Jackson White on American Idol, Lionel Richie & What Happens Next

Jackson White joins That Nashville Girl to talk about his whirlwind experience on American Idol, what it was really like singing in front of Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan, and how Hollywood Week changed everything.

The Nashville native — and son of country artist Bryan White — opens up about growing up around music, finding his own sound, and navigating the highs and lows of national television with a perspective far beyond his years.

Amanda and Jackson also dive into Nashville songwriting culture, his new single “Peach in the City,” the upcoming EP, social media authenticity, and the real-life story that inspired one of his catchiest songs yet.

The episode also features a live acoustic performance of “Malibu” and plenty of fun moments along the way.

Whether you discovered Jackson White through American Idol or you’re hearing him for the first time, this conversation makes one thing clear: he’s just getting started.

Follow Jackson on Instagram: @JacksonWhiteMusiic

Don't forget: new episodes drop every Tuesday! Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you never miss a minute!

Connect with Amanda on That Nashville Girl Instagram, Amanda's Instagram, and YouTube.

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Jackson, you've had quite a year or like what six months? A little bit?

SPEAKER_02 0:04

Yeah, a little bit, a little bit over six months. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 0:06

Yeah. So you um I can't get my mic right. Hang on. Am I right?

unknown 0:10

You're good.

SPEAKER_04 0:11

Okay, I'm gonna leave it in.

SPEAKER_02 0:13

Sweet.

SPEAKER_04 0:15

So you've had crazy six months. You've had a little bit of um your first taste of national television. Was it your first taste at national television?

SPEAKER_02 0:25

Like of actual, yes. I did a uh reality show with like my mom when she was. I mean, this was back when I was like a really little kid. There was a show called The Private Lives of Nashville Wives, like a while back. And I think it was just one season, but I was like a kid on it, and it was so technically that's my first time, but first time of it like being me, yes.

SPEAKER_04 0:45

Yeah, that is so funny. How old were you when your mom did that show?

SPEAKER_02 0:49

I want to say I was probably like I was probably like six. You were little, maybe, yeah, probably I think I was six. I was in like kindergarten or first grade. We're gonna go find out. I know that. Yeah, you can find you can find the pictures of me. It's funny.

SPEAKER_04 1:01

That is so great. Yeah, I mean, you grew up in Nashville.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

Yeah, I've actually lived in the same house my whole life. I've uh never moved. I think my dad got our house in uh '96 or '97, '95, maybe somewhere in that range. And uh they have lived there since, and we've grown up in the same house. And I love it. They're what they're thinking about maybe switching it up sometime soon, now that my brother and I are grown up, just to get a new, fresh thing. But at the same time, it's like crazy sentimental with our house because we have an insane amount of all our memories at that house. So it's been uh it's been amazing. It's something that I like telling people just because not many people can say they've never really moved. And no, it's uh I'm thankful for it. Like I I'm excited to move when I do. I'd love to live in like as many cities as possible because I love traveling. But for right now, like I'm I'm super thankful that I've I get to say I've lived in the same house my whole life for sure.

SPEAKER_04 1:56

Yeah, I think that's very cool. So you have two things that are really interesting that you have lived in Nashville your whole life. Because I think there aren't uh people don't realize that there are Nashville natives that also go into the music business and that you've grown up in the same house. So cool. Yeah. But yeah, so I stumbled upon you like probably a lot of people in the last few months because of your time on American Idol.

SPEAKER_03 2:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:21

And but I gotta okay, we gotta dig into American Idol. Okay. I have so many questions. But do you know what my number one question is?

SPEAKER_02 2:28

What is it?

SPEAKER_04 2:29

Do you think you know?

SPEAKER_02 2:30

I don't think so.

SPEAKER_04 2:31

Um I'm gonna ask you, and then you're gonna say, Yeah, I knew that.

SPEAKER_02 2:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 2:35

Why did you not make it past? I'm so mad.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

It uh I know it it comes down to where like it's kind of out of like my control at at a certain point. I I was super happy with my Hollywood week performance. Like, I thought it was a blast. I sang Can't Take My Eyes Off You by Lauren Hill.

SPEAKER_04 2:53

So good.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

One of my all-time favorite songs, and with the band was so much fun. And there were a lot of people at the Fisher Center at Belmont. I was just so cool that it was at Belmont. It was so fun. Like I was on I had a blast on stage. I mean, definitely, it's impossible to be not like a little nervous, but I was really just excited. And so I went out, did my thing, had fun with it, and I just didn't move forward. But it it didn't have anything to do with like anything I had had not done or lived up to. That's just that was their decision, you know. But I got to look at it as a really cool experience and a great way to just meet a ton of artists. I got to sing in front of three of the biggest artists like ever.

