Jalen Depew plays bass and sings in the South Florida rock and blues outfit Blackout, but also plays keyboards, guitar, drums and harmonica outside the band. A primarily self-taught player, he has been singing and playing piano since the age of six and started playing bass at twelve, going on to find great joy in the creative process of writing and performing. He cites musical influence from such notable players as Les Claypool (Primus), Bruce Springsteen, Brian Wilson, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and hip hop recording artist Kendrick Lamar, but is also inspired by the success and integrity of Michael Jordan, Dwayne Wade and actor Tom Hanks. Originally from Fort Lauderdale, he loves to play basketball and football in his spare time, but making people smile, dance and have a good time are the musical forces that drive him on. One of Jalen’s proudest moments was playing at Cruzan Amphitheatre for Van’s Warped Tour, and if hard work and dedication has anything to do with it, there will be plenty more big stages where that came from.
