Jackson Scribner has released his debut single "Sixteen." American Songwriter premiered the song, writing, "Expertly straddling that line between folk-rock and country, Scribner’s timeless voice comes through the speakers not as a new artist but rather a well-traveled troubadour. Bathed in the same grit and soul of guys like Steve Earle before him, Jackson Scribner is his own entity. Authentic, raw, honest, pure… Scribner is already an A list talent. At this point, the world just needs to learn about him so they can catch up."
Jackson is an upcoming talent with a timeless voice from rural Texas. By word-of-mouth alone, the twenty-year-old has nabbed fervent support from reputed local musicians like Jeff Ryan (drummed for St. Vincent, The War on Drugs, Daniel Johnston), who is producing the young musician's first album, and tastemakers like Amy Miller, program director for the NPR affiliate KXT. Earlier this week, KXT featured Jackson in their On the Couch Series: watch his compelling performance of “Sixteen” here.
Today's release explains the early intrigue, jingling with the emotional immediacy of folk's best. Jackson’s precocity — melodic and poetic — pierces sparse folk-rock arrangements, and in turn, a listener’s heart. With emotional precision, he roars and rattles out familiar tales of life so beautifully unspecial: Me and you left when you were sixteen / Hair so wild when you look at me / Take your wheels across the county line / Thousand miles away to that downtown diner / Watch you rise...
Says Jackson, "'Sixteen' is about watching someone grow up and leave home, exploring the world for themselves for the first time. Recording the song was a very unique and extraordinary experience. Jeff (Ryan) and I had never played together before we recorded the song, and it was the first song we tracked. The plan was just to run through the song and give it a go, but I don’t think we expected the first take to be the take we’d use. I think the chemistry we formed playing that song set us up for the rest of the record, and now for the song to be the first single is fitting."
STREAM "SIXTEEN" OFFICIAL AUDIO
Me and you left when you were sixteen
Hair so wild when you look at me
Take your wheels across the county line
Thousand miles away to that downtown diner
Watch you rise...
Raised in Melissa, TX, Jackson Scribner grew up obsessed with music from an early age. He learned guitar when he was only nine and spent countless hours playing alongside his dad and brothers at family gatherings. Being that this virtuoso isn’t quite old enough to drink, that doesn’t feel all that long ago. Only in the last year and a half has Jackson put lyrics to his skillful instrumentals, making their timeless appeal all the more prodigious.
Leaning into this seemingly supernatural knack, Jackson’s band — a crew of musical veterans vastly accomplished and nonetheless awestruck — recorded his debut album at Consolvo Studio in Oak Cliff, Texas. Made up of producer Jeff Ryan (drummed for St. Vincent, The War on Drugs, Daniel Johnston), John Dufilho (bass for The Apples in Stereo, The Deathray Davies), and engineer Jerome Brock (Cryptolog), the seasoned group made a deliberate decision to let Jackson’s songs radiate in their natural state. Mixed with care by Grammy-winning Stuart Sikes (Loretta Lynn, Cat Power, Phosphorescent, The Walkmen), the collection does just that. Jackson’s debut album is due in 2021 on State Fair Records / We Know Better Records.