SPEAKER_04 3:31

Ever and Lionel Richie is Lionel Richie, are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_02 3:35

He's like one of the best ever. And so to get to even like be around him was amazing. Like he looked fake, like looking at him. I was like, is this dude this guy like this guy's he was friends with Michael Jackson? He done everything. So to get to perform in front of them was already like a blessing to get to do that. And so it's I got to look at it from a great perspective that I was still thankful for that opportunity, even though I didn't get to move forward. I I got to do a good amount of time to where I can still say I got a great experience and run out of it.

SPEAKER_04 4:07

Well, you did, and the way you just answered that question is why all of us that got to see you for a very, very short amount of time on the show. You were you were still like you took it and ran with it. And that's so cool that you've been so gracious and like humble about the whole experience. The fact that you made it to Hollywood week on American Idol is out of this world.

SPEAKER_01 4:28

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_04 4:29

I mean, you realize that's a big accomplishment, right?

SPEAKER_02 4:32

It was it was it was a really good time. I was it was uh it was a really cool door that opened that I've like never thought about doing one of the shows up until I was reached out to just through one of my videos that I posted back in like May, like last May. So almost it's coming up on a year. And I had uh somebody reach out to me through one of my videos, and I was like, is this real? Is this how you can get DMs sometimes and you're like, I don't know if this is legit. And so it was just like, hey, we'd love for you to audition, really love your video. It was very kind like remark on my singing, and I was like, hey, this might be a cool thing to just try, see, see what can come of it. And so I was like, let's do it, let's do it. I love I've always loved watching American Idol and seeing the cool people that come from it, and so I was like, let's see what can come of it. And so I did the first audition in I think it was like the beginning of June on a Zoom audition, and it was it went great. It was really fun. It was like I was like, I have my guitar ready, ready for the Zoom to join, and then it joined joins, and you're like, all right, I'm singing now. It's just like right into it.

SPEAKER_04 5:36

It's so weird that you did this on Zoom.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

I did, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's hard. It I thought it would be like a weird dynamic singing to a screen.

SPEAKER_03 5:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:46

But I actually was fine with it, and it was it made me feel comfortable because I was in my own house. So it was uh it was still great to do it over Zoom, and then went to the next one, which was also a Zoom, uh, in like July, so like a month later, and it went great as well. And I had my dad do some of it with me, uh, like just play with me. And so that was fun. Wait, what'd you sing for these? For these first ones, I did my own song, Malibu. I did Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis, which is what I ended up singing for my audition. And I did uh what was it? Uh Don't Know Why by Nora Jones. So those are like my first three, and then I think the next one I switched the Nora Jones song to Easy by the Commodores and played like one on keyboard just so I could kind of show a little dynamics between the instruments, and it went uh really great, and I was really happy with them. And they told me they'd love to have me come do the in-person audition and got super hype on the on the call, and it was great. And after my dad was just like, let's do it, dude. This is gonna be fun. And so it was from literally July or August, whenever that final one was, till November was when I did all the things that I did on the show. So it was like a big like waiting, getting ready for it, because I was just looking forward to it. I was just excited, and then it was like the it was like a hurry up, like crazy, like I've been waiting all this time, and then boom, it was like the quickest couple weeks ever, just like went by like that. So fast because you're just doing stuff, you're doing interview, meeting this guy, then you're hanging over here, then they got you singing, doing rehearsals, and it was I and I love all that. I love like the fast-pacedness of just anything like that. So it was a good time, and um it to get to go to the Hollywood week was it was a lot of fun, and now look because obviously people that went to that are still in the like some of them are still in the show, and to get to see a lot of them that I was hanging out with go this far, it's cool to be like, dude, I was just hanging with them a couple months ago, and now he's killing it in front of the whole world, you know.

SPEAKER_04 7:55

So we're recording this before the show ends.

SPEAKER_02 7:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:59

Do you have a favorite? Do you have somebody in mind? No pressure.

SPEAKER_02 8:05

I really I can genuinely say I love all of them. I uh I got to at least talk to everybody that is still in it and just some of the most like genuine people, and it's cool because you think like on TV, sometimes people are like playing a character or whatever, but they're all like cool, cool people. And I I had a good time hanging with a lot of them, but man, I don't know about any favorites. I uh I really love all of them, but my boy Jordan is amazing, he's just got one of the most powerful voices ever, and it's still smooth, it's like it's it's such a powerful but smooth voice, and and I know him personally, like he's from uh Murphysboro, and we have a lot of mutual friends, and I got to know him like after we auditioned and did all the the stuff, and just a really down-to-earth, great, great dude with a super strong faith and really cool guy. And then I also love uh Daniel Stallworth. I hung out with him probably the most out of everybody that's still in it during the Hollywood week, and he's just again unbelievable voice, great dude to be around, great energy about him, and also he's funny, and so just really cool dude that I got to hang out with, and uh love Braden as well. Braden's great, um Brooks is killer, he's got super interesting, crazy tone, so interesting. It's just cool, it's like something you've I've like I've never heard anybody that sounds like him.

