My parents really chose it- I wasn't concerned with names before I was born.

I play all over the US at colleges, mostly. I also love to play churches and coffee shops- basically anywhere that people like to listen to good songs and acoustic music.

It completely changes the game. We have the ability to take our music straight to the fans- the only problem is trying to cut through the noise of all the other indies doing the same thing.

Sure, if the right deal came along. At this point, though, being independent is fun and profitable.

As an independent songwriter and artist, his songs have sold tens of thousands of albums, both in physical copies and online. Several songs, including "Passenger Seat" and "Out of My League", have become underground classics on high school and college campuses around the nation, thanks to indie radio, over two million streaming listens, and over 20,000 paid downloads.

With the band he founded in highschool, StephenSpeaks, as both lead singer and songwriter, he toured throughout the US and Asia, stumbling on two 1 smash hits in the Philippines, and a 1 video on MTV-Asia. TJ's acoustic folk/pop style and heartfelt lyrics have earned him widespread recognition as a songwriter and vocalist, being compared to such artists as Bebo Norman, James Blunt, Five for Fighting, and John Mayer. His song "Miles Between Us" was used in the motion picture "Decoys" (2004) which received international airplay and distribution. With his solo debut, "Kind of Life"(2005), TJ again turned heads and ears with a combination of well-written CCM and AC/pop songs together on one collection. The recently released "Long Live Love" (2008), is full of unforgettable, "acousti-pop" love songs, ready-made for mainstream radio.

TJ's far-reaching talent has earned him fans from a number of different genres. In 2006 and 2007, he penned collections of kids' songs for Parable Bookstores, which quickly became the chain's highest selling items. A follow up collection is planned for Christmas 2008.

With his deeply written songs, unforgettable melodies and disarmingly honest, simple style, TJ McCloud sells albums and wins over listeners for the long run; always keeping them coming back to sing along- for just one more chorus...

My influences are really the great singer/songwriters like James Taylor, Jim Croce, Paul Simon, and Billy Joel
I also am influenced by some newer guys like Bebo Norman, Rich Mullins, Dave Barnes, John Mayer, Justin Rosolino, Jill Phillips

Anywhere my wife is.

Martin D-16, Taylor 615, BOSS pedals, L.R. Baggs electronics, Seimens microphones, Martin SP strings