Jackson Greatz, a singer-songwriter from Melbourne and Naarm, goes by the moniker โJack.G.โ His established DJ persona Greetings has been passionately redirected into this venture. His first EP as Jack.G explores dark, piercing emotion. His ecstatic stage presence and a live electronic synth pop/new wave band support the tracks, which wrestle with love and loss.
The lead single, โPUT THROUGH,โ is โa tale of sorrow, fear, reflection, and pure expression of the complexity of love mired in doubt, arriving at resolution and healing from these turbulent experiences.โ This elegiac song is a lament for the darkness in our lives. The artistโs first live performance, โJack.G and The Titans,โ which took place on December 22 at the Retreat Hotel in Brunswick, is included with the release. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
JACK.G: I have been making music as a house music producer (GREETINGS) for years in Melbourne / Naarm and it has always been high energy, fun and flirty music (which I love to make). But I wanted to tell some other stories with my creative outlets. Always writing poems and listening to all kinda of music I started experimenting with slow electronic synth based sounds which turned into this new project.
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
JACK.G: I have always been self-taught with music and most of my creations. I love the way it flows naturally instead of the restrictions that might come with knowing too much about structures and chords and sounds. The process is always so experimental and flow based that allow full creativity into this music.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โJACK.Gโ?
JACK.G: John Maus has to be my biggest influences. I heard them for the first time just before first making this music and it really clicked as this moment saying to myself โI wanna make music like thisโ alongside my love for Joy Division โ whoโs harrowing vocals and synth work really melted together with John Maus freaky high energy expression that inspired the sounds of Jack.G. The name is just a slick and condescend version of my real name โ Jackson Greatz.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
JACK.G: Deep purpling emotion. Grappling with love and loss this music is sorrow, fear, reflection and pure expression of the complexity of love mired with doubt, arriving at closure and healing from these turbulent experiences. Sounds of goth rock, new wave, dark wave, dreamwave, dark pop, dream pop, and shoegaze.
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as new wave?
JACK.G:
I have a huge love for 80s synth music and solemn emotional music and music that just makes you disappear from the world in-front of you. I somehow mutated these inspirations just though experimentation and allowing everything and anything to go into the process. Itโs a unique own blend of dreamy dark pop wave which I personally havenโt heard anything like before. There is absolutely elements of emulating my favioute artists such as John Maus, Joy division, The Gun Club, Virgar Boys, UNKLE, Taylor Mcferrin, Deftones and together you could pick out bits and parts but mostly it comes down to development through trial and error and it translates into this new sound I am very proud to have crafted.
6. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
JACK.G:
I believe all music should express some form of enlightenment, connection, voice of change and embrace to all listeners, especially in my music. Coming from personal experience and personal narrative โ I see this music as a guide to those in need, in suffering and with hope that they may find a hand in the darkness of our lives we all sometimes must face.
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
JACK.G:
Itโs been a long run to get this music out finally today. I started demoโing four years ago and a lot of effort has been put into slowly forming and getting everything right without rushing and releasing unpolished music. As an introduction to the project I feel so grateful for the feedback and interest in the first release. It feels extremely fulfilling just to finally put this music out to the world. The future is full of hope with this project to show more of these creations with no expectations of how many streams it gets or what shows I perform, just happiness to put it out in the world.
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
JACK.G:
My method has always been a loose and free flowing experience. Always starting the creative method by noodling around sounds and melodies and just seeing where it takes me. No grand idea of how I will write the songs or what direction it will go in, just pure flow state of allowing my creativity to take over. I usually try write the main idea and a basic layout within a few hours then jump on the mic and sing whatever comes to my mind first โ usually ending up being the final lyrics for the song. I love it, It purely comes from within the themes and ideas just from listening to the tone and elements I create in that moment. My poetry can come into play sometimes but usually it is right from the moment I create that the lyrics comes into place.
9. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
JACK.G: I find great love in creating my own interpretation from music I personally listen to. Sometimes there is pretty clear intentions and tones in the music I make and the stories I am trying to express but there is a lot space as well for creating your own ideas and meanings behind my music. Keep it open and donโt shut down anyones thoughts behind what you create. We all work so differently is so nice to hear when someone interprets something you have listened to or made so differently.
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
JACK.G: The ability to transform moments and tough times into a reflective and healing process. I found this music really helped to understand myself and the feelings we can all feel. I find I have found a significant change in myself through this music. Thank you
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Photo credits: Ethan Wright