But a closer look into the songwriter’s childhood reveals the seeds of his career.

“The family farm was in the small town of Clifton, going four or five generations back,” said Bertrand, who performs Saturday night with The Haymakers at Decatur’s Lock Stock and Barrel. “I spent all my summers and weekends out there baling hay and raising beans, so I was definitely a country boy at heart, and that was my kind of music.”

The self-titled country boy also possessed a curiosity for expanding his horizons, however. After attending and graduating from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in speech communications, he moved west to Arizona and set his sights on songwriting.

“Once I started to get really into it, I just didn’t want to do covers anymore like I was in my college band,” he said. “I played all over the place for the next decade before starting up the band that became Jason and the Haymakers around four years ago and cutting a demo at Pogo Studios in Champaign.”

That might have been the entire story of Jason and the Haymakers if not for the intervention of Jimmy Johnson, a well-known guitarist and producer who heard the demo and took the band under his wing. Suddenly, Bertrand found himself working with a man who had produced albums for the likes of The Rolling Stones, Bob Seger and Lynyrd Skynyrd, recording a full-length debut in Nashville. That record, “True, Original, American Country,” represented the group’s break-out.

“Through the recording process, we were using a lot of the same session players as the major artists in town, and they kind of came up with this ‘true, original, American’ moniker for me because of the songs I was writing,” Bertrand said. “If you ask my opinion, I’d say the name means ‘true stories about real life, without embellishment.’ It all happened to me, good or bad. I’m nothing special really, just someone who tries to bust his tail.”

Since the release of the album July 4, 2011, Bertrand has toured far and wide with big names in country music that include Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Montgomery Gentry, Eric Church, Josh Thompson and Kid Rock. He remains unsigned, however, choosing to distribute and promote his music through his own label, Bigg Rigg Entertainment, and trusting in a growing fan base to continue spreading word of his performances via word of mouth.

“We just want to do it the old-fashioned way,” he said. “We’ll drive 15 hours through the night to make it to a gig that we really want to do. I wouldn’t say this is the easiest way to do things, but I do think it’s the most important way today for a new band to get its music out there and build a fan base. Touring is definitely the backbone of our revenue, and because of that I’m spending 200-plus nights a year in a hotel or in a bus.”

The fun that Jason and the Haymakers have on stage is the reward that makes all that time spent traveling worthwhile.

“We’re a very rowdy bunch of guys who just like to have a good time wherever we go,” Bertrand said. “We stick pretty close to the true country music and just try to give an exciting show. There’s a lot of sweat and a lot of laughter.”

We greatly appreciate your support.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to the people in my wonderful hometown of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. My name is Stephen Melton. I am the longest surviving recording engineer and mixer in the Shoals. I’ve been in the studio more hours than anybody in town. I now live just outside of Washington D.C. and work for the State Department. I never thought I would be living and working in the D.C. area. I would like to take a minute to say I know where you can get one of the best recordings I have had the privilege to work on in my 40 years in any studio! Earlier in the year, Jimmy Johnson called me. Jimmy is one of the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studio Rhythm Section members and also a great producer. Jimmy asked me if I would come home, engineer and mix a great new artist that found him and asked Jimmy to produce his CD. Jimmy also asked if I could find him a studio where we could record the drums and a couple of instruments on tape, and record the rest of the instruments digitally on Pro Tools. I knew just where to go. Having worked at Abbey Road Studios in London I knew of only on place in the U.S. that could give us the sound we wanted and had all the gear we could possibly ever want or need. Jimmy sent me the rough demos and the songs and artist literally blew me away. I mean blew me away! I took Jimmy and Jason Bertrand to Black Bird Studios in Nashville, The studio belongs to John McBride. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, Martina’s husband and one of the nicest people on earth. John was Garth Brooks mixer on the road and co-owned Claire Brothers a very famous live sound company. Jimmy hired some of the best musicians and engineers in the country to play on Jason’s record. It just so happens that the console I found was a 96 channel API. The largest of it’s kind in the world. Yes ladies and gentlemen, we had the engineers, equipment, producer, players and songs together. Obviously, one of the secrets to this project is Jason’s writing. This is the first project that I have worked on in forty years that I loved, or liked all of the songs on the CD. Did you hear me? Let me repeat that. Jason Bertrand’s CD is the first CD in decades that I have loved or liked every song on the CD. You can’t even begin to imagine how many great songs I worked on or heard in my career. The songs have fire, passion, humor, and soul and I’m just getting started!. Ladies and Gentlemen if you want a great record, with great songs, a great artist, awesome players and sounds great too! This is it. It will be in your collection for the rest of your life. Get Jason & The Haymakers, “True-Original-American-Country!” You’ll get your stocking stuffed! You can get Jason’s CD at www.jhaymakers.com.

Everyone have a great Christmas! Love, Peace, and Happiness! Stephen Melton

After nearly a year in the making of the debut album, Jason & The Haymakers will be appearing at the newly remodeled Majestic Theatre on Saturday, May 7th for their highly anticipated album release. Produced by legendary producer Jimmy Johnson of Muscle Shoals Alabama, the album is a reflection of a musical life of true original American Country.

Matt Poss & Rolling Thunder will be opening the show. MPRT are great friends and bring some of the same fire and style to the stage. JHM & MPRT pair up a few times each year to bring the best of original Country music to the Midwest.

Doors at 7pm. $10 general admission, $35 VIP balcony limited seating (includes beer and well drinks).

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 1st at 10am. www.jhaymakers.com

Sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon, X-Country Radio, Dr. John Vallone, DDS., Roadrunner Transport, Hampton Inn, Julie Schuld State Farm Insurance, Jimmy Holmes Clothing, Avalon Photography, Jimmy Johns, Groov-It Putting Trainers and Bulls BBQ.