(neon lights buzzing) - [Jethro] All right.

(guitar playing) I'm kind of just running through like a few of the different styles that I'll be playing.

♪ Oo, oo, oo, oo ♪ - [Crew] Sweet.

- This is Jethro from Sierra Blanca, and this is my Sound On Tap.

(Jethro clearing throat) (upbeat guitar music) ♪ Take me past the hilltop, to the valley down below ♪ ♪ Feel it in my body, in my mindset, in my soul ♪ ♪ Serves me right for chasing spirits through the night ♪ ♪ Serves me right for all the folly ♪ ♪ I feel the tension flowing through my veins ♪ ♪ I see my mother in my ways ♪ ♪ I see the army's moving up ahead ♪ ♪ But I'll be there ♪ ♪ Easy on the way down ♪ ♪ Take me past the city ♪ ♪ To the country where I'll rest ♪ ♪ See it in my family ♪ ♪ Growing larger, growing red ♪ ♪ Serves me right for chasing spirits through the night ♪ ♪ Serves me right, serves me right ♪ ♪ I see the tension flowing through my veins ♪ ♪ And I see my mother in my ways ♪ ♪ I see the army's moving up ahead ♪ ♪ But I'll be there ♪ ♪ Easy on the way down ♪ ♪ Mm, mm, mm ♪ ♪ Mm, mm, mm ♪ ♪ Serves me right for sticking to it through the fight ♪ ♪ Serves me right and I'm not sorry ♪ ♪ I feel the tension flowing through my veins ♪ ♪ And I see my mother in my ways ♪ ♪ I see the army's moving up ahead ♪ ♪ But I'll be there ♪ ♪ Easy on the way ♪ ♪ Take me past the hilltop ♪ ♪ To the valley down below ♪ I'm happy with that.

- That sounded great.

- [Jethro] I mean, I've been playing music since I was a kid and played in different bands around town, and that sort of thing, and had a lot of collaborative sort of projects, but you know, so I moved to the US when I was 14 years old, actually lived in Mexico, grew up there.

So a lot of that year was just a lot of adapting and then adjusting to kind of living in a new country, and then how I coped with a lot of that was just making music in my room.

I remember I had an old PC with some really basic recording software, and I would layer tracks in just a very basic way, I think I would, I hadn't even learned how to play guitar super well yet.

I think it sort of evolved into a full blown project probably when I was 16 or 17, I would say, when I actually started writing lyrics and composing at a little bit more of a serious level and started playing little shows and cafes and things of that sort and kind of been going ever since.

(somber guitar music) ♪ Turn a blind eye to it ♪ ♪ Say you probably won't ♪ ♪ Crowded minds look long ♪ ♪ Through the pharmacy walls ♪ ♪ Turn your tongue for it ♪ ♪ So you're not just running back ♪ ♪ So give up, break down, and move forward ♪ ♪ Soon enough it's time to change beds ♪ ♪ So give up, break down, and move forward ♪ ♪ Soon enough it's time ♪ (melancholy guitar music) ♪ Sing a soft song to it ♪ ♪ Make it a part of your day ♪ ♪ Back it up into a corner ♪ ♪ No, no more running, no running ♪ ♪ Turn on your lights on for it ♪ ♪ So you're not just running back ♪ ♪ So give up, break down, and move forward ♪ ♪ Soon enough it's time to change beds ♪ ♪ So give up, break down, and move forward ♪ ♪ Soon enough it's time ♪ (somber guitar music) ♪ So give up, break down, and move forward ♪ ♪ Soon enough it's time to change beds ♪ ♪ So give up, break down, and move forward ♪ ♪ Soon enough it's time ♪ (upbeat guitar music) All right.

It's getting warm.

(laughs) ♪ You could charge me up on the double ♪ ♪ You could change my face ♪ ♪ As fast as you can ♪ ♪ I'm yours, see that fall un-entitled ♪ ♪ To feel the fear ♪ ♪ So come let's go, arms in rubble ♪ ♪ I'm your G.I.