SPEAKER_04 9:31

No, me either.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

He's got an awesome voice.

SPEAKER_04 9:35

I think every year, by the way, I think it's a great group of talent, but this year seems really exceptional.

SPEAKER_02 9:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:42

And I mean, I think it's I thought about that when I thought, you know, there are so many people like you who Hollywood week was so tough.

SPEAKER_03 9:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:52

That I there were a couple of times that I really was like out loud talking to Lionel on my TV, you know. Are we sure about that one, Lionel? Um, but I just I think you're right, like it's such a good group.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

So yeah, and everybody's got their own vibe. There's really not anyone that's like similar to anyone, everyone's got their own thing, and then um also Chris, Chris tongue Seth. He's he's awesome, yeah. And also just a super kind dude. My like my family, and we all talked together a good bit. We were on the same audition day. He was like the very last audition of like everything. And so, like, I had already gone and he was like, dude, I'm still waiting. But we got done like late that night, and I I knew I heard him sing before, and I was like, dude, this guy's this guy's legit. So he was just a very kind guy as well. But I'm wishing all of them the best, they're all gonna kill it. And yeah, whoever wins, uh, that's still in it, they're gonna go do great things. Whoever doesn't win, they're still gonna go do great things, you know.

SPEAKER_04 10:52

So it's such a launching pad, regardless.

SPEAKER_02 10:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:55

Okay, but walk us through, and then we're gonna get to some of your music and stuff you're working on. But walk us through Hollywood week a little bit because to me, outside perspective, it looks extremely stressful. Long days, how does it work? You have rehearsals, how do you pick your song? Yeah, give us the the inside scoop.

SPEAKER_02 11:12

Okay, so the Hollywood week was actually like a few days right after um like the auditions, at least for me, because I was on the final day of auditions. So like the Hollywood week was technically the next week when I was on the back end of the last week. So I had like a couple day turnaround compared to like everybody else that was at the beginning of the week, they had like a little more time, but I was fine with that. I liked just going straight into it. And so Hollywood week was a couple days after I had gotten the golden ticket, and it was all just everything moving so fast, and I was I was just pumped. I was like, this is gonna be awesome. I got to do a raw, cool audition with my dad. He accompanied me in there, and then now I get to play with a band and really be in my element. And I love moving around on stage and dancing and doing all the things, so I was I was really excited for this one. And I had like three songs I was picking between. It was Can't Take My Eyes Off You by Lauren Hill, uh Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel, or Daisies by Justin Bieber. And so I was picking between those three. I was just thinking what I could like move around on stage and kind of get my groove on with it. And so I wanted to go with the Lauren Hill one, and we rehearsed it the night I got done with my audition. So like at the end of that day. So I was pretty tired, but we still ran through it and the arrangement they put together. I was like, yeah, this is gonna be this is gonna be fun. And so it was cool already imagining what it was gonna be like, and so in terms of the actual Hollywood week days, it was like two full, like I'm talking full days. So I think we got there at seven or eight in the morning both days, and then what was so cool is that so we was still at Belmont, the like Hollywood week, and so they had a ton of the Belmont students come in to watch, and then a ton of like local people as well. So it was it was pretty packed, and it was definitely for a lot of people, like it was one of the biggest things I've ever played for. But like for people that hadn't played shows before, that was bet definitely a step up from the audition. Oh gosh, I can imagine, yeah, yeah. But the energy in there was just so great, and so it was like the big hall area where actually where we auditioned, they kind of cleared it out to where it was just seats and tables with whatever snacks, tea, everything you need. And then everyone's just hanging out in like a hub kind of area, kind of by the windows, and then they're just calling people one by one to go either do like a rehearsal or interview or whatever it is that they need you for. And I forget how many people were still there, but there were a good bit of people, and there was a lot of downtime to just talk and hang and people singing around. So, like we got there early. I was on the second day, so the first day I literally just hung out with people, and what the other people they would get there, and I think they immediately rehearsed like in the morning, like pretty early. So they were singing probably at like eight in the morning, eight thirty in the morning to just to rehearse, and uh so they went and did that while the other half that was day two people just hung out, did some interviews, but really just kind of hung around. And so I got to talk to so like almost everybody, and that was one of my favorite experiences that I get to say, like from the show, is that's how I got to know all these cool artists, and I probably followed like a hundred of them that I now like keep up with on Instagram and TikTok or whatever, and it's it was so cool to see everybody's different vibes, like okay, this dude's amazing in his thing, and then this guy's really good in his soulful vibe or this RB, this pop, this country. There was such a diversity about everybody there to where it wasn't like I can tell what he does, like everybody had a cool swag about their persona and their vibe, and so there's a lot of hanging out, a lot of people singing in the corner, a lot of people do singing worship songs, just hanging out in the in the lobby area, and it was a long day for the first day because I wasn't performing, and I think I did a couple interviews, but it was really just like sitting around all day and uh it was freezing in there. It was like there was a random week where it got cold at in November. It was like 70s when I did my audition. Two days later, it was like almost snowing. I think it was snowing when I was there, and like not anything crazy, but it was flurrying, and some reason they couldn't get like the lobby super warm, so it was just it was just cold in there. But other than that, we were hanging out, had a great time, and then that day I kind of did not that much, so you still had to like stay and hang to wait on like any info or anything. So I was there till probably like 10:30 or 11 that night. It was such a long day, it was it was a long day, but looking looking like in hindsight now, I'm like, okay, that was a great day to meet and network and yeah, make new friends, and like all the people because the next day I was more like focused, ready to roll, still talking to people, but I was more focused on my performance while that day I kind of had like some like space to just meet people and make friends, and the second day, it was like the same time, like seven or eight in the morning. Get there, do the rehearsal. Rehearsal was good. It was definitely like a like wake up. I I got up early and I was in there and I was like, all right, I'm about to do this at eight in the morning or something.

