Exclusive Sit Down with Jameson Burt

How do you establish your brand of who you are as a musician Jameson? 

I try not to overthink things. Follow my instincts, follow what interests me and chase it down. In my life and experience, in my music, in fashion, all of it you just follow what’s calling out to you and you become a result of all those influences. I think the job of an artist is to try to know and feel their self and their experience as deeply as possible and then express it as best as they can. If you’re really pushing for that then I think the uniqueness comes automatically, because there’s only one you. The less you think about it the better. Of course I do put a lot of careful thought into what I create, but I’m just trying to be my real self, not a version of myself that I think people will like. The things that present themselves naturally to you are always the best. 

What significance does being able to present yourself to the world through your art have for you?

It has huge significance for me. Everything I create is deeply personal to me. There are a lot of aspects of life where I don’t feel comfortable, don’t feel like I’m able to express myself as well as I’d like to, a lot of relationships where I have a hard time getting my point across or really being myself with people, or where I have a hard time connecting. So music and writing is a really important outlet for me to be able to express myself, from the deepest parts of my soul, and create something beautiful out of the things that have gone unsaid, or said wrong, or whatever. I’m just able to communicate through music and lyrics in a way I haven’t been able to in other parts of my life. So it’s vitally important to me. 

Do you ever take time to reflect on your career? 

Yeah I do sometimes. I’m able to look back at certain accomplishments I’ve had, shows that have gone well or tours that I’ve done that I’m really proud of. But I have to say when I look back I’m pretty critical of myself, like I could’ve always done better. I am really proud of the albums and recordings I’ve made, I do enjoy them and know they will last. But I also think the good thing about that dissatisfied state is that I’m always looking forward. Like finishing a record and starting the next one immediately. I’m always trying to create and keep moving. But occasionally in a really nice moment, I am able to look back at photos or videos from a tour or whatever and feel proud of what I’ve done. 

Putting yourself first is important but do you ever feel like you put the music in that position sometimes at all costs? 

Yes. Absolutely. I’ve lost people and maybe missed out on some parts of “normal” life, some good parts, for the sake of dedicating myself to that. But I also feel that it’s who I am. I create, and I take it seriously. So the people that don’t understand it and can’t hang with it, with how I want to dedicate myself to my work, that’s okay. I don’t regret anything in terms of that. Life goes on and I’ve always done what I felt in my heart was necessary for me as an artist. 

What has been the best time spent when creating a song? 

I do all the writing for my project, so each song starts as an idea just in my own head and it lives that way for a while, maybe days or weeks or months until I feel I’ve developed it and it’s ready to record. Then I bring it to Andy (Andrew Wesley Carter, my co producer) and we start to record it from the ground up. Some of the best and most rewarding moments are those first initial sessions of tracking an idea and watching it become real, and listening back to the first bare bones of the track. When it’s working right it sounds like what I’ve had in my head, or better, and becomes a living thing very quickly. That’s really exciting. Like with the song “Right Time,” I had been messing with that idea on my own, but when we got in the studio and just put a guitar and piano part together, and my drummer Devin Beaman recorded the groove, it was instantly so satisfying. I love when things come together like that quickly in the studio. 

Could you tell us a story that sticks with you when it comes to the making of that single?

The newest single, “One More.” I wrote about a really difficult period in my life while I was still right in the middle of going through it. Sometimes you have to experience something, process it, and then write about it. In this case the song started coming to me right in the middle of going through this difficult time, when I had lost somebody. I remember sitting alone on my balcony late at night and reading back the lyrics just when I finished them, and it was like watching a movie of my life right after it had just happened. It was heavy but also really healing and therapeutic. 

How do you make sure you visit your roots as you progress in your career and you celebrate those big wins like being able to tour with the great Rival Sons? 

I’m not the type of person that has a huge group of friends, but I have a really tight circle of very dear friends that I’ve gone through so many ups and downs with. And I’m very close with my immediate family, who are the best people I know. So for me, having such a solid group of good people that have known me through good times and bad, I just always come back to them and rely on them for support – and celebrate with them when great things happen! My family and some of my dearest friends were able to see me on the last shows of the Rival Sons tour, in LA and OC, so that meant a lot to me. As a bonus, some of my best friends are IN the Rival Sons! So being out on the road with them, I had a good bit of home along with me the whole way. 

We want to know what your fans are listening to right now that they can’t get enough of? 

I like to think that fans of my music still enjoy a lot of different things I’ve done over the years; I’ve put out a lot of music and I hope the old and the new both resonate with people. This new single “One More” seems to be hitting a nerve with people, connecting to listeners, so that makes me very happy. It’s getting some good play on college radio right now as well, so that’s really gratifying. 

What are you considering dropping next? 

I’ve got a batch of songs that have been in the works for a while, that seem to be collecting themselves into perhaps an EP. But I will probably put out a single before that, early in the new year. Beyond that there is an album starting to brew…there always is! 

Tell us how we keep up with updates on your music?

My main daily connection to people online is on Instagram, so come find me there! Or wherever you prefer online. And I hope you enjoy listening! 

INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/Jamesonmakesmusic 

URL: Jamesonmakesmusic.com 

YOU TUBE: YouTube.com/Jamesonmakesmusic 

FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/Jameson.burt 

For Press Inquiries: bsquaredmgmt@gmail.com

End of Interview