Joe, obsessed with your flag ♪ ♪ You could call me your body double ♪ ♪ Your spear, your spear ♪ (relaxing guitar music) ♪ So untie your robes, unencumbered ♪ ♪ Taking off our clothes ♪ ♪ To swim in the sea ♪ ♪ We're a bag of bones ♪ ♪ Small and subtle ♪ ♪ The way, the way ♪ ♪ I'm a bird in flight ♪ ♪ Bird in flight ♪ ♪ I'm a bird in flight ♪ ♪ Bird in flight ♪ ♪ Oo, mm, mm, oo ♪ (relaxing guitar music) (funky guitar music) ♪ Awestruck by feeling ♪ ♪ Seems easier to care than burn ♪ ♪ When your lungs are filled with doubt ♪ ♪ Don't forget now, don't forget now ♪ ♪ Don't forget now where you're coming from ♪ ♪ Crows feet, bad hearing ♪ ♪ You weather like the rock from the waves ♪ ♪ When your eyes and knees give out ♪ ♪ Don't forget now, don't forget now ♪ ♪ Don't forget now, how it starts is how it ends ♪ ♪ I'm a foreigner, bone and muscle ♪ ♪ I'm a seeker, caged and bound ♪ ♪ I'm a warrior bound for trouble ♪ ♪ I'm a witness but I haven't spoken out ♪ (funky guitar music) ♪ When your eyes and knees give out ♪ ♪ Don't forget now, don't forget now ♪ ♪ Don't forget now, how it starts is how it ends ♪ ♪ I'm a foreigner, bone and muscle ♪ ♪ I'm a seeker, caged and bound ♪ ♪ I'm a warrior bound for trouble ♪ ♪ I'm a witness but I haven't spoken out ♪ My parents were missionaries and it was a very sort of a religious, there was a lot of Christian music growing up and not a lot of anything but Christian music, and a lot of it was going to small churches and just listening to the music going on there.

And a lot of 'em were these really like sort of old hymns that carry a lot of, you know, old tradition and culture, and I think that's sort of shown its influence in certain aspects of my writing, not just about topics, you know, specifically coming through, you know, in what I literally write, but also in sort of like sounds and chord changes, and or chord structures and things of that sort.

But yeah, so that, I mean, that's one aspect of things.

Another aspect of, you know, being on the border and making music is that the music scene out here is definitely different.

You know, it's not, it's not what you see in a lot of prominent music towns in the US.

So that's, I think that's sort of made the journey a little, a little interesting as well.

It's hard to sort of pinpoint exactly what the influences are, but they're there.

(melancholy guitar music) ♪ I'm packing my bags ♪ ♪ Records and all ♪ ♪ Paid 400 in cash with a half broken down car ♪ ♪ If you're kicking me out ♪ ♪ 'Cause you can't even think ♪ ♪ My friend's got a couch, a smoke, and a drink ♪ ♪ I'm driving to work ♪ ♪ In retail part time ♪ ♪ And I'm trying to be good ♪ ♪ There's a party at nine ♪ ♪ If I'm breaking your rules ♪ ♪ And failing at school ♪ ♪ Just know that I'm young and acting a fool ♪ ♪ I'll get an apartment ♪ ♪ I'm planning it out ♪ ♪ Late night TV, music loud is all that matters right now ♪ ♪ You call him me back, time to come home ♪ ♪ And I'd really like that ♪ ♪ But my pride won't let it go ♪ ♪ Got no reason to pray ♪ ♪ With my clothes in a bag ♪ ♪ But everyone knows that high school's a drag ♪ ♪ I'll get an apartment ♪ ♪ I'm planning it out ♪ ♪ Late night TV, music loud is all that matters right now ♪ (somber guitar music) (peaceful guitar music) ♪ Plan's not coming through ♪ ♪ All just races by me ♪ ♪ I know I'm not afraid, no ♪ ♪ There's so much I would miss ♪ ♪ Trains and water ♪ ♪ Problems taken lightly ♪ ♪ My hopes are high ♪ ♪ My spirit's low ♪ ♪ I'm sorry I'm easy ♪ ♪ So lock me in prison ♪ ♪ Judge him by the books ♪ ♪ Take my money, take my pride ♪ ♪ And lock me in the prison somehow ♪ (somber guitar music) ♪ My hopes are high ♪ ♪ My spirit's low ♪ ♪ Know that I resist so lock me in the prison ♪ ♪ Judge him by the book ♪ ♪ Take my money, take my pride ♪ ♪ And lock me in a prison somehow ♪ ♪ Call me a liar ♪ ♪ Sentence by the book ♪ ♪ Not much left of me to find ♪ ♪ Been gone for a minute ♪ ♪ I'm sorry ♪ ♪ Time imposes limits beyond me ♪ (somber guitar music) I'm Jethro from Sierra Blanca and Sound On Tap is made possible by viewers like you.

(peaceful music) ♪ I'll be sleeping over ♪ ♪ Head on my own pillow ♪ ♪ And blanket's on the floor ♪ ♪ I'll be watching closer ♪ ♪ With voice abound and ego to take you home ♪ ♪ Take you home ♪ (peaceful music continues)