SPEAKER_04 16:43

So because wait, I have to ask you this because this is such a short time that you've learned this song. So even if you knew the song, now you have your American Idol version.

SPEAKER_02 16:52

Yes, exactly. Like, yeah, it's a little different than what the original one was.

SPEAKER_04 16:56

So And you have to sing it in front of Lionel, Carey, and Luke. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No big deal.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

I had like a day to like run through it just at my house, and because I love the song so much, I've listened to it a gazillion times, and I just kind of turned it into my own version. I kind of kept it a little like hers, but did my own thing with it, and so practiced it a little bit at my house, and then uh the rehearsal was a great like just get it, get the knock the dust off and get the feel for it, and it went great, and I was just like, yeah, this is gonna be great, this is gonna be fun. And I still ran through it a couple times, like just throughout the day in the in the corner, standing in the corner, running through my my runs and stuff, but it was really fun, and I think I was the second to last group of the night, so that day was like pretty long as well. A lot of hanging out, a lot of talking, a lot of I don't know, making some content, whatever it was, just just hanging out, and it was really fun. And it got to the end, and they called like our group together, and I was like, all right, here we go. It's about to it's about to go down. And I had some of the people that I had talked to in my group, so we was fun. Like we were all kind of together. And after like you had sit kind of in the hallway after you had gone, you you could literally see who was going like ahead of you, like you were like lined up backstage to where like one person here, one person here, one person here, and they have like screens where you can watch and then you can hear through the whole speakers, and so it was cool to see like all the people in front of you that were going, and you could be like, Okay, that dude killed it. That was awesome. And it was just fun to see everybody that you had been hanging out with perform now.

SPEAKER_04 18:35

Could you at that point did you know who had been cut and not cut ahead of you? So that's happening live.

SPEAKER_02 18:43

Yeah, yeah. They would do it in like groups, I think of maybe like 10, 10, 12 people, something like that.

SPEAKER_04 18:48

Waiting on yours while all this is happening.

SPEAKER_02 18:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 18:50

And after you sang, did you have any sense of how you how you felt it went? Did you feel like, yes, I've got this?

SPEAKER_02 18:58

Yeah, yeah. I so it was all in like my, I don't know, whatever, eight to ten people group. And I could see the couple people that went in front of me, and then like I went and I got out and I was like, let's go. That was awesome. And I got some great feedback from Carrie, and she liked my like song choice as well. Um, and it was really great. And I was I was excited about it. I was hoping that uh make it through. I was I was like, I had some hot hopes. I was really excited about it, and uh they did like some interviews after, and I was like, Yeah, it went great. And I spirits were high. I was I was really excited and went back into like the hallway area where everyone had like already gone. So we were all hanging out, like telling each other how it went, what what happened, had the song go, what the judges said, and we were just talking, and then they brought us back in to like line up and then go back out on stage after we were like hanging backstage and seeing like the last few people perform. They brought us out, and uh they would they were switching it up each time. It was like, if we say your name, move forward, and then sometimes the people that moved forward would go through, and then sometimes the people that they didn't call wouldn't.

SPEAKER_04 20:09

So you had no idea.

