Sunshine redux

Meet Jackson Scott, the 21-year-old bedroom tunesmith whose record will melt you into summer
By Alex James Taylor | Music | 12 May 2015
Above:

Jackson Scott

Some musicians view music from an alternative viewpoint, one conceived deep in the subconscious and uninhibited by boundaries. Pittsburgh native Jackson Scott fits this mould. 

The 21 year old lo-fi auteur released his debut record Melbourne back in 2013, his off-kilter songwriting style and woozy, lethargic melodies gathered swift acclaim. But Scott isn’t the type to sit back and admire his handy work.

Whereas Melbourne was a Frankenstein cut and stick job curating together a collection of songs he had recorded in his ramshackle bedroom, Sunshine Redux represents a more complete vision. Not content with simply rehashing his musical heroes, Scott gives it all a hefty spin, filtering old school influences through contemporary production techniques – whether that be multi tracking or vocal modulation -, easing a contemporary flow.

Scott’s idiosyncratic pop survives the transition, and in Sunshine Redux it’s sharper and more assertive than ever, from candid acoustic strumming  to full on psych odysseys. The musician’s ability to instantly shift gear keeps the record fresh and spontaneous, amplified by his melodic songwriting credentials that form the lynchpins of his sound.

Sounding like a Beach Boys’ record left out in the sun to melt and warp in the heat, Sunshine Redux is a melting pot of genres and influences, as vocals echo into clarity guitars twang and fuzz to form a psychedelic wall of sound that eclipses and liquifies with bold clarity. 

We caught up with the busy tunesmith for a quick round of questions about his new record.

Alex James Taylor: How long have you been making music for?
Jackson Scott: I’ve been playing music since I was 8.

AJT: What were you doing before the music kicked off?
JS: Went to school. Used to sell ice cream and books for a little while. Hung out with friends. That’s about it.

AJT: You’ve just released your sophomore record Sunshine Redux, how long did that take?
JS:It was recorded over the span of a year but most of it got finished in a three month period.

AJT: How do you view the evolution from your first record Melbourne to Sunshine Redux??
JS: With Sunshine Redux I was in an entirely different mindset than Melbourne and that affected things. It explores a lot of sonic realms that I was interested in and I think it’s a bit closer to the live show that I do with my bandmates. I felt more optimistic in a twisted kind of way with this record.

AJT: What made you stick it online before it’s release date?
JS: I grew up downloading lots of music for free and I wanted to give back to the world. It was a good way for the music to get out there.

AJT: Can you tell us a little bit about the album?
JS: Sunshine Redux is pure sorrow and pure euphoria.

AJT: What equipment did you use?
JS: I used a Tascam 4 track cassette recorder and a laptop.

AJT: What’s your earliest musical memory?
JS: I remember listening to a lot of those 90’s hits with my brother back in the day. A lot of those one hit wonders and stuff. We got Hello Nasty by the Beastie Boys and just listened to the song Intergalactic a bunch. Then I got into that album in 10th grade and realised how amazing the whole thing was.

AJT: Has songwriting always come fairly naturally to you?
JS: I wrote some songs when I was a kid but I started really getting obsessed with it in high school. Just seemed like a fun thing to do. I used to want to make movies but I ended up wanting to spend more time playing music.

AJT: Are you one of those people who has to lock themselves away to write or do you just write little bits constantly throughout the day?
JS: Both. Sometimes I just want to isolate myself and not think about anything. Sometimes its fun to just write a song with friends or jam out.

AJT: You do all your own artwork, right?
JS: I do pretty much all of it. I’ve always loved art.

AJT: What sort of art are you into?
JS: William Blake is a prophet. I like pop artists and comic book art. Frank Miller’s Sin City might be my favourite comic art. My uncle is a painter and he’s done some of the most amazing paintings I’ve ever seen.

AJT: Have you ever found it difficult to translate your sound to a live performance?
JS: Not really, we just play the songs as a power trio. I’ve been playing with my bandmates for a long time so it’s quite a fun experience.

AJT: You’re coming to Europe and England on tour soon, is this your first time here?
JS: We toured in Europe in 2013. We’re very euphoric about the idea of going back.

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