Jared Watson of Dirty Heads Credits Fitness for Pulling Him Out of a Dark Place
Since 2001, Dirty Heads have been entertaining and inspiring fans with their unique blend of hip-hop, reggae, and rock that exemplifies their southern California roots. With a quarter-century of experience traveling the globe, one may think that they would be holding on and trying to extend the clock on their careers. However, as each year passes, they have only gotten bigger and better.
Original member and vocalist Jared “Dirty J” Watson said that he tends to have second thoughts about many things in his life, but the success and potential for Dirty Heads was not one of them.
“Every time I thought about music, every time I thought about our band, there was just this confidence, this feeling in my gut that it was like, ‘This is the path. This is what you’re supposed to do.’ I just knew we were going to make it.”
That journey hasn’t come without a lot of grinding and struggles. Watson looked back on the many miles in the road crammed in a van with 10 other people, playing shows with small audiences, dollar menu dinners with beer, and appreciated how far they have come. This is especially true considering the number of acts that don’t make it nearly as long as they have.
“And that’s what I think is cool, is like a lot of bands, 25 years is like they’re done. I feel like we’re just getting started”
Surfing and MMA Serves Him Personally and Professionally
Watson grew up in southern California and embraced the sun, sand, and Pacific Ocean. His father was a carpenter whose business was connected to a surfshop. Watson and his brother, who went on to own that surfshop, hit the waves often during his childhood.
“Our babysitter was either the beach or the surf shop. So, we were just born into that culture.”
Surf teams in California were as common as football teams are in Texas, according to Watson, and he was on a varsity team. He even earned a jacket for being on that team. After music and touring became the priority, Watson shifted his focus, but he has since reconnected with the sport of his youth.
He said, “The passion for surfing has definitely reignited in the last, you know, decade. Many people advise that you should get up early, get some sunlight, get out into nature, try and meditate, hang out with your friends, socialize, and move. All of those things are surfing.”
Getting back on the surfboard is part of a greater shift in focus on Watson’s health and wellness. As he has gotten older, he’s seen the value in being healthier and in better shape for himself, his family, his bandmates, and the art of music. After choosing sobriety, he was trying to find a way to channel his passion into becoming his best self when friend and UFC fighter Ian McCall invited him to a training session.
“He took me to the gym and we ran some weights, ran some cardio, hit the bag, got into the ring and did a little bit of light sparring,” Watson recalled. “And I remember on the way home, there was 30 minutes where the sky had opened up and I had felt like myself again for the first time in years.”
That was all Watson needed to implement training back into his everyday life. He went on to share how exercise provided even more benefits out of the gym; therapy was more productive, he looked better, and he was making healthier choices than he was while in a much darker place before. Now, if he isn’t in the gym he can be found back in the water. He finds healthier options to eat like fruit cups and salads instead of fast food, focusing on breath work and cold plunges, and he said once the dominos started falling, he can’t see himself going back to how his life used to be.
“Fitness and training and working out is so important to me.”
Seven Seas and the Future
The momentum that Watson has been feeling can be heard in his performances, which is why he and the other members of Dirty Heads are so proud of their latest album, Seven Seas. Watson said there may not be as many songs on this album as others, but it is one that fans will listen to from start to finish.
“It’s a no-skip album,” Watson proclaimed. “The last album and this album are the product of me just being able to be creative and actually make the things that I’m visualizing in my head.”
Watson is very optimistic about Seven Seas as well as the future. He isn’t only thinking about their immediate future with their music, either. Thanks to AI and other advancements, there’s a chance that someone he will never see could benefit from what Dirty Heads has created, and that excites him the most.
“In like 300 years, some kid can still listen to my music and it can change his day. It can save his life, save her life. Like, that’s crazy to me that not only are we helping people while we’re here, we could help people after we’re gone.”
You can follow Dirty Heads on Instagram @dirtyheads and listen to their album on their website and all major streaming platforms.
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