SPEAKER_02 20:09

And so, like the first yeah, I didn't know what they were gonna do. The first one that we we could see like the group that went ahead of us and like watch it on the screen, which was kind of cool because you could see it like how it's gonna be portrayed on TV, like before it is, and so it was like this is kind of cool. And I just went into it going, I'm I'm thankful no matter what. I mean, I did my best, so it's like if I don't make it through, it's it's out of my hands, it's out of my control. And so I went out there definitely a little nervous, standing like lined up. I'm like, oh my gosh, what's what's about to happen? And so they said like the names for mine. It was like they said that the people that moved forward didn't make it through. So they said my name and a couple more people, and uh it was like dang, you know. But I got everybody that was in my group, I had kind of been friends with, and so turned. I was like, Let's go, you're gonna kill it. Everyone was just so encouraging through it all, and kind of just uh went around saying good job to everybody because then like I would there was no reason for me to stay. I was then like done.

SPEAKER_04 21:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:06

And so said good job to everybody and definitely a bummer, but I it wasn't like no, like I was I was I was bummed out, but I had to look at the the light of it that I are I just got to do this, not I didn't make it. I I got I just got to do this cool thing that hardly anybody gets to do. And so looked at it that way, went down and told my parents. My parents were obviously there listening, and so they they loved my performance and got to go down and say I didn't make it, and it was still great, super grateful for it. We did like one last interview all together, and it was a great like send-off, and I said bye to like all my friends that I'd met and really really positive like ending to my journey. It was it was uh very um it was just a bright, bright send off. It wasn't I wasn't like devastated. I was I it was a great environment to be around because all the people that I'd worked with were so cool that it was just a cool like thank y'all so much for the for the opportunity and cool last couple weeks and hopefully we'll we'll connect again, you know? It was it was a great uh ending for sure.

SPEAKER_04 22:19

I love your attitude about these things. Um because I'm a glass half full person, right? Experience in itself is so valuable. But I have to ask you, do you feel okay? So let's just tell everybody who doesn't follow you. So your dad is Brian White, Brian with a Y.

SPEAKER_03 22:35

Yes, with the Y.

SPEAKER_04 22:36

And Brian White, that's important because Brian White is if you're my age, quite a bit older than you. Um, we grew up with your dad and his music. Incredible singer, songwriter, artist. I mean, the Shania Twain song that it was just epic with him. Yep. I'm just gonna say it that way. Yep, yep. And and your mom is an actress.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

Yes, ma'am. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:01

So you have a different life view than probably a lot of people that were on the show. Yeah. Because you have seen the highs and lows of this business. Totally. Totally. Do you think that helped you stay positive?

SPEAKER_02 23:14

I think so, definitely. We we looked at it like also my the first thing is like to just get back to like music in general. My neither of my parents like made me get into music. They kind of sports were the big thing that I had been into my whole life, and I still am, but music kind of creeped into my life like heavily in high school, to where I really started enjoying everything. I'd always been around it because of my dad, but like actually enjoying creating, writing, singing in front of people was later in high school. And so, because I grew to love it myself without being like forced or pushed into anything, it made me love it more. And so, this was what like then going over to the idol stuff. Right when stuff started, we were like, we're gonna look at this how it is. We're this is a great door that's opening right now, and however it goes, we're gonna be happy with it because it was a cool experience, and it's not the only thing that's gonna happen. It's just one great milestone that's gonna be in my path. But you can't look at it like this is the in all of be or uh whatever it's called, all the end all be all.

SPEAKER_04 24:19

Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 24:20

Like that's not it, it's just a cool time, cool, cool couple weeks that I got to do, but it isn't uh anywhere close to the things that I'll do in my career, so it's cool to look at it that way.

SPEAKER_04 24:32

It's such a great thing.

SPEAKER_02 24:33

And so it did, it did help me to go into it with that attitude and that mindset, knowing this is gonna be great, whatever comes of it, comes of it, but we're gonna we're gonna keep rolling after it no matter what.

SPEAKER_04 24:44

That's a really interesting just life perspective that a lot of people don't have because you did grow up with the highs and lows of this business, and I think it'd be really interesting to see that, you know, from your perspective versus someone who comes to the show and hasn't had that. So it's cool to walk through that.

SPEAKER_02 25:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:03

Okay, but you did American Idol, and this, to your point, yeah, is this a part of your story, it's not your story. Totally. And I love it. So, but I think you have now taken it, you were already doing music, doing some videos. You were at Sanford, you said you were in a pop band. Yes, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:20

I was in a uh pop and RB band. We played a lot of like 70s, 80s pop stuff, some new stuff, and love it. And the band's name is uh Lakeshore, okay, and they're still killing it. I love them. They're some of my like best friends now, and all of them are so so so insanely talented from every like everybody, the whole band, singers, everybody, musicians, and it was such a fun time because I've never been in like a band in general. That was the first time I've been in a band, and it was fun to share the stage with them. But I did that, ran Division I track at Samford as well, and uh did the 200 and 400, which were awesome. They're like the best events. I love doing them and definitely missed that. And uh I've I still run all the time just because I love it so much. And then I was I'm also in uh Sigma Kai from Samford as well. So I filled my my schedule up as about as much as it could have been.

