Today’s communications make discovering new music a great deal easier than when this correspondent began his interest in music. How else does someone in London get to hear of an artist in California who’s about to release an album that draws on influences within and beyond the Americana world? The interweb also allowed me to get in touch with the artist in question, Jade Jackson, whose new album Gilded is released next month.
Lyndon Bolton: Please tell No Depression readers, who might not be aware of your music up to now, a little about your career so far? Have any moments stood out?
Jade Jackson: I wrote my first song when I was thirteen and started performing soon after. When I was fifteen I won a songwriting competition as the youngest entrant, which gave me confidence that songwriting was what I was meant to do. When you’re young, if people tell you that you’re good at something, you believe it to be true. Up until this point, I mainly had an infatuation with poetry and melody and a dream of performing on stage. I continued to play locally for over a decade and eventually was presented with the incredible opportunity to work with Mike Ness.
How have you managed to write 300+ songs? There seems to be a lot of sad songs?
It’s a form of therapy and comes from a place deeper within that I don’t fully understand. Because of that most of my songs are sad.
You’ve been doing this for some time and a move to a new label is often a time of change. Would you consider the move to ANTI- a step up to a new level?
Yes, I would absolutely consider it a step up. Being signed to ANTI- gives me the opportunity to share my music with a larger audience. I hope to have a long career that lets me remain true to myself as I grow and evolve as an artist and I believe ANTI- is the kind of label that will provide me with the opportunity to do so.
Why the title Gilded? Is there something behind the title?
I loved how the word sounded. When I wrote the song I used the word ‘gilded’ without knowing exactly what it meant, and when I found the definition it seemed to be exactly what I wanted to say. That only reinforced my belief that when I write it comes from a deeper place.
What is your favourite song on Gilded? Did any surprise you in the studio?
I don’t really have a favourite, each song is special to me in its own way and reminds me of a different time in my life. ‘Motorcycle’ is probably the one that surprised us the most. Working with a producer at this level showed us how our songs could change in ways we otherwise would not have envisioned. Mike has an experienced ear for crafting songs and he pushed this one in a much different direction. It’s not always easy letting someone change your songs, but we trusted him and ended up liking the final result more than we could have imagined.
Who is in your live band? And who played on your record? Have they been playing with you for long?
My band consists of Tyler Miller on drums, Andrew Rebel on lead guitar, and Jake Vukovich on bass. These three spend twelve plus hours every week rehearsing, arranging, and writing with me in my neighbour’s garage. ‘Jade Jackson’ is really the four of us. It’s a common misconception that I am a solo artist and my band is a few hired guns. Though we go by my name, the four of us are equally invested in a collective dream. Aside from them, we were honoured to have Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Greg Leisz (pedal steel/ electric guitar) play featured parts on our album. Our friend and mentor, David Kalish, also plays tremolo guitar and piano on a couple songs. Their years of experience push our album to a different level. Mike even took a solo on the album that features his distinct playing style and sound. He was just messing around with guitar licks in the studio, but when the band and I heard what he was laying down we begged him to keep it for the final product.
Country music has always had a community spirit; are there any musicians you’d particularly like to perform with, or write with, in future?
I was lucky enough to write a song with Mike for our record, and performing with him has been a dream. Tom T. Hall and Kris Kristofferson are long-time songwriting heroes of mine that I would be beyond honoured to write with. There are also plenty of younger artists who I respect and admire that I’d love to collaborate with as well. Jason Isbell and Conor Oberst are two that immediately come to mind.
I believe your dad’s record collection had a big influence on you. What was in it?
It’s really my dad’s record collection that he’s been acquiring over the course of his life. He collects mostly old country artists like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and George Jones just to name a few. I also discovered bands like The Gun Club, The Smiths, The Cure, etc. in his collection. There was such a variety of artists it’s hard to know where to begin and end. The albums I grew up with were my main source of entertainment and have proven to be a primary influence.
You grew up without TV/computers. Was that a positive influence or do you think you missed out on anything?
It was challenging at times, but in hindsight I feel like it gave me a different outlook on life which helped fuel my imagination.
Do you think it would be possible for anyone to grow up without them nowadays?
Anything’s possible, however, as the world becomes more intertwined in digital technology the gap widens between those with and those without it.
