Jackson co-wrote “Wake Up Call,” along with songwriters Kenneth Duncan, Lainey Edwards and Blake Bollinger, and it also features vocals from Kirstie Lane. It is a track on his forthcoming album, I Am, which will be released at a later date. “A friend of mine wrote it, and I added certain ambient things to it, and the tag-line at the end of it with Will Garrett and Nolan Neal producing,” he said, about “Wake Up Call.” “I really felt connected to this song, and I tried to tell a visual story with the music video,” he admitted.
As a songwriter, Jackson has had songwriting cuts with Meghan Linsey, Newsboys and CMT Music City’s Kerry Degman. He has also collaborated with Desmond Child, and Love and Theft, among others. “I co-wrote ‘Ride or Die,’ and she liked it so much. She cut the song and made some changes to fit her, and asked for our approval, and we gave her the thumbs up,” he said.
Aside from being a musician, Jackson also has an acting background, and he has shared camera time with such actors as Tom Cruise and John Travolta.
For Jackson, it was an “awesome” experience playing the love interest of Jana Kramer in her music video “Whiskey.” “That was definitely a highlight right there, since I was asked to do it,” he said. “We took it and ran with it. We had such great chemistry, and Jana is beautiful and talented. It was a lot of fun. I loved that video. ‘Whiskey’ was a great video.”
Digital transformation of country music
On the impact of technology on the modern country music scene, Jackson said, “I am actually really excited. Once I dove in and saw the potential of technology servicing music and film, I really enjoying all of it. It’s a journey. I can’t wait to see where it takes music. I love how Post Malone got his start, and how technology took him places. On a business level, making money may be more difficult, but it gives you a platform, and it is more doable now to get a platform.”
Jackson constantly uses technology on a daily basis. “I use social media and I try to keep up my music and my friends. Making cameos with other artists in videos and film is important to me.”
The country musician listed Jana Kramer, Taylor Swift and Kelsea Ballerini as his dream female duet choices. “All of these ladies are amazingly talented and beautiful,” he said.
“Wake Up Call” is available on Spotify.
