Jules Rancourt sums up his approach to music with two words, simple and direct. “It’s how I approach everything in life”, says the life-loving New Hampshire native “My songs, the way I perform it’s all going to come out that way.” That simple and direct approach to songs, delivered with Jules intense, earthy vocals speaks to the “average Joe” in all of us. For Rancourt the “average Joe” connection is not one that he seeks out, but one that is very much a part of him. He explains, “I’ve always been self-employed as a contractor. I love working with my hands, love making good solid things that will be around for a long time.” He also chose long ago to live, work, and raise his family in rural New Hampshire. “We tried Florida for a while,” he recalls, “but we missed the simplicity and the sense of reality we have here so we came back to stay.”

     The “real” Jules draws his inspiration from this idyllic lifestyle to create his music. He describes his life as “Positive! It’s based on hard work and simple prayer, and not necessarily in that order, on having a great family and good friends.” The celebration of love is a common theme of his songs because, “It’s the thread from which life’s fabric is woven. Whether its romantic love, love of family, love of nature-even loving the feeling you get when you have put in a good day’s work. I have written so many love songs that my wife sometimes asks me "Why are you always writing about love?". My answer is always the same- "Well name one thing that is better!”

     “When I sit down to write a song, that’s what comes out. It’s like a jukebox is playing in my head, and I have to write as fast as I can to keep up with the words. Most of my songs are written in 10 minutes or so, the basics anyway, because I’m not manufacturing them. I’m writing down what’s inside my heart and head and, sorry, it just doesn’t get gloomy in there too often. Sometimes you second guess yourself, of course. The musical trends may start heading in a negative direction, a darker outlook comes into style, but that isn’t me.”

     His positive attitude and love of life extends into his off time as well. When he’s not working, writing or performing (he performs regularly at many of the region’s best known clubs) the avid outdoorsman can usually be found in the back-country near his home fishing, camping or snowboarding.

     Jules made his first trip to Nashville in 1989 and became a regular visitor when time and money allowed. “I pounded the pavement, knocked on doors and was told many times, “you have a good voice, keep writing, you're almost there”. I realized if I put every other part of my life on hold, put myself in a position where I had to “make it” or else, I could end up walking someone else’s path. I’d rather write and sing to express something than to impress someone. It’s funny, like when you try to hard, when you make some desperate attempt to reach someone, it hardly ever works. So each time I took the criticism positively and always knew in my heart that someday I’d be doing my music for a living.”

     In the fall of 1997 Jules was introduced to fellow New Englander Wayne Warner by a mutual friend. Warner was in pre-production for his first album, produced by the legendary Harold Shed and veteran guitar player Troy Lancaster. Jules continued to work on his music, kept in contact with Warner and met Lancaster again a year later in a Nashville recording studio. The two became fast friends, both influenced by late 70’s Rock and Roll and the New Country of the early ‘90’s. At Wayne’s suggestion Troy and Jules began to work together in the studio. The two worked long and hard to bring Jules vision to life and eventually dubbed their creation The New England Sound.

     In the winter of 2002 Jules played the finished tracks for Wayne who had recently released his own self titled album on the B-Venturous label, a label that he helped to create. Wayne played the tracks for the label staff and his manager, Chuck Thompson, and they all loved what they heard. “When Wayne played us Jules new record we were very impressed and believe that it is the perfect follow up to build on the success we are having with Wayne’s album and his current single, Slip’n N Slid’n", says label director of operations Juanita Lee.

     As the B-Venturous team prepares for the release of “That’s What You’re All About”, the first single from the as yet untitled album, Jules reflects on the road that brought him to this point, “I've worked long and hard but the greater the sacrifice, the greater the reward.” With the release of “That’s What You’re All About”, the long, hard, work this “average Joe” has put into his New England Sound is poised to take the Country Music world by storm!