Jackson Blue
Today’s blog features my good friend Jackson Blue, the 20 year-old self-proclaimed poet, loop artist, and sound experimentalist from Billings, Montana. Take a peek into his brain and sound.
When did you first begin playing and what inspired you to start?
Well, I started playing ukelele when I was twelve, and that was the first instrument I ever picked up. And that was mainly because I was just listening to the radio all the time and really liked music growing up. So much so that I was singing a lot and just thought that if I played an instrument, that it would be that much cooler.
How do you describe yourself?
I’m just an alien at this point.
People are constantly changing. Everything is constantly changing. How would you say that you’ve changed throughout the years?
That’s good shit. I think I’ve definitely just gotten more mature since I was sixteen, when I really started playing music. I’ve learned so much more about life since then. I’ve met like, hundreds of new people since then, so just having constant new life experiences sort of makes me a different person. Because we can become who we surround ourselves with, but I’m always surrounding myself with different people.
How would you say your music has changed?
How my music has evolved, would be much more boring had it all stayed the same. I mean, I started out just recording really shitty-sounding music on my laptop microphone, and I kind of liked it because the music I was writing was really sad and I was really depressed, so it was like I wanted my music to sound as shitty as I felt at the time. But that was also an excuse to just make music with the setup I had. Yeah, so being able to grow more and also get more equipment over time and become a better writer by practicing and getting better naturally. My style’s kind of evolved to where even the way I write sentences is different now. But it’s cool, it keeps it new. Always fresh. That’s how I like to live my life.
Is there anyone in Billings you have been wanting to collaborate with but have yet to do so?
I would love to make more music. I’d love to write a split album with Parker Brown and just have it as a singer-songwriter type thing, him and I. I’d love to do more things with Alex Nauman. Grant Jones has a really cool style that I could probably collaborate well with. I got to work with Ty Herman already and that was really great. Otherwise, I’m pretty much open to at least jamming with anybody and just see what works out from there. I like to mess around in all different styles.
Is there a show you’ve done that you consider to be your favorite so far?
It would have to be one of the few house shows that I’ve played. Probably any of the house shows that I’ve played, mainly because it’s a much more intimate vibe and you typically know most of the people that are there. They’re all your friends and you’re on the same level as them, meaning you’re not up on a stage, so you’re usually closer to the audience. You also kind of have that comfort of just being inside of a home at the same time.
Any advice for others looking to get into music?
Yeah! If it’s just anyone in general, of any age, I would just say to keep trying to constantly create things whether it’s music-related or not, as long as you’ve got this creative drive and motive to create. If you can pick up a musical instrument after that, you do kind of realize it is just for fun, and you don’t have to be good at it to enjoy it. Start small- start with baby steps, but also just be willing to create create create! As much as you can. And be original.
You told me the other day you joined a band! What is the name of said band, when did you join, and how did that happen?
The band is Skin N Bones. It was actually after a show that I played probably three weeks ago at Mazevo. The guy who was running sound that night is the lead singer slash main guitarist of Skin N Bones. After I finished that show, he just asked me to come jam with his band sometime. So I went and played with them a couple weeks ago, and I’ve been part of the band since.
I’ve compared your vocal sound to others in the past, like the singer for Bad Luck for example. When you get compared to others, does it bother you or do you take it more as a compliment?
I’ll take it as a compliment, yeah. I think it’s cool that someone would compare me to any famously recognized person. That means a lot, yeah. Obviously they had to work hard and sound good to get to their positions, so to be compared to that, I think is cool. I mean, if someone told me I sound like Justin Bieber I’d be like, “No, I don’t.” I guess- well maybe I do, I don’t fucking know. I think I used to sound like Shawn Mendes a bit back in the day.
Top three favorite bands?
Cage the Elephant. The Strokes. And man, I always tie a few bands into the third. It would have to be The Kooks, Spoon, Basement. Those three always come to mind. When I was just figuring out who I was as a teenager, I was listening to music pretty much constantly. Probably listened to music eighteen hours of my 24-hour day. Those were the only bands I listened to for a really long time.
What are your goals for the next six months?
Keep releasing music every month, at least one release a month; keep playing as many shows as I can. Stay alive. Try not to break any bones or lose any teeth. Feed at least one homeless person.
If you could recommend one song of yours to someone who’s never heard of you, which one would it be?
At this point, probably “Overthinking.” It’s the best-produced, it sounds the best I think. •
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You can listen to Jackson Blue on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music, and bandcamp.
Follow Jackson on Instagram @ jacksonsballoon.
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Upcoming Shows:
- July 12th - Billings, MT @ Craft Local, 8PM
- July 16th - Billings, MT @ Mazevo, 6:30PM
- August 9th, 10th - Dreyfest, Billings, MT
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https://open.spotify.com/track/3uHw6b61Tsfa9kwRjBSRpg?si=Sok8qNX0QLidmdnAF0kEsQ
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Photo one by Liam McCollum via Jackson; photo two by Chris Lutton via Jackson.