Jaymes McFarland LIVE in studio

While Seattle is known for all sorts of music, pop doesn’t usually come to mind. But the city is quietly turning out a group of songwriters starting to make their mark on the mainstream.

Among them is Seattle-native Jaymes McFarland. The guitarist recently moved to Southern California to write songs for other artists on Atlantic Records.

You kind of have to pick and choose what route you’re going to take and I still am going to love playing music and hopefully I can do something with a solo career too but I feel like this is a really good way to get started.

So what is it that’s directing so many young artists to pursue pop? McFarland says it’s a natural backlash to more traditional Seattle sounds from grunge to indy rock.

“It kind of became one of those things I feel like people wanted to escape and renew what they were doing and go in a new direction because it just wouldn’t feel the same sticking around the same old stereotypes,” he says.

McFarland says despite the warnings, he’s not worried about getting chewed up and spit out by the big, bad music business as he forges his new career.

“I feel like the real reason for a lot of those stories is people aren’t prepared, people aren’t willing and prepared to sacrifice.”