Jay writes and sings songs for fans of real country music and is making a name for his catchy hooks, foot-stomping, autobiographical, everyman songs and good timin’ live shows. The Nashville Songwriters Ass. Intl. named Jay Gavin, a writer that’s “One to Watch” in June 2023 Often compared to Kris Kristofferson, John Prine and the like! Jay will be promoting a new Nashville recorded project " A Tribute to Hal Bynum" with Outlaw legend Billy Don Burns.

Ask around Portland and you’ll quickly uncover Kingman’s reputation as the sort of songwriter who makes other songwriters jealous, even angry. You’ll also hear about his hustle as both a player and writer, as those same songwriters line up to play with him. “I like to alternate between plain-spoken truth and fragmented visions of painfully vivid dreamscapes,” Kingman notes. “Songs need a listener to be complete. And I don’t want to tell the listener what to think or do. It’s our job to present honesty, good or bad: an unfinished song from an unfinished life. And everybody hearing it gets a co-write because each moment is unique.”