Gus Jeffers Rising New Star | Rivenmaster Raves

Gus Jeffers is a vibrant young artist making waves in the pop and R&B music scene. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Gus discovered his passion for music at a very young age. He started singing as soon as he could talk and playing piano with his grandma and guitar with his dad as a toddler.

“Be sure to read this entire article because Gus is sharing his latest music and a pre-save opportunity for all of you at the bottom of this page!“

The Beginning:

Although his family knew he loved music, and he had been taking piano lessons at his insistence since age 5, as well as performing at recitals, his mom didn’t give much weight to comments like “Gus is singing right on pitch” or “Gus seems very natural on stage.” But at age 11, Gus’s mom recalls the first time she thought, “Wow, this kid can sing.” Gus was singing karaoke with one of his best friends and performing what would become his signature song, “I Want You Back.”

Gus’s first break came at age 11 when local singer “Nafasaria Mathews” discovered him on Instagram. She introduced him to musician Alonzo Chadwick, who gave Gus his first stage performance at the Portland Waterfront Oregon Symphony Festival. There, he sang “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5 with a full band in front of over 1,000 people without any practice with the band. Alonzo told Gus after the performance that he was a bit nervous for him considering he had no practice but was “wowed” by his stage presence and ability to perform.

From there, he began to take his music seriously and started posting covers to social media from his favorite artists like Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, and Michael Jackson. Because Gus was so young, Instagram became his main media outlet as he was kicked off TikTok multiple times and eventually YouTube for being too young!

Gus’s more public journey began with a viral performance during a school Christmas show where he sang his favorite song at the time, “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5 when he was 12. The video has over 2.2 million views!

Making Connections:

Gus was also connected to George “Geo” Bivins, a legend in the music industry, who began to help guide Gus and his mom through a to-do list of requirements if Gus was serious about making it in the music industry. What Gus didn’t know is this task list of everything from learning how to produce, write songs, record in a studio, dance, vocal lessons, instrument lessons, and much more was a test to see how much grit and work ethic Gus had. A year after the gauntlet was thrown down by Geo to Gus (Gus had actually never spoken to Geo that year – only his mom had), Gus asked his mom to remind Geo for about the 8th time to get the track he promised him so Gus could write to it. That last request from Gus, along with Gus meeting and exceeding every one of Geo’s requests, turned the corner for Gus. Within 2 days of Gus asking for the track again, Gus and his mom were on the phone with Geo and a Grammy award-nominated producer and media folks. So, at the age of 12, Gus and his mom flew to Pittsburgh to meet with this team to write and record this first EP.

Recording Studio Time

Gus was starstruck when arriving at the studio for the first time, as it was the one and only studio owned by the producer E. Dan, where Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa recorded their music. The wall of award-winning records was astounding. But the time spent in the studio was worth it as Gus will never forget his mom recalling Geo’s reaction to Gus hitting the first note of the cover “I Want You Back” during his first recording session with Geo saying, “Now I am excited… Ryan (producer), tell Kelly (mom), that I don’t get excited, but now I am excited!” Geo went on to comment later that the grit, determination, and work ethic by Gus is not something he can teach and will carry him through this career.

Gus left that first recording session with his first set of original singles along with some covers, including the iconic “I Want You Back” with an R&B twist. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to release that single on Spotify due to copyright issues. But he has had great success with his other music. Another funny story was the second time Gus was back in the studio to wrap up his first EP, Gus was so sick that you can hear his stuffy nose in the recording on his single “True Love.”

Gus released his first EP, “Gus Vol. 1,” on his 13th birthday, June 21, 2023, followed by “Gus Vol. 1 Plus” later that summer, comprising some of his originals and covers. He returned to the studio in Fall 2023 to work with Ryan and Aaron (his two producers) again, releasing “This Christmas” for the holiday season 2023 and his biggest single to date, “Be Alright,” in January 2024.

Summer 2023 was also a great time for Gus as his connections in Portland led to further opportunities, including singing all over Portland band “HitMachine” and their lead singer Bart Hafeman, where Gus sang “Baby” by Justin Bieber. Gus also performed at the iconic Portland Church with Michael Allen Harrison for several shows during Christmas 2023.

Voice Change:

In April 2024, after his voice change, Gus recorded seven new singles for his fourth EP, including a song originally written for Justin Bieber in 2010. Gus loves to tell the story that the single written for JB “Don’t Break My Heart” was created the year Gus was born!

In 2024, Gus embarked on an ambitious project to release new music each month, culminating in a full album expected later in the year. His singles “Stuck” and “True Love” have been well-received, with “Stuck” being a standout track from his upcoming third EP. He has been performing in Portland all summer and is beginning to line up with Fall singing dates already.

Gus the Person and Future

When he’s not making music, Gus enjoys a variety of hobbies. He has a background in jujitsu, soccer, and futsal from his younger years. He loves fishing, hanging out with family and friends, and is particularly passionate about Christmas. Gus starts talking about Christmas six months in advance and lives on a street dedicated to Christmas decorations, which reflects his love for the festive season. During the Christmas season, Gus has an instant stage as 15K+ people walk down his street each night for 2 weeks. This year he plans to have his band with him!

