Musician Brian Jarvis continues to throw himself to the wolves

The Springfield native has been toiling in the Hartford music scene for the last few years has several “indie” success stories to his credit.

Brian Jarvis

Brian Jarvis might have the perfect description of what it’s like to be an independent musician.

“Its basically like throwing yourself to the wolves every day and hoping someone bites and gives you a chance,” he said.

Jarvis, a Springfield native who has been toiling in the Hartford music scene for the last few years has several “indie” success stories to his credit. He has a tour booked up and down the East Coast and his recent release “Beautifully Broken” debuted at No. 69 on the iTunes Rock Chart.

“Plan and do your homework,” said Jarvis about the chart success. “I wouldn't dare try to chart on a day when bands like John Mayer, Matt Nathanson or Green River Ordinance are dropping records. So I found a Tuesday that worked for me and gave myself about a month lead time to promote. After that it’s just getting your hands dirty by texting, calling, emailing, and social networking until you pass out.”

Jarvis, who has dates booked from Manchester, N.H. to Panama City, Fla., said that getting high profile gigs is similarly hard work.

“Booking yourself is an incredibly hard process,” he said. “Its all about delicately massaging your connections and not always trying to get something from them and knowing the right time to ask for favors. Some of the shows I have booked have taken as long as three years to track down.”

Jarvis’ love of music came from his late father and while he initially leaned toward a Dave Matthews sound, his latest release shows a shift toward more of a singer-songwriter approach. The songs are earnest, his voice is strong, and both the sentiment and message are genuine.

It’s all part of making a concerted effort to live the dream and when the going gets tough, Jarvis has a fairly poignant reminder of his motivation tattooed on his wrist.

“I had my father’s initials tattooed on my wrist after he passed, along with the logo of the inlays of the first guitar he bought me to remind to stay focused,” Jarvis said. “I made a promise to him when he was sick in the hospital that I would give it everything I had. I am trying to follow through on this promise.”

To follow Brian Jarvis and download his songs, check out brianjarvisband.com