Rising country star heads to Gympie Muster

From singing around campfires to competing as one of the top 10 finalists in the Toyota Starmaker Competition, Stockleigh musician Jake Whittaker is on the rise.

A soulful singer with a penchant for catchy rifts and relatable lyrics about booze, heartbreak and country living, Jake dazzled audiences in the same competition that launched stars such as Keith Urban.

‘It was a really cool experience, I’d recommend any musician to have a go at it,’ Jake says of the 2024 Starmaker event.

‘You get to jump on stage, play with one of the best bands in Australia on one of the biggest stages – the opportunity alone was amazing.

‘You get seen by a lot of people, I’m very grateful.’

He’s since released 3 singles, sold out his debut show and has performed at festivals such as Byron Bay Bluesfest and, this August, will hit the stage at Gympie Music Muster – a premier Queensland country music festival with more than 40,000 in attendance last year. He’ll also be performing at the Flame BBQ Street Festival in Jimboomba on 21 September.

‘I’m so pumped – me and the boys have been working really hard to do a big performance, we’re not just playing songs,’ Jake says.

‘There will be lots of energy, lots of fun, lots of “shoeys”.’

Jake proudly notes that he performs a ‘shoey’ – Australian slang for drinking a beverage, often beer, out of a shoe – at most of his gigs.

His down-home charm, which shines through in his music, can be linked to his upbringing on a small hobby farm with parents who loved music and nature.

By age 12, Jake knew he wanted to be a performer.

Influenced by artists such as Zac Brown Band, Brothers Osborne and Morgan Wallen, Jake hasn’t strayed far from the cultural roots of the country genre.

‘I love country music because it’s true, it’s honest – what you see is what you get and I’m that type of person as well,’ he says.

‘I grew up rural with horses and cows, chickens and pigs, and Dad playing guitar around the campfire.’

He dreams of one day performing at Nashville’s Country Music Association Fest – the biggest and longest-running country music event in the world.

In the meantime, he’s working on his next single he plans to release in August, called Coming Home.

He says it is a tribute to close-knit communities in small towns, that captures the joy and comfort of returning to a familiar place.

Get the latest updates on the official Jake Whittaker website.