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.<\/p>\n
Original member and vocalist Jared \u201cDirty J\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery 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, \u2018This is the path. This is what you\u2019re supposed to do.\u2019 I just knew we were going to make it.\u201d<\/p>\n
That journey hasn\u2019t 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\u2019t make it nearly as long as they have.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s what I think is cool, is like a lot of bands, 25 years is like they\u2019re done. I feel like we\u2019re just getting started\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cOur babysitter was either the beach or the surf shop. So, we were just born into that culture.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n He said, \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Getting back on the surfboard is part of a greater shift in focus on Watson\u2019s health and wellness. As he has gotten older, he\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cHe 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,\u201d Watson recalled. \u201cAnd 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019t 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\u2019t see himself going back to how his life used to be.<\/p>\n \u201cFitness and training and working out is so important to me.\u201d<\/p>\nSurfing and MMA Serves Him Personally and Professionally<\/h2>\n
![\"Jared](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Jared-Watson-of-Dirty-Heads-boxing-training.jpg?quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>Seven Seas and the Future<\/h2>\n