, some of the things that you want people to know about the band?
“We just won Best of Nacogdoches, Local Musician, for the third year in a row from the Daily Sentinel. This is our hat trick! We won because we have a unit that works, sounds good, and rehearses often. Our playlist is diverse, playing stuff other bands aren't. I don't want to hear 'Free Bird' a million times! We play Adele, Tracy Chapman, Bruno Mars, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Garth Brooks, Paramore, Teddy Swims, 'Lose Control'—we do everything. We want everybody to find something in our show that they’re going to like. Taking a song like 'Baby Got Back,' which was made by a computer, and putting it to live instrumentation and having people dance—that’s what I strive for.”
Huffy and the Paint Fish & Its Audiences
For Visitors:
- We play locally and out of town.
- We play at Fredonia Brewery at least three times a year (e.g., their birthday in March, early September, and November 1st for the DÃa de los Muertos festival, where we'll even learn some relevant songs).
- We try to fit the occasion with our song choices, like Christmas songs for Christmas shows.
For Students:
- We're very active on social media (Instagram and Facebook), managed by Alex Rance (who also handles social media for Fredonia Brewery). Follow us at @huffyandthepaintfish.
- We've played at SFA events, including Alumni Corner last year.
- We're hoping to be booked for the bonfire this year.
- We are family-friendly, not inappropriate, and offer a great, controlled environment for fun.
For Parents:
- We are family-friendly. You'll see toddlers and older crowds dancing at our shows.
- Our shows are interactive and fun, but not 'dirty' or inappropriate.
- We prioritize a controlled environment for the community.
- People have even stopped driving down the street to listen to us play songs like 'Uptown Funk' because no one else does that around here with live horns and everything.
Upcoming Performances & How to Stay Connected
What are all the places and times that we can find Huffy and the Paint Fish playing, presence online, Spotify, all that good stuff? Go ahead and plug us in.
“Our next show is going to be in Marshall at Rugenbach Brewery on July 26th. We’ll be at Fredonia Brewery on September 6th. We’re playing in Lufkin at Southbar and Grill for the second time at the end of September. We have a couple of private parties in October, and then we’ll be back at Fredonia Brewery on November 1st for the DÃa de los Muertos festival.
Alex, our social media manager, posts our itinerary on Instagram and Facebook at @huffyandthepaintfish (H-U-F-F-I-E).
Outro by King Musa
“So a massive thank you to our amazing guest, Mr. JSoul, the leader of Huffy and the Paint Fish, for sharing his insight and giving us such a great look into what makes Nacogdoches unique. Remember, our town is full of incredible local businesses, hidden gems, and First Impression Nacogdoches is here to help you find them. Subscribe and stay connected on social media and join our community. Until next time, this is your man, King Musa, signing off. Go out and explore Nacogdoches. Peace!”
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