An Interview With The LA-Based UK Born Musician, WOLFE JACKSON!

Wolfe Jackson is a UK born, Los Angeles based singer-songwriter who just released his single “Photographs.” Premiered on Twangville, the soft piano ballad is a pure, heartwarming track about finding a way to hold onto memories of love lost. It definitely shows off Wolfe’s stellar falsetto and thoughtful songwriting sensibilities.

Today, Wolfe released his new EP! Check it out here:

Learn more about Wolfe Jackson in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! So where does this interview find you? What’s on tap for the rest of your day?

I’m between morning run and poster designs and album artwork designs right now! Getting together with my guitarist to run over some arrangements for the upcoming EP release show which I’m stoked to play.

Overall, how do you think 2017 was for you and your career? What are you most excited about for this year? What is one big goal you have for 2018?

I think 2017 was a really important year of discovery for me; I matured a lot in my writing style and started to explore and allow myself to be influenced by a lot of new genres and styles of music. I can’t wait to release my EP later this month and play the new material at the EP Release Show in LA later this month. My biggest aim for 2018 is to get another EP recorded and book a ton of touring and festivals for 2019 throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Growing up, did you ever think that this would be the kind of life that you would have? Has music always been a big part of your life? Can you recall your first ever musical experience?

I remember singing along to The Beach Boys and The Beatles in the back of the car as a young kid and I think that boy would be pretty proud of where I’m at now. Music has always been the most important thing in my life. It influences me every day, it helps me grow and understand myself better and allows me to speak a whole other language; a language everyone can speak.

How do you think you and your music has been influenced by your hometown? How has moving to Los Angeles from New York and London affected your music and general songwriting?

You know strangely I think although the moves have often been the trigger for a move in a new direction musically, I wouldn’t necessarily say the location has had any relation to the genre or style of my writing. I think it’s more to do with where I’m at in my head and what’s going on at the time. I’ve incorporated elements of Soul, R&B, Country, Blues, Rock & Jazz over the years and I still feel deeply influenced by all of those genres.  My new material is a lot heavier and blues-driven.

Let’s talk about your latest single “Comfort Love”? What was the inspiration for this track? How do you think it compares with anything else that you have put out in the past? How does it and your previous single “Photographs” prepare listeners for your forthcoming EP, “Nobody Knows Me (Better Than You)”?

I wrote “Comfort Love” in the real center of my time in New York City and I think to me it was an important reflection on my behavior and how I was using relationships to try and fill the void of real love that might have been missing. It’s very honest and vulnerable and recorded live and acoustically in one take so it’s as raw and real as it gets. The forthcoming EP is a deeper exploration of that vulnerability and relationship and conversation between me and the listener.

What was it like making “Nobody Knows Me (Better Than You)”? Did anything surprise you about the overall process? Were there any unexpected challenges? Why did you choose to record it all live?

So Leo (who produced the record with me) and I had discussed how the raw energy and irreplaceable feeling that live performances produce are hard to imitate on a studio record. So we figured why not record the EP that way and let the very intimate, raw and most importantly human performance loose. We didn’t use tuning, click-tracks, headphones or any of that stuff.  It was a bold decision in a world where everyone wants filters, photoshopping and the “perfect finish,” but I know that deep down people want to connect with something real.

While it’s difficult, can you pick out a couple of your favorite songs from your EP and talk about how they were written and how they got on this collection?

I think “One More Time” is one of my favorites from the record. It’s a real country/folk style ballad thats super nostalgic yet very familiar in its sound. I wrote the song on New Year’s Eve 2 years ago at about 2 am as I was missing my ex-girlfriend and the song is an honest open conversation asking if she could “love me one more time.” Another favorite of mine is “Brother,” which I wrote to let my best mate know how much I love him, cos we Brits don’t really do that much in person, you know?

What do you think makes for an ideal show for you? What has been a favorite performance of yours so far? Do you have any upcoming shows you would like to tell our readers about?

To me, the best shows are the ones in which I’ve tried to fully enjoy the moment and just really live in it while it’s happening. I had a pretty special single release show in New York City last year and the crowd and atmosphere were just unbelievable. Spreading the love and feeling the love is what it’s all about! I have an awesome EP Release Show in Los Angeles on May 31st at Hotel Café, where I’ll be playing tracks from the EP with a full band as well as some new stuff I’ve never played before. It’s set to be my biggest show yet.

We are living through a very trying and politically charged time right now so I am curious how you think being a musician gives you the most joy in life today? How do you think that music is going to reflect these challenging times?

I think my music speaks very honestly no matter what the subject. Whether it’s a song that’s a cry for help, a song blowing steam about a terrible job or whether it’s the simple reminder of how love is more important than anything else out there. Everybody feels these things and knowing that there are other people out there that feel the same way and are going through the same struggles brings us together and I think that unity is more important than ever at the moment.

Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? What musicians would you absolutely still love to work with in the future?

I would say The Beatles continue to inspire me no matter how many more years pass and how many times I’ve listened to all of their albums. Jeff Buckley has always hugely influenced me along with Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers and a lot of blues artists like Muddy, John Lee Hooker and BB King. I think the dream collaboration would be to get together and write something with Paul McCartney. I’d also love to work with Kendrick Lamar; he inspires me so much and transcends genre – I can see us making something really dope.

At the end of the day, what do you hope your fans take away from your music? What would you say is the overall message of your songs?

I think what I hope people get from this very live and raw EP is a reminder of how much beauty there is in being imperfect, vulnerable and real. It’s easy to avoid feelings, to keep a safe distance or refuse to address the hardest struggles you’re dealing with but it’s much harder to deal with the consequences. This EP will always be a constant reminder of that for me.

Would you like to share anything else about yourself or your music with our readers?

If you’re in LA, there are still tickets left for the EP Release Show at Hotel Café on May 31. They’re available on my website and Instagram page. Also I have a very special announcement and secret new music for everyone at the concert so don’t miss out!