Q

Piano troubadour Tobias Jesso Jr. on his rapidly rising star

How did Tobias Jesso Jr. go from complete unknown to one of the hottest songwriters in North America so quickly?
Plain-spoken piano troubadour Tobias Jesso Jr.'s debut album is called Goon. (The Canadian Press)

In the span of a few weeks, Tobias Jesso Jr. went from complete unknown to one of the hottest songwriters in North America. The Vancouver-born troubadour's debut record Goon has fuelled a public rise so rapid it's even surprising to him. 

Not only did he debut the first song from his new record on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Jesso Jr. enjoyed the musical backing of long-established band The Roots. It's safe to say most musical coming out parties pale in comparison. 

In a conversation from the best of q, the 29-year-old singer/songwriter joins guest host Piya Chattopadhyay to discuss his reaction to the wildfire attention, his struggle with stage fright, and why he balks at comparisons to greats like Randy Newman and Elton John

*This segment originally aired March 25, 2016

WEB EXTRA | Adele closed out the 2016 Brit Awards with song written by Jesso Jr. Watch the powerhouse singer perform the tune below.