In Conversation With: Jackson Laird

Photo Credits: @shotbyariannarconti

Jackson wants his audience to truly get lost in his music and get them dancing. The ‘part-time popstar’ says about the perception of his music: "They’d dance involuntarily and then scramble to figure out what song it is after they realise they’re moving."

"I believe it’s important to draw inspiration from what you love while staying true to yourself. The best art comes from that."

Jackson doesn’t shy away from his inspirations behind his music, something that has been passed down to him by his father. He speaks openly about his influences, saying he is "heavily inspired by the greats," and that he "grew up on a ton of Michael Jackson and Prince records."

Like many emerging artists, Laird initially struggled with imposter syndrome, often trying to step into the paths of musicians who inspired him. Now, he knows it’s valuable to craft something that is unique to yourself – Over time, he started trusting his own instincts and that became a major turning point creatively. "I’ve learned to love what my own voice can do," he explains, "Now when I go into the studio, I don’t tell the engineer ‘I want this song to sound like so and so’, I say, ‘let’s make a Jackson Laird record."

Exactly this process, instinctive and constantly evolving, makes him unique. New ideas arrive at all times and often end up as scattered voice memos or notes on his phone. His studio sessions usually begin with a concept or emotional direction. "When I get into a session it usually starts with what we want to write about and what idea we want to pursue," Jackson reveals, "Then it’s about crafting the instrumental and producing the sound that fits the vibe."

Photo Credits: @saverino.mp4

"The beauty of it is that sometimes you go in completely set on an idea and leave with something even better."  

That openness to spontaneity has taught Laird when to abandon or bench an idea that simply isn’t working out. "I was set on making a super retro disco song – the reference was Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, one of my all-time favourites. We went in really trying to get that feel with the strings and the bass line, and after about 30 minutes it just wasn’t clicking. So, I let go," he recalls one particular session. "It’s difficult when you’re that set on something, but sometimes you just need to let the song come to you. I said, ‘maybe today isn’t the day for this sound’ and we reconnected with feeling and instinct instead of forcing it - and we left with something completely different but perfect." 

Jackson’s new single Hot Glue Gun – groovy, high energy and danceable – tells a similar story. The track may be arriving now, but its origins go back much earlier. When he thinks about the time the song was coming to life, he offers us another glimpse of his part-time popstar creative routine and reveals: "I went into a writing session at the Sony office in New York City - which was totally not overwhelming at all (I was shaking) - and presented the idea. Everything from that point forward just came naturally, everything flowed effortlessly. It was one of those times where everything just felt right and it’s nice to have that occasionally, because writing songs  is a lot of trial and error."

Cover for Hot Glue Gun

"People value authenticity and feeling over perfection, and I should too."

Self-taught and deeply driven, Laird believes hard work matters just as much as raw talent. “Hard work and determination can take you just as far if not further than raw talent alone,” he explains. “My love for music never changed – I just finally started loving my own records the way I loved everyone else’s.” That philosophy paired with his own instincts became especially clear during the making of Microdose, a track whose final vocals were recorded in Laird’s bedroom on his laptop and a microphone. Attempts to recreate them in a professional studio only stripped away the song’s immediacy. In the end, the original take stayed. For Jackson, perfection matters far less than honesty. “Overthinking,” he says, “is the killer of creativity.” 

"If you truly love something, chase it. No dream is out of reach."

Laird speaks openly about the uncertainty that came before music became a full-time pursuit. He remembers searching for direction and was ready to quit his dream of becoming a musician. A brief encounter with a coworker completely changed his perspective. “Just as I was ready to give it all up and quit, someone was out there eager to start,” he remembers. They shared their passion and Jackson played him the demo for what eventually became Handsy. Seeing the joy on someone’s face cemented that Jackson could not give up on his dream. “Seeing their reactions to that inspired me to quit the very next day,” he tells us. His path forward was to study music and building new relationships until he was ready to fully chase his dream and adds:” I’m grateful to say that things have worked out.”  

With a new summer project coming up, Jackson Laird is here to give it his all – Deeply passionate, ready to dance and having fun with his music. His new single Hot Glue Gun is out this Friday and if you ask us: there is a Jackson Laird summer ahead and we are ready for it. 

HOT GLUE GUN OUT MAY 29.