SPEAKER_04 26:15

Yeah, you did. Uh checks all of the college boxes, yeah. And then you just decide you decided that it was time to pursue music full time.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 26:25

So now here you are living your music dreams, and what's the day-to-day like now?

SPEAKER_02 26:30

Yeah, it's it's I like to say it's uh it's random. So like every week can be kind of different, but it's so awesome. So I'm probably doing probably like four writing sessions a week, four or five writing sessions a week, which is so much fun. I love writing with people and just creating with other talented people and just friends. Like when you're writing with your friends, it just feels so like freeing. That's what I was just doing before this, and we wrote an awesome song. And so I'm writing uh a few days a week, either doing a show on my own or with my dad, like on the weekends or whatever day it falls on on the week. So probably doing like a show a week, maybe two if I have one and my dad has one, and then making content every day as anybody has to now. Um but I've I've grown to love it. It took me a long time to get into just the the flowing of making content, and like now I just post my whole life, so it makes it so much easier, and I never really run out of like ideas because it's just I'm just posting my life, I'm posting my music like mainly, but it's based around my life, and my life has a lot of music in it, so it it flows good, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:43

So it's actually such a good I'm just thinking about your content. I like following you, it's really fun, and you are very authentic, thank you, and so this makes sense. Like you're not trying to put on this is Jackson the character, this is you were really saying, This is my life, welcome to it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:58

So it's it's been fun finding my groove in content because it took me a long time to even enjoy it, and now I do. I love making either cover stuff, promoting my music, going on a run, I don't know, whatever it is. And so doing a lot of content, and I love hanging with my family as well. Oh, we're always doing something and run all the time. I work out a good bit, and I started this new year doing like core power. If you know what that is, it's like hot yoga workouts. Oh, yeah, and it is amazing.

SPEAKER_04 28:31

Hot yoga is amazing, it's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 28:33

So I've loved doing that. Uh, and traveling a little bit, depending on what the week is like. I was just in New York this last week doing like kind of a music trip, just meeting up with some music friends, and uh so sporadic like trips here and there, whether I'm doing a show with my dad, but mixing songwriting content and doing shows pretty much every week.

SPEAKER_04 28:55

So and is there a new album coming? Do we have like a full album coming?

SPEAKER_02 28:59

EP. Ooh, yes, coming. Yes. I'm I'm aiming for the July range. I don't have a set date yet, but in the this summer, 100%. And so exciting. It's gonna be, I think it's gonna be six songs, and I'm gonna release like one more single. Uh and it's gonna be awesome. I'm really excited for it. And I just put out a new single this past Friday called Peach in the City. I love it. It's so good. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_04 29:23

Yes, you guys go download Peach in the City. It's right. And you wrote this one?

SPEAKER_02 29:27

I did, yes. I wrote this with two of my friends, Grace West and Casey Timmer. And so the the I'll keep it to where the story isn't crazy long, but the the basis around the story, so you can understand what the title is. And so I went to New York City this past summer with my cousin. He's like a Broadway actor. And so he he had just booked something, and so we were moving there, he was moving there for the summer to do rehearsals, and I was going with him to hang and kind of like last little thing before he's crazy busy all the time. And we were, I think it was the first day we were there, maybe second day, we were walking around in the Upper East Side, and it's beautiful up there, and went into the flagship Ralph Lauren store that is, I'm telling you, it's probably the cool it might be the coolest store in in the whole country. It's it's amazing. And so we went in there, start looking around, seeing what I don't know if we want to get anything. And it's just a cool store, even if you don't get anything. And so he's looking over here, and I get up to the top floor, which is like a new floor up there, uh within that time that I had been there. And I get off the elevator, and this just amazing, beautiful girl like greets me when I get off the elevator, and her name uh is Brooke, and she was just so nice, and she had a southern vibe about her, and she she was from Georgia, and so I asked her where she's from, Georgia, and she was just extremely nice, helped me look for some cool stuff, and um got to talking just about what I do, what she does.

SPEAKER_04 31:00

And are you about to break all the girls' hearts on the internet? Are you about to break all their hearts? Are you about to tell us you have a girlfriend?

SPEAKER_02 31:06

I don't have a girlfriend, no.

SPEAKER_04 31:07

Okay, y'all can rest easy. I was getting worried where the story was going because I've listened to the song.

