​Honky tonk hero

Minot-based musician Jeremiah James Sanderson has always loved music. In fact he came from a musical family. His mother sang in churches throughout the northern part of the state, and once he was old enough he joined her. Later as an adult he relocated from the Magic City to Idaho. Though, unlike many young musicians he didn’t spend his youth playing in bands.

“My music career was bookended by tragedy, I didn’t buy a guitar, start writing songs, or start playing until I was about 26-27, after one of my good buddies died in a car accident. It was one of those defining moments where I thought...what am I doing with my life?” Sanderson says, “So I quit my job quit my girlfriend, and basically started writing and singing songs.”

Within a few months James found a band, started writing more songs, got some more gigs, and within a year he moved to Nashville.

“It was crazy. I always joke that I lived there for nine months and it was the longest three years of my life. I learned a lot--any kind of idea that I was going to come to that town and I was going to show anybody something that they’d never seen before--well, that was squelched within the first week,” Sanderson said. “I feel like I advanced three years in those nine months. Being around that caliber of writers, players, and singers constantly… It kind of makes you elevate your game. You realize what true professionalism looks and sounds like.”

After nine months he found himself back in Idaho and reassembled his band, gained some momentum, and then tragedy struck yet again. He found out that his brother had been murdered back in Minot. So he packed up moved back to the Magic City to be with family and found a job in the oilfields until he was laid off this past February.

“I was working here in the oilfields, depressed and wallowing in this crazy sadness--then I was like wait a minute… life’s short, this is an opportunity to galvanize and focus on songwriting again.” Sanderson says,”Get a band together and try to let something positive, creative, and beautiful come out of a terrible situation--so that’s where you found me.”

His goal is to play each of North Dakota’s 53 counties--so far he’s played 18. “The idea is to create a live music culture in rural North Dakota because it exists already.” Sanderson says, “The broad picture is that I can’t do it on my own because there need to be other bands that want to play in some of these places--you can’t just start up a scene with one band!”

In the process he’s found a number of interesting small venues. “Right now I’m basically cold calling and emailing places, and a lot of them are all for it.” he said.

Jeremiah James made his Fargo debut at “Hear that train a’comin,” the Johnny Cash Tribute show at The Fargo Theatre in early November. He participated in a contest put on by Prairie Public and won.

“A good friend of mine suggested that I do it, and me--insecure with being a 37-year-old contest winner..I didn’t want to do it,” he said. Fortunately for Sanderson and show-goers alike, he went through with the contest submission. “I sent it in and they contacted me a couple days later. It was a song in my normal set--so I sang it and the crowd was enthusiastic. I’m glad I took her advice and did it.”

On December fifth, Jeremiah James will be playing a two-hour set at Junkyard Brewing Company. Half of the set will be original material and the second set will be in homage to his honky tonk heroes. “There’s a long history of American country music acknowledging the past and crediting it for influence, and in the same vein adding your two cents to the conversation,” says Sanderson.

“There is kind of a musical family tree and with the people I’ve met in my life--me doing the songs that I’ve written--I definitely feel a part of that lineage.”

Be sure to come early for “History on tap” a presentation on Prohibition age moonshiners in the area led by Markus Krueger of the Historical and cultural society of Cass County.

IF YOU GO

Jeremiah James at Junkyard Brewing

Monday, December 5, 7-9pm, presentation starts at 6

Junkyard Brewing Company, 1416 1st Ave. N, Moorhead