Gus hopes to continue growing as an artist and aims to inspire others through his music. He dreams of performing on larger stages, such as the Superbowl, and collaborating with some of his musical idols, like The Kid LAROI. His dedication and passion for music suggest a promising future ahead.

Gus has a variety of mentors who have helped shape his musical journey:

The Team:

Songwriting Coaches: Kaitlyn Velez and Gabriel Orengo

Producers: Ryan Matthew Tedder and Aaron Karsh, who have been working with Gus since he was 12 and have co-written many of his songs.

Mentor and Manager: George “Geo” Bivins, who has mentored both Gus and his mother, Kelly Walker Jeffers, who now manages Gus’s career.

Cover Art and Merch Logo: Carly Bruce from Serenity Projects

Guitar Teacher: Ivan Danelich

Dance Instructor: Portland Dance Exchange

Vocal Coach: Dorcas Smith from the Brown Sisters, who has been coaching Gus since he was 11.

Click Here or on Gus’s Photo to go to his PRE-SAVED PAGE!

Connect with Gus:

Website: Gusjeffers.com

Facebook: Gus on Facebook

Instagram: @gusjeffers

Spotify: Gus on Spotify

YouTube: Gus on YouTube

Email: [info@gusjeffers.com]

READ UPDATES!

Update 10/25/24

Next Tuesday October 29th at 4:30 PM PT as a thank you to those who have joined “Gus’s World” by following him on his website, he will be hosting a Zoom meeting. Gus will be playing some of his music and talking with some of his fans. He has a lot to share about his opening for Nick Carter from “The Backstreet Boys” and his latest recording of five original songs with his producers in Pittsburgh.

To get a personal invite to this private Zoom Meeting Concert you need to go follow Gus on his website!

Hurry the 29th is coming quickly!

Below is a link to his Christmas song from last year as a teaser for his new original Christmas song dropping early November.

To download the track “This Christmas – Cover” for free, go to https://gusjeffers.com/dl and enter the code 667v-qjm9

Watch a snippet of his opening for Nic Carter here.
https://fb.watch/vrZlllikrM/?

Update 10/09/24

Hi!

I have some fun news to share with you before it is public. I was chosen to open for Nick Carter, one of the Backstreet Boys! I will be performing next Wednesday October 16th at the Admiral Theater in Bremerton, WA (right outside of Seattle). Watch for a live with Nick and me making the announcement on Instagram soon, but I wanted to tell you first!

My mom and I are taking the train up to Seattle that day. I have never done that so really looking forward to it. Then we hop on a plane the next day to record more new music for you! I will also be rerecording some of my songs from Gus Vol.1 and Gus Vol.1 Plus Some. Which ones would you like to hear recorded in my new voice?

And…. I am hosting a private zoom link concert and meet & greet only for the people that support me here – Tuesday October 29th, time TBD. What time do you think I should have it? Remember I have school until 3:30 PT.

Thanks again for supporting me!

Gus

P.S. Do you remember this track (see free download below)?!

To download the track “Be My Baby” for free, go to https://gusjeffers.com/dl and enter the code iwt5-6o1t

Update: 9/22/24

Hi everyone!

I am now about one month into my freshman year of High School. I really do love it, but it is so much to balance like I told you last time.

I have two fun music updates!

My next single, Don’t Break My Heart, drops Tuesday 9/24. But surprise, I am attaching it here for you early. Thank you so much for continuing to support me!

My other news is that I entered a contest with Nick Carter from The Backstreet Boys to open for one of his concerts and also a collaboration post and I am one of the winners! My mom has been working with his team to coordinate everything, but I think the post will drop this week and I will be singing at his concert sometime in October. I am so excited. More details coming soon, but wanted to tell you first.

I hope you are all doing well and catch up with you soon. Gus

To download the track “Don’t Break My Heart” for free, go to https://gusjeffers.com/dl and enter the code gstb-we6e

Update: 9/11/24

Hi everyone,

Well, I am two weeks into my Freshman year, and while it is fun to be a new school and meet new friends, it is a lot to balance. I have lessons every day after school and am still doing jujitsu twice a week. I am getting my orange belt today which is pretty cool.

I head back to Pittsburgh middle of October to record some new songs, including an original Christmas one. Christmas is my favorite time of year, so I am super excited about that.
But in the meantime, I have five more songs to release! The next one is Don’t Break My Heart dropping Tuesday September 24th!

I have attached a snippet of it that created for you. You may have heard me say that it was originally written for Justin Bieber, which is super cool, back in 2010. I joke that I am not sure I was even born yet! We updated it in the studio last April so it was a bit more current. I write most of my own songs so this experience was new for me in that I had to learn the lyrics the night before I recorded it. I think I listened to it 100 times, no kidding, the night before. I hope you like it!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SkfaONih8W22e7AvQzd6HJSoqRFSywrd/view?usp=sharing

Thanks for continuing to support me.

Gus

P.S. I included a free download to my song Overrated.

Update: 8/28/2024