SPEAKER_02 31:11

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 31:11

No, I'm I was gonna be happy for you, but there were like at least 10,000 girls that were gonna be very sad. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:16

No, I'm I'm single guys. I'm single guys. Uh yeah, and so she was just she was just awesome, and I had a great time talking to her and ended up getting a shirt, and I wear I wear it because it's it's cool, it's so cool. Ralph Lauren stuff is just amazing. And so I I had just left and I was like, wow, she was awesome. She had a really cool vibe, and she was just so pretty. And so I went down to a coffee shop and kind of wrote down like just how I had just ran into this girl that worked at Ralph Lauren, and I was like, this could kind of be a cool, uh, cool story that I can turn it into. And so I called my parents just to see what they were up to for the day. And uh I was just talking, I was like, Hey, I met this super cool, cool girl at uh the Ralph Lauren store, and my dad was like, Where's she from? That's awesome. And I was like, Georgia, and he was like, Hey, you found a peach in the city, dude. Or he said something around that, so I was like, that's a cool, unique, random title, and so I went and kind of put that down.

SPEAKER_04 32:13

And dad didn't get a co-write?

SPEAKER_02 32:15

I know, yeah. He he uh he produced the whole thing, so all right, he's probably fine. He gets all the the credits with that. Uh and so I had a writing session like the day I got back, and so the night before I was just messing around with the stuff I'd written down with some melodies and general idea around the song, and I brought it in. I was like, guys, met this girl in New York City, and I want to write a song about it. And so I gave him the rundown and we wrote it, and it was a super fun ride. It came together like really quickly and worked on it a little bit over the summer, and then just got busy with working on my other music, and then we picked it back up this fall, and it just came out, and it's one of my favorite things I've done because it's just a real story.

SPEAKER_04 32:59

I love that it's a real story. Where is Brooke now? Does she still work at Ralph Lauren? Does she follow you on a child? Is she gonna watch the story?

SPEAKER_02 33:06

Yeah, I mean, she might see it. Yeah, she might see it.

SPEAKER_04 33:08

Brooke, we're gonna need you to weigh in with your side of the story.

SPEAKER_02 33:11

But she she's awesome, and um she's been super helpful every time I've gone to the store because I've found something every time.

SPEAKER_04 33:19

And does she know that the song is about her?

SPEAKER_02 33:20

She does, yeah. She does know it's about her.

SPEAKER_04 33:22

Did you tell her?

SPEAKER_02 33:23

I didn't tell her, but she she connected the dots and um. Oh, this is epic.

SPEAKER_04 33:28

Because you know, sometimes we wonder if y'all write songs about real people, yeah. Or if it's about like your favorite chicken salad sandwich. Yeah, you know, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 33:37

Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 33:37

Um, but you wrote it about this girl.

SPEAKER_01 33:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:40

I'm really gonna have to make a trip to New York now and go to Lap to Ralph Lauren. We're all gonna go check out, it's gonna get really, really busy in there.

SPEAKER_02 33:46

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, she'll she'll find you some cool clothes. She and she's she's awesome. So it was a really cool song to write about someone that I had I had met and really turned like a fun thing into a real story.

SPEAKER_04 33:59

So I love it, and it's such a cool song. I was very surprised. I'm bopping along to it the first time I hear it. It's so catchy from minute one.

SPEAKER_02 34:09

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_04 34:10

But then it twists like when you get to the chorus, I was like, oh, I didn't expect that little change coming up.

SPEAKER_02 34:16

Yeah, there's like a mod, there's yeah, it's cool, key change.

SPEAKER_04 34:19

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 34:20

We my my dad's really good with that stuff, but I I love writing stuff with key changes just because it's fun, and that's what a lot of like the 70s and 80s music that I listen to does. And we were messing with it in the studio already, like norther without it doing the key change. And you're like, hold on, this could we get this, take this to another level. And so we did, we did that and messed around with uh with a key change, and it made it, it made it like way cooler than it would have been. And so give those credits to my dad on the on making it, making it even cooler than that. That was a good call.

SPEAKER_04 34:53

Yeah, yeah, it's really cool because it's very unexpected. Yeah. And because you are, you're in it. I can't wait for people to listen to it. Um, because you're listening and you're like, yeah, this is good. And then all of a sudden that that first time I'm like, oh, wasn't expecting that. Then you're ready for it the next time and you're into it. Exactly. So cool. Exactly. I love a good key change. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 35:11

Yeah, that was a good call. And it yeah, I just love the song because I love I love all of it, like the melody, everything. And but because every single line in the in the song is like real, it's like I was I was up on the east side of NYC. It's like it literally explains it, it lays it out exactly how this was. And so it's fun for me to listen to it and go like, dang, that's actually real. Because I mean, I've I've written stuff about whatever that's just like a general girl out there, you know, not like a specific person, but this one was fun to write about a specific general idea.

