After purchasing his first drumset at age 10, Jake began rocking out in his parents' garage in Columbia, MO. He played in a multitude of groups (occasionally in front of people) before joining with The Cat's Pajamas in 1999. The Cat's Pajamas gave Jake his first experience in a recording studio as well as a good deal of creative influence and performance experience.

After moving off to college in Springfield, MO, Jake joined forces with guitarist/singer Jim Bultas and bassist/singer Jason Loftin to form a band called Seagreens. It was during his tenure with this group that he began to be called by the stage alias "Jake Speed," after the epic movie from 1986.

After recording a demo at the studios at Missouri State University, Jim decided to leave the group to pursue his dreams of being a film director. Guitarist/singer Ryan Spilken, who had opened for Seagreens on a couple of occasions, stepped in and The Nova Heat was born. The Nova Heat rocked all around Springfield and the surrounding area for about a year before going into the studio to record an album (expected to be released soon). The Nova Heat continues to rock after the departure of Jake Speed.

In addition to these bands, Jake also played on a temporary basis with a few other bands, including Amsterband. Hey fellas!

AUDIO CLIPS

The Cat's Pajamas, "Come With Us... We Want Your Brain" (1999)
Brainwashed - (mp3 1.18mb)
The Collector - (mp3 597kb)

Seagreens, "Seagreens" (2004)
Cameras on the Neighbors - (mp3 729kb)
Smoke - (mp3 470kb) - Jake also plays the piano on this track.

Clips from The Nova Heat coming soon!