© 2024 Interlochen
CLASSICAL IPR | 88.7 FM Interlochen | 94.7 FM Traverse City | 88.5 FM Mackinaw City IPR NEWS | 91.5 FM Traverse City | 90.1 FM Harbor Springs/Petoskey | 89.7 FM Manistee/Ludington
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Local musician delivers in Nashville

Jimmy Olson talks about pursuing his music dreams in Nashville.
Daniel Wanschura

If you’re ever in Nashville and find yourself ordering dinner for delivery, you just might see Jimmy Olson come to your door. The musician from Northern Michigan is trying to turn his musical talents into a career; and he’s willing to do just about anything to make that happen.   

Olson has been making music for a long time.

“I started pulling out pots and pans and drumming on them, like, right before I was five,” says Olson. My dad was like, ‘Well shoot, we better get him a drum set. So, he found this really small miniature one so it wouldn’t be overwhelming for me to play.”

That drum set soon arrived, and his love for making music really blossomed.

Olson, who’s from Petoskey, graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in 2007, majoring in percussion. He’s back in town briefly jamming with a northern Michigan band called Knucklefuss. With this group, he’s playing keyboard and singing backup vocals.

On Wednesday night about 50 people file into a place called Red Sky Stage, in Petoskey, to see the band perform. It’s not exactly a packed out venue, but that doesn’t matter much to Olson.

“I feel like now I’m realizing what I’m doing is what I want to do, and to just enjoy it more,” he says.

After a brief stint in Los Angeles, Olson recently moved to Nashville to pursue his music career. It hasn’t been easy- when he’s not playing studio sessions, he’s delivering pizzas.

But, he’s willing to be patient and trust that he'll eventually get his break.

“I talked to some good mentors before I even made the move,” Olson says. “So, I kind of knew what I was in for. I knew that moving down there, it’s not just going to be like some awesome music job (is going to fall in my lap)."

Olson says he’s reached a spot in his life where he’s more patient and realistic about his goals. “It’s just like growing,” says Olson. “I guess growing with the music and I guess the music is growing into me. And like, so yeah; delivering pizzas in Nashville, you know; I learn the town quick!”

Jimmy Olson performing keyboard with local band, "Knucklefuss"
Credit Daniel Wanschura
Jimmy Olson performing keyboard with local band, "Knucklefuss"

Jimmy Olson finishes up his tour with Knucklefuss this weekend in Traverse City, at The Workshop Brewing Company. Then, it’s back down to Nashville.

Dan Wanschura is the Host and Executive Producer of Points North.