SPEAKER_04 35:47

What if you are the the male Taylor Swift? You're just gonna run three songs and y'all saw him here first.

SPEAKER_02 35:55

Yeah, we'll see. We'll see. That'd be awesome.

SPEAKER_04 35:57

Yeah, I like it. I coined that. Just down the road.

SPEAKER_02 36:02

Give her the credits, give her the credits, guys.

SPEAKER_04 36:05

Um, yeah. Okay, I you are so fun to talk to. I'm so excited for people to get to know your music and your vibe, and it's so fun that the EP's coming. Yep. And you uh brought your guitar.

SPEAKER_02 36:16

I did, yes. I would love it. Just sitting here pretty.

SPEAKER_04 36:18

Just sitting here wanting to be played. Yeah. Yeah. So what do you think? You want to play us a song before we close it out?

SPEAKER_02 36:24

I would love to play a song.

SPEAKER_04 36:25

All right, let's do it.

SPEAKER_02 36:26

I'm gonna play you guys one of my more recent, not the most not Peach in the City, but this one's called Malibu. And one of my favorite songs that I've written, I wrote this one with my dad actually and my friend Seth Hall. And I was, I forget what I was doing. I think I was just home by myself right when I got back from school last year. And I've always loved Malibu. I've been there twice now, and it's just it's another, it's another level of like peace. It's so cool. And wanted to write a song about how beautiful it was and how it like makes me feel, and relate that into waiting on a girl that's gonna give me that same feeling that Malibu does. And so it's like, when am I gonna find you my Malibu?

SPEAKER_04 37:07

You know, so gosh, are your DMs just blowing up every day?

SPEAKER_02 37:11

Uh, I mean, I I get a little bit of DMs, it's nothing, nothing crazy. I mean, a lot of my friends, more of my friends, like my guy friends, like, dude, this is sick, but yeah, you know, um, I'm thankful for everybody that likes my music. So this one is called Malibu.

SPEAKER_04 37:25

All right, we're excited to hear it.

SPEAKER_00 37:34

Oh, I'm sitting on a beach, and my toes are in the white sand down. I'm ordering drinks for two, should be sharing them with you. Are you in paradise like I am? Are you out here getting sundae? Where your wave crash into mine, please let it be tonight. I don't know what I'm gonna do. When am I gonna find you? Yeah. The mountain meets the beach side, uh, and I waited for you all night. I can feel your tide pulling. Girl, you couldn't leave me hanging. You wouldn't now. Are you putting flowers in your hair? Getting sun kissed, though it ain't fair. Santa Monica calling you. Promise me you won't fall in love, baby. I don't know what I'm gonna do. When am I gonna find you? Yeah, and oh I know, I know, oh I know, I know, I know you're out there. I know you're out there, baby. Oh, I know, I know, oh I know, I know I'll find you somewhere. I'll look anywhere. My mouth boohoo. I don't know what I'm gonna do. When am I gonna find you? You oh yeah. I don't know what I'm gonna do. When am I gonna find you foo? My Malibu. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:32

Let's go.

SPEAKER_04 40:34

Oh, well, that made that better. I'm here. You need a little backup singer.

SPEAKER_02 40:38

Let's go.

SPEAKER_04 40:39

I love that song.

SPEAKER_02 40:40

Thank you, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_04 40:41

Is that that one's on Spotify?

SPEAKER_02 40:42

That one is, that one's out everywhere. All the all the all the reasons. Go get it, get it.

SPEAKER_04 40:48

Also, I'm gonna take a note from my girl Chelsea Handler, who's been out there saying she's a new dating coach.

SPEAKER_02 40:54

Oh, okay. All right.

SPEAKER_04 40:56

And not that you need my help, but your DMs are gonna blow up and you're not even gonna know. So I'm gonna have them send me their resumes.

SPEAKER_02 41:01

Yeah, I'm gonna send her your resumes, guys.

SPEAKER_04 41:04

Yes, I'm now your your big sister. Yes. I'll take all of the girls that are gonna say how do I meet him? Yeah. And I'll go through them a little bit for you. Okay. Okay. I got some good ones in the back. You got me right. I got you. Thank you. I appreciate that. This has been so fun. So you're the best. Um, looking forward to the new music.

SPEAKER_01 41:22

Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 41:22

Thanks for taking time to do this today.

SPEAKER_01 41:24

Of course. Thanks for having me. This has been a blast. Thanks, Amanda.

SPEAKER_04 41:26

Yeah, see y'all soon.

SPEAKER_01 41:28

See y'all soon. Peace.

SPEAKER_04 41:29

Sometimes girls gotta find her way. On a room, free to room, make a mistake.