The South Otago country artist, winner of the 2005 Gold Guitar Awards as well as the MLT New Zealand Songwriting Contest the same year, has been invited to join the Highway of Legends tour for a one-off performance at Dunedin's Regent Theatre on Friday, November 21.
There is also a strong chance Jury will be on a plane bound for the United States later next year as the Highway of Legends party looks to expand its horizons.
"It's all pencilled in; it's not 100% confirmed, but it looks like everyone is going to the States."
Jury, speaking by telephone during a break from his building work, says he is also hatching plans to record and release a debut album. He is preparing to cook dinner at his Kaitangata home for a Creative New Zealand official, whom he hopes will help steer him through the paperwork required when seeking funding for an album.
Key to much of this impetus is New Zealand music industry veteran Gray Bartlett, the guitarist of no small talent who has extended his hand to promotion. Jury (30) met Gray last year when he was invited to the Kiwi Pro-Am Country Music Awards in Hamilton, where he collected the New Horizons Award.
"That award was about being pushed to the next stage, of going professional. He's becoming my mentor at that level. He's absolutely brilliant," Jury enthuses.
"He's got people like Hayley Westenra under his belt and is a great help.
"I sent half a dozen songs through to Gray the other day and he really liked them. I've got a few others on the go."
Jury, who has yet to decide where and with whom he will record, says he has also learned plenty from Ross McNab, who operates Sweetway Studios near Owaka.
"I go down and visit Ross now and again and have a good old yarn and run through some songs. Ross has helped me a lot over the years. When it comes to songwriting, he has a wealth of knowledge in that area."
Despite his awards, Jury says he spends a long time on each of his compositions. Though the spark of an idea will often arrive quickly, he tends to get a bit "fussy about it".
"It drags out a wee bit. It's hard to get into the mood with work. It'd be nice to create some space, to get into the mood for some writing . . .
"I always go home and pick up the guitar for a while. I don't force anything. I might get a couple of lines down. There are only so many hours in the day, so if this is what you want to do, you've got to do a bit every day. You've got to turn that TV off and push your own barrow."
