Jack West, the 17-year-old musician from Rochester moves to New York

West came to Studio B to talk about his new album and to perform a track called “Montreal”.

ROCHESTER, NY (WROC) – Imagine being seventeen years old, having two albums under your belt and a burgeoning modeling career ahead of you… All this before moving to New York next week. There’s a musician from Rochester who fits the bill, Jack West.

West was born in Rochester and moved to Victor. In an example of art imitating life, he switched from piano to guitar when he bought a guitar at a garage sale when he was seven years old. After lessons with local legend, Nate Coffey, he was all set for his prime time appearance:

Performing in front of tens of thousands of people with Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.

“At 10 or 11, I was playing a bunch of open-mic nights, and I found out my parents were going to see Eddie Vedder in Nashville,” West said. “Coincidentally, we were staying in the same hotel. I bumped into him in the lobby, asked for a photo, and asked if I could sing with him that night and on stage, and he said yes.

West says the performance of “Society” inspired him to think of music as something that just passes the time, something to be seriously pursued.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, he still counts Pearl Jam as an influence, along with the likes of The Doors and Nirvana; plus a host of other genres and sounds.

He fondly recalls a “terrible song” he wrote when he was 11 – with only a verse and chorus written before “calling it a day” – but he’s come a long way. His debut album featured the work of an acclaimed producer in Seattle, and his second album, a two-year project titled “Numb,” was released last month. It showcases the talents of a mastering engineer who worked with Billie Eilish.

At just 17, he knows moving to the Big Apple is a big step for his music and modeling, but West has one thing on his mind about his trip east.

“I just want success in what I love to do, not fame or anything like that, just success,” he said.

True to his Rochester roots, West is touring the Midwest with two other local bands, KOPPS and Boy Jr. this summer.