Kevin Jaggers – “Girls (acoustic)”
Americana Highways is hosting this premiere of Kevin Jaggers’ song “Girls (acoustic),” which was written by Dustin Collins and Kevin Jaggers, and produced by Bill McDermott (Tim McGraw, Martina McBride). A version of this song appeared on his recently released EP Black & Blue.
“Girls” is Kevin Jaggers on vocals and Ilya Toshinsky on acoustic and 12 string guitar. We had a chance to chat briefly with Kevin about this song. The premiere appears just beneath the interview.
Americana Highways: What prompted you to write this song? What inspired it?
Kevin Jaggers: I write in spurts, so for me it’s super difficult for me to just sit down and write a song about something random or something that I haven’t been through. When we were writing this, I was going through a pretty serious breakup and getting back into the dating scene again… and it wasn’t working out, to put it mildly, (laughs). So the inspiration is really just what went wrong with my exes when you think about it.
AH: How did this song come together when you wrote it? What was the songwriting process like?
KJ: This one I wrote with my buddy Dustin Collins. We actually wrote this one and “Miss Ya” — another one on my Black & Blue EP that we put out last year– on the same day. I had all the verses written but had no idea where to go with it, but I was originally thinking of this as a breakup song. Then when I pitched the verses to him, he said, “Let’s make it ‘thank God for the girls or something,'” and it all just fell together.
AH: What kind of a vibe were you going for on the acoustic version of this song? How does the final version differ from what you imagined it might be before you went into the studio? How is it different from the original version?
KJ: Definitely a more romantic, intimate vibe, I think. It’s almost kinda got a Goo Goo Dolls vibe with the 12-string in there. That’s one of the things I love about acoustic tracks. It takes you back to how we heard it right after we wrote it and gives you a view of the song in a different light.
AH: What do you hope listeners get from hearing the song? What message do you hope it conveys?
KJ: I kinda leave that up to the individual person listening. But I know, for me, this song is just about finding the right one. And the fact that hopefully that person is out there, ya know? And every breakup or set back that you may have in life— it just leads you closer to finding that.
AH: What is coming up next for Kevin Jaggers?
KJ: I think the studio is in the foreseeable future for sure. Also tons of shows. I love playing these songs live and hearing how they relate to other people. As an artist, I feel like that’s one of the biggest senses of accomplishment.
Thanks very much for chatting with us Kevin Jaggers! You can find more information and Kevin’s music here: https://lft.lnk.to/KY07RW
The ease and friendliness of Kevin Jagger’s latest puts it instantly in the category of winsome heartland rock. A great twist on understanding past heartaches.