Jack Barksdale interview
Jack Barksdale came into public view in the music world and into the consciousness of the folk and Americana music scene as a very young child prodigy whose command of the guitar is utterly incredible. Having played with folks like Ray Wylie Hubbard, Sarah Jarosz, Winona Judd, and Hayes Carll (when Jack was only 10), Jack has already been a known phenomenon for several years and he’s still in his teens. He has a new album on the horizon set to come out in June, Voices, releasing via Truly Handmade Records. He also has a respectable tour schedule for the summer. We were honored to have a brief chat with Jack about the album, the upcoming tour, and some of his songwriting process.
Americana Highways: Hi Jack. We’re so happy to have you back at Americana Highways.
Jack Barksdale: Thanks so much for having me back.
AH: You have a new album out in June called Voices. Did you go into this planning to do an album and writing with that in mind, or did the whole thing come together more organically?
JB: I had started writing a lot of songs in anticipation of an album, but I didn’t quite know what the album was going to be. Eventually, I picked a few old songs and a handful of new songs that I thought went together well and ran with ’em.
AH: What background information can you give us about the album?
JB: I released my first full-length album in 2022, and, through that experience and the various singles, EPs, and other projects that I’ve done since then, I feel like I had a much better idea of what I was getting into this time around. It was still a pretty nerve-racking experience, but it felt much smoother, and I felt much more prepared. I was fortunate to have some really talented people work on the album, and that made the whole ordeal feel easy.
AH: What kind of theme or themes run through the songs?
JB: One theme or concept that runs through many of the songs is understanding, or the search for, understanding. There’s always something new to learn and understand. Another common theme is the arbitrary nature of life and meaning.
AH: Which songs are standout tracks to you and why?
JB: “Martyrs” and “Song Of The Artist” are both outcasts on the album, but they ended up being cool additions to the rest of the songs. “Martyrs” goes in more of a country-western direction, while “Song Of The Artist” goes in more of a ’60s India-inspired direction, but both are more grounded and story-based than a lot of the other songs on the album. As time passes, I think these could end up being my two favorites.
AH: Talk to me a bit about the recording process. Who did you work with in the studio, and what were the sessions like? How was the vibe and how did the songs come together?
JB: The bones of the album were recorded in three days at Ramble Creek Studio in Austin, TX. Those sessions consisted of me on guitar and vocals, Mike Meadows on drums and percussion (he also produced the album), Jared Reynolds on bass and harmonies, and Britton Beisenherz behind the board, engineering everything. On the first day, Mike, Jared, and I recorded a handful of tracks together, live. On the second day, I recorded a bunch of songs solo. Jared and Mike then recorded their parts on those songs either that day, or the next day. It all went surprisingly smoothly and easily. After those sessions, all the other instruments were added separately.
AH: We’ve been following your career since you were quite young. You are 17 now. How has the creative process in general and your songwriting specifically – both music and lyrics – changed and morphed as you’ve gotten older?
JB: Honestly, my writing process and my philosophy on songwriting changes all the time and has changed more over the last six months than it has over the last couple of years, so it’s hard to say, but there are a couple things that I think have changed, especially with this set of songs. A big one is trying to be more intentional and aware of why I’m writing, even if the reason is “just because.” Sometimes you have multiple intentions and reasons for writing something, but ultimately understanding them and weighing whether those intentions and reasons are valid is important.
AH: Do you find inspiration in different or unique places? What kinds of things typically inspire you to write songs these days?
JB: Inspiration is a strange thing to quantify, especially since there are so many types of inspiration. One time, I was watching a YouTube video by Tom Scott about Application Programming Interfaces, the White Cliffs Of Dover, and entropy, and a particular line from that video stuck with me. The line was, “Entropy will get us all in the end,” which I changed slightly and used as the namesake line for my song “Entropy.” So you never really know where inspiration will come from or what form it will take.
AH: You’ve done a lot of collaborating over the years – with recordings, with your podcast, touring, co-writes, etc. What does working with other artists mean to you, and are there standout collaborations that are special to you? What made them special?
JB: Collaboration is an interesting and complex thing. It’s an amazing way to break yourself out of your comfort zone and discover new things, but, due to the nature of human interaction, it can also force you to make compromises that can detract from the work you’re trying to do. I find collaboration in moderation to be a great thing. As far as standout collaborations go, my favorites are anytime both parties come away with something positive and helpful, and I’ve been lucky for that to happen a lot.
AH: You are heading out on a lot of tour dates in July. Are there markets you are excited to visit again or any that you have not been to before and are really looking forward to going there?
JB: We’re going to a ton of towns and major cities that I’ve never been to before. This will be my first time in New York City, as well as Chicago, Pittsburgh, Boston, and many more. I’ve heard great things about the music scene in Kansas City, so that should be fun. There’s a lot to look forward to on this tour. I predict I’m going to be pretty tired afterward.
AH: What can fans expect from your live show these days?
JB: I guess it depends on the show. I’ve always played primarily solo acoustic, which is still the case, but recently I’ve played some really fun shows with the accompaniment of violin and accordion, which I immensely enjoyed and am hoping to do more of. Accordion and strings were heavily utilized on the album, so it’s amazing to bring that sound to life in a live setting. I’ve been playing a lot of songs from the new album and some of my favorite older songs and cover songs. I’m hoping to try out some brand-new ones on this upcoming tour. Wish me luck!
Good luck Jack Barksdale! And thanks for chatting with us. Find the music here: https://orcd.co/jbvoices and check into more information here on his website including tour dates: https://jackbarksdale.com
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Song Premiere and Interview: Jack Barksdale “Trances”
