J.W. CUDD

J.W. CUDD began his career at age fifteen, garnering attention from Texas Music, Country Music, and European radio stations. His first wide release, "Let's Put Our Hearts Together" charted on the Texas Music Charts at #26, making Cudd the "Youngest Charted Artist" in Texas Music (2006). Cudd went on to release his follow-up single, "Gold Digger's Dream"; although, the song did not gain much attention in the US, it charted internationally at #17 in the European Country Music Association (2007).

In 2014, Cudd began work on a new release: "Open Your Heart". The song was inspired by the loss of a close friend, Michelle Liedke, who died from complications during a medical procedure. In an interview, Cudd stated that the lyrics and melody came to him in a dream. Multi-platinum record producer, Andrew Lane, produced the song—helping to rebrand the singer/songwriter as a pop artist. During this time, Cudd shot a music video and launched a campaign for the song containing more than fifty celebrities showing their support for the American Heart Association. Some of these individuals include Bella Thorne, Micah Hauptman, Grace Victoria Cox, Linc Hand, and more. The song and campaign were released on February 2, 2015 after being approved as a fundraiser for the American Heart Association, and the music video was debuted a few weeks later on Extra with Mario Lopez. Radio promotion and a small tour quickly followed the release, kicking off at the Las Vegas Heart Ball (Four Seasons Hotel) on April 11, 2015.

Subsequently in 2014, Cudd began filming Listen the movie; in which, he plays a high school wrestler. The film is centered around a group of conflicted youths and adults struggling for personal connections who are united by self-destruction, tragedy and redemption. The movie was filmed in Manteca, California. In 2015 and 2016, Cudd and the cast/crew of Listen went on a promotional tour of pre-screenings. Cudd stated, "With the camaraderie of the director, producers, and cast, we were able to not only attend and promote the screenings, but also connect with everyone who had a chance to see the film before it hits theatres. That was the best part; we got to actually meet people who were affected by the film."

On September 8, 2016 Cudd released the single, "Boomerang". Having solely written the track, Cudd co-produced the record with Andrew Lane. In addition to the song, Cudd directed and produced the music video which was later released on October 13, 2016 for a world premiere on Baeble Music. Cudd's most vulnerable track to date, Cudd claimed (in an interview with Gas Mask Magazine) that he again received the song from a metaphysical realm stating, "At four AM, I heard singing, and here we are."

On October 29, 2016 Cudd debuted his "Angel Artifacts" collection at Entertainment Weekly's Popfest. The collection included pieces of art composed of thousands of butterflies. Cudd stated, "I wanted to create something that would inspire – something that would make everyone come together. That was the motive behind "Angel Artifacts". The larger pieces contain more than 3,000 butterflies, and after clocking in almost two years of work, I'm excited to unveil this collection to viewers. They were made with light, and I hope people see them for the beauty they resemble."

In a quote from Top40-Charts.com, Cudd stated he'd been painting for several years searching for an artistic style. "I've always been passionate about creating – whether it be singing, songwriting, acting, or various art mediums. Like any musician who has to find their sound, I believe that every painter has to find their style. After eight years of serious soul-searching, I was finally able to unearth what resonated within me."