The Reintroduction of Queer Music Artist Jxckson

Austin-based alt-pop artist Jxckson has uncovered new ground and aspects about himself in his brand-new EP The Deep End.

Produced by indie hit-maker Boy Sim, the EP includes previously released singles “Drowning” and “Radio Silence,” which have amassed over 10,000 streams. Jxckson is a queer singer-songwriter whose music seamlessly blends different genres to create a fresh and modern sound that still pays homage to the classic earworms of the past.

Jxckson is heavily influenced by the captivating art form of burlesque, and he infuses each performance with grace and sensuality, creating an unforgettable experience. Additionally, his music is a celebration of individuality and self-expression, and through his art, he seeks to empower others to embrace their unique selves and provide a sense of belonging.

OFM sat down with Jxckson to talk more about The Deep End and his musical artistry, as well as the importance of representation and self-acceptance in identity formation and pushing against societal norms.

Let me begin by asking, have you always had a passion for singing and creating music?

Yes! My parents used to love telling me this story of when I was about one or two, and before I was really talking much, I started singing. They heard me one day in the back; I was in my car seat, harmonizing to the radio. Unfortunately, my first song was apparently “I Want to Sex You Up” by Color Me Badd (laughs). I can’t change that, but I was apparently harmonizing in the back, and they’re like, “Great.” But yes, since I was a kid, I was singing and dancing, and we have the home videos to prove it.

For those who have never heard of you before, how would you describe your musical style and aesthetic?

It’s always changing. There’s an X in my spelling of Jackson, and that’s for a reason, not just to be aesthetically cool. The X represents a variable. I consider myself an alt-pop artist, but I like to play with different genres. So, the X in Jackson is a variable for me playing with different genres and always incorporating different sound styles. I’m always evolving and changing.

You recently released a new EP called The Deep End. Is there an overall story the album is telling?

Part of that evolution that I was speaking of, I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching and artist development, and I’m continuing to work on that. I wrote The Deep End during the summer when I was having this sense of self-discovery, and I ended up writing this intro called “The Deep End,” which is a metaphorical speaking of me not wanting to write anything that feels shallow or too fun, but actually dig a little deeper and get a little more personal.

What do you ultimately hope audiences take away from your music?

A sense of confidence. I do like writing very confident songs. It’s not much on this EP, but that’s usually my general direction. I like to make people feel good, but I will say more specifically for The Deep End, I want them to kind of see me more as an artist. This is my first time really digging in deeper about who I am as an artist and what people can expect more consistently. I think that was another missing piece during the development stage, so I want them to take away that this is who I am with The Deep End. I want them to get to know me a little more.

As a Black and queer musician, can you talk more about growing up and realizing that race and sexuality does have an impact on your artistry?

I thought a lot about representation, and there was a lack of it growing up. There were no other queer, Black musicians to follow or aspire to, so you had to take pieces of different artists and put them together yourself. I think that’s where my inspiration comes from. It’s wanting to provide that representation, and I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of it.

Maybe that’s because they had seen themselves in other people before, but it’s very refreshing and nice to see. So, that’s kind of my impact today when I think about it. I think growing up both Black and queer made me feel like some of my dreams were not as attainable, but that also ties in with the representation. It’s hard to see it for yourself.

You say you have struggled with societal expectations, but ultimately found the courage to embrace your true and authentic self. What advice can you offer for those struggling with a similar situation?

For me, it took a lot of time. I think I am still very much in the process of un-programming and unlearning a lot of societal pressures and teachings that I adopted all through my 20s. I’m kind of getting back to my child and youthful self, which was a lot more fresh, bold, and extroverted. Because of all those expectations, especially since I was someone who climbed the corporate ladder, you kind of have to diminish your shine to move ahead, but I feel like culturally, the needle has moved quite a lot in the last 15 years, especially where I think we value authenticity.

At the end of the day, I think people should take away that you need to be you. Don’t spend so much time trying to be other people or try to follow all these societal norms that we don’t really question enough. We need to start questioning them. Find out who you are, and try not to copy anyone because your authenticity reads to people, and people pick up on that. We know countless people who are like, “Well, I don’t like them because they’re fake.” Well, be authentic. That’s key.

Being based in Austin, Texas, what is the music scene like down there? Are there many LGBTQ artists?

Yes, there’s quite a community. I’ve started getting familiar with a lot of artists who have, frankly, become friends over the last year. So, the scene is great. I think Austin has gone through a shift. It used to be the live music capital of the world, but I feel like the city kind of lost that in a sense because of too many venues trying to profit off artists, you have an influx of people outside of Texas moving to Austin and kind of moving the art out, and I think the city is now trying to find that balance of finding opportunities for different types of artists and bring that culture back. The music scene is very interesting because it exists and there’s quite a few queer artists here, but I think it needs to find its footing in a post shutdown world. It hasn’t quite found it yet.

Do you have any Pride gigs coming up?

Not yet. With my project The Deep End, I took some time between releasing music because of that artist development and wanting to dig a little deeper, as I mentioned before. So, one of my projects over the summer is, I want to do more of this development, and I’m co-creating/directing my own show. I realized I didn’t want to wait around for opportunities. I wanted to create my own, so I want to spend the summer building my own show, and the name of it is pending.

I am hoping to debut it in the fall, but it’s very burlesque-inspired, and that’s a very important aspect of my artistry that I discovered this year. It’s kind of always been there, and I’m putting the pieces together, so I’m hoping to start rolling out some clips of that show. I may try and book a few things during Pride to test out a few pieces.

What does Pride mean to you?

Not to be a broken record, but authenticity. Just feeling comfortable with yourself. Straight people, they can hold hands with someone in public and kiss each other in public without having to think about it. Even though I’m comfortable in some places, that’s still a fear. I’m like, “OK, are there going to be any issues?” Those are little things that we shouldn’t have to worry about. So, to me, Pride is getting to be authentic and comfortable in my own skin.

That’s something I’ve been learning, and like I said with un-programming things I learned in my 20s, the meaning of Pride has shifted for me. It’s about being happy with who I am and not having to dim my light. That’s easier said than done, especially after getting used to wanting to hide for so long, but breaking free can feel so liberating. So, like I said, to me, Pride is that authenticity that comes from feeling free to be myself.

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your music career and platform?

I have really been enjoying this artistic development part of my career. I started right before the pandemic hit, so a lot of it was virtual, but starting last summer, I was thinking about what this means for me and my future. I want to do a lot more shows, I would love to tour, I would love to tour with other queer artists and other artists in general, and I just want to get out there and perform. I wasn’t great at the virtual format of performing because I’ve always been used to being onstage, and it turns on when I’m on stage. So, I just want to get out there again and grow my base. I’d love to do music full-time and just focus on creating music for everyone.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention or plug?

Just make sure to check out my new EP, The Deep End. It has six songs on it, it’s dark alt-pop, and it’s probably my most personal project yet. I’m very excited about it.

Stay up-to-date and connect with Jxckson by following him on Instagram and TikTok @jxckson.music, or visit his official website, jxckson.com. The Deep End is now available on Spotify and all other music streaming platforms.

Photos courtesy of Flash Photazzi