J Edwards Talks About Keepin’ it Real with His Latest Album

The singer-songwriter’s reissued album shines a spotlight on everyday life, honest storytelling, and the people who inspire his music.

In an era when music often chases trends and larger-than-life personas, singer-songwriter J Edwards is content telling stories about ordinary people. In fact, he built an entire album around them.

“Average Guy”, originally released in 2020 and recently reissued with a fresh mix and a few updates, is a collection of songs that Edwards says remain in some of his most cherished work. While the new version has some technical refinements, he was careful to preserve what made the album special in the first place.

“It has some great songs on it, some of my favorite, and it’s raw and real,” Edwards says. “We kept that and just made a few tweaks and a new mix.”

That authenticity is at the heart of the project. Unlike many of his other recordings, “Average Guy” gave Edwards complete creative control. He took on the role of producer, shaped the arrangements, and worked closely with musicians to bring his vision to life.

“I had my hands on everything,” he explains. “Self-produced, I played the instruments or had my friends play what I wanted and then arranged it the way I wanted.”

The result is an album that feels deeply personal—not because it focuses solely on Edwards’ life, but because it reflects the lives of the people around him. Throughout his career, his songwriting has gravitated toward the experiences of working families and everyday individuals navigating life’s challenges.

At the heart of Edwards’ songwriting is a deep appreciation for everyday people. His songs chronicle the triumphs, struggles, emotions, and unexpected twists that shape the lives of working families and ordinary individuals, giving voice to experiences that are often overlooked.

That perspective is perhaps best captured by the album’s title track. Asked which song serves as the centerpiece of the project, Edwards doesn’t hesitate to point to “Average Guy,” a song whose message reflects the album’s larger theme.

“Sometimes loving an average guy is better than trying to love someone like a millionaire,” he says.

It’s a sentiment that resonates throughout the album’s 16 tracks. While Edwards says he doesn’t have a single favorite song on the record, he views the collection as a whole as a gathering of songs that continue to connect with listeners.

“It’s a collection of my favorites,” he says, noting that those songs often become favorites for fans as well.

For Edwards, the greatest achievement of “Average Guy” isn’t simply the songwriting. It’s the way the album captures the energy and emotion of his live performances.

“I love the songs I’ve written, but I think I’m most proud of the producing and being able to express the song through the instruments in the same way I do on stage with a band or solo acoustic.”

The project also benefited from a strong circle of collaborators. Edwards co-wrote songs with Dan Smalley, Corey Lee Barker, Jamie Saylor, Abby Graham, and others, while accomplished musicians such as Hal Higgins and Rickey Godfrey helped shape the album’s sound.

Despite those contributions, the album’s message remains singular: nobody is truly alone in their struggles.

When listeners reach the end of “Average Guy”, Edwards hopes they walk away with a sense of connection and understanding.

“That they are not alone,” he says. “Somebody is going through the same thing and sometimes making those same bad decisions.”

Perhaps that’s why the most meaningful compliments he’s received over the years have less to do with commercial success and more to do with recognition. One listener told him they had never heard his songs before yet felt immediately connected to them because “it was my kind of music.”

Another compliment has stayed with him even longer. “Someone walked up to me one night and said, ‘That’s what I was trying to say.'”

For a songwriter whose mission is to give voice to everyday experiences, there may be no higher praise. Through “Average Guy”, J Edwards continues to remind listeners that their stories matter—and that sometimes the most powerful songs are the ones that sound a lot like real life.