California-reared singer-songwriter Jack Van Cleaf writes determined and delicate songs with poetic slant and confessional warmth. At twenty-six, Van Cleaf has taken stage at legendary venues across the country including Mission Ballroom, The Ryman, The Pageant, Miller High Life Theatre and more. He has toured with artists such as Noah Kahan, Briston Maroney, Oliver Hazard, Field Guide, Annika Bennett, The Lagoons, and Taylor Ashton.
In his songs, folk imagination dresses in cinematic production, evoking the spacious and sparse verses of Nathaniel Rateliff and Gregory Alan Isakov. His music also echoes his heroes: a directness borrowed from Kris Kristofferson and lucid spirituality reminiscent of Cohen.
Released in 2022, Van Cleaf's premiere full-length record, Fruit from the Trees, opens like a lost suitcase. Written across a span of seven years, the ten tracks are stashed with fables and fictions, letters to high school lovers, loose change in foreign currency, and a white bandana chalked in red Texas dust. Co-produced by Jamie Mefford (Nathaniel Rateliff, Gregory Alan Isakov) and Alberto Sewald (Katy Kirby), the record soars with sonic width that melds the folk-song precision of Dawes with a rumbled raucousness suggestive of The Killers. Van Cleaf proudly introduced 'Fruit from the Trees' with a sold out release show in Nashville, TN in March of 2022.
The debut record was premiered on Atwood Magazine who calls the record "achingly intimate, warm, and tender…a radiantly raw alt-folk reckoning in the depths of connection, emotion, and the human experience."
With lyrics that connect to many, Van Cleaf's breakthrough song "Rattlesnake" has amassed over 9 million streams and his music has been included in over 20k playlists by listeners across the globe. He was included in Spotify's best of 2022 roundups — 'Fresh Finds Class of 2022' and 'Fresh Finds Folk: Best of 2022' and most recently named one of Spotify's 2024 Artists To Watch highlighting "Rattlesnake" on their 'juniper' playlist. His latest releases include singles "Terrestrial Man" and "For The Birds." Van Cleaf is currently writing and recording new music.
