Jackson Harris – Dance with the Devil

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) What were your experiences like with touring?

A) It’s been the best learning experience I ever had. I started my first European tour last summer. The summer before that was with Cody Simpson. So, that was my first time really going to Europe and getting to play shows out there. I consider Cody now a friend and a brother. His whole crew was welcoming and super awesome. Then, I got to tour with Fifth Harmony all over the US. So, I kind of got to get to see both sides of the world. I’m hoping this summer I’ll get a chance to go back this summer, but I also want to see South America and check out some of the other places I haven’t been to. It’s been a dream come true. I’m really, really lucky.

Q) You recently released your single “Dance with the Devil.” Where did the inspiration for it come from?

A) The song was kind of the beginning of some new material I really wanted to get out there. The older stuff I put out I really loved, but I don’t think it wasn’t really telling the full story of my life and what I go through and what we all go through. So, I wanted to dive a bit deeper into a subject that was about our own outlook on life. This is a song I wrote to remind myself that everything is going to be okay and we all go through crummy, hard or rough times whether it be with school, family or life. I kind of wrote this song as a reminder not to give up and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. With the music, I wanted to take a tone that was really honest that some who was sixteen or sixty years old could connect to.

Q) You got to work with Jon Rua from the musical Hamilton on the choreography.

A) Jon Rua is a great friend and an incredible choreographer/actor/dancer/singer. He has been working on Broadway for years now. I saw Hamilton at the Public Theater last year and we kind of talked backstage about possibly working together in the future and what we could do together. He’s a great choreographer and a talented artist so when I wrote the song I called him and said, “I know you are in the most successful and biggest musical that the whole world has ever seen, but would you mind taking a day off to help me create this vision that I have?” I told him the concept of the video and then told him that he was the dancer, the artist in the situation. I asked him to create something to the music. I said, “I made the music. You can make the dance. And that combination of efforts will be how we can make this video great.” He and his partner, Emily, did a fantastic job and I really wanted to spotlight what he is capable of and why everyone is in love with Hamilton. It’s great energy and a great story. I was very much inspired by their choreography as well. So, when he came into my video it was a perfect storm of creativity.

Q) How did the concept for the video piece together with the song?

A) The song is really about having some perspective on where you are. Life goes on and time goes on. We’re all in such a rush to be in love that we forget the times when there is sadness or failure. In the video, I kind of wanted to show that with a relationship throughout the years. The video kind of starts with an older couple (almost a grandpa and a grandma) and then soon they start to dance and suddenly it comes blur whether it is the older version of themselves or younger version of themselves. I wanted to capture that passion that when they would dance and be young it was passionate, energetic and quick. When it would cut back to the present day with their older selves, it was a little bit more sweet and thoughtful. You can see who they become through the years and how they are still themselves, just in different skin. They were able to capture that and John’s choreography really created a unique story. I’ve been really inspired by a lot of what Sia does in her videos and even watching Beyonce’s new film Lemonade where they incorporate different art into music and kind of get something new about it.

Q) You directed the video for “Dance with the Devil.” What was the process like for you?

A) Coming from my end, it’s very easy to let a director or producer say, “Okay, this is the song. This is what we’re going to film to it.” All of my videos I’m either directing, producing or choreographing so the fact that I got to make this, in and of itself, was nerve wracking for me because it was the first music video that I’ve done that I am not in at all. So, I had to really try to artistically make choices that would have listeners really involved in the video and then go find who sings the song. It’s an interesting experiment and I’m excited to see what comes of it.

Q) Your next single is “Feels Like.” Does that piece together with “Dance with the Devil” or is it a stand alone that may come in an EP?

A) I don’t really know yet as far as the collection of songs. I always have a whole bunch of songs that I’m writing and recording as I go. I realized as I go more and more that it is almost better to kind of release a new song every week that way I’m allowed to grow and not tethered to a certain sound or story for the next year because of an album. It’s really about creating what I feel at the moment. I am an independent artist so I want to do something different. So, I definitely will be releasing more singles throughout the summer. With “Feels Like,” it is its own single and I may put all these singles as a collection of work towards the end of the year, but “Feels Like” is almost on the same vibe level as “Dance with the Dance.” It’s really honest song that isn’t about the vocal acrobatics. It’s really about the story of what it feels like to fall in love and recording those moments from a first date. Whether it is walking home on a cobblestone road or sharing a kiss in the back of a taxi, there are butterflies in your stomach or having friends say “She’s not right for you.” Those are all the emotions I wanted to capture in a song that are the little things that go unnoticed about falling in love. It’s easier to write a song about loving someone, wishing they were with you all the time and they are your everything. It’s the tinier things I like to notice that tells me I love someone. I’m going to shoot that in New York City and I’ll be producing and directing that as well. It will be another chance for me to stretch as an artist both musically and with videos to try to create something different and get people talking.

Q) How has this effected your creative process?

A) I think it is really about growth in taking chances and taking risks. Not everyone is going to like what you create, but I think people get more respect and more credit in the art world and music world for taking chances. It’s not so much about the quality of what you put out (although that is important), but it is really about how you put it out and with what intention you put out your music. For people to see your work as not just a commercial for you, but rather watching something and feeling connected to it, wanting to support you, buy your album and go to your shows. It is because they feel like they know you, it’s meant to be or they are interested in your story rather than maybe I think that girl is pretty or that guy is good looking so I’ll buy their album. I’m really trying to do something that a twenty-three old male pop artist wouldn’t do. It’s about taking risks, taking chances and having a great team behind me. It’s about surrounding yourself with good people and trying something new.

Q) What are your future aspirations with music?

A) I want to keep making music until the day I die. Hopefully, that’s in a really, really long time from now! Until then, I really just want people to get a sense that I’m a real person. It’s very easy nowadays with music, internet and to lose sight of the actual human being making the music. It’s easy to get caught up on social media, likes and numbers when it really about connecting with people. That’s why the people that I love, the classics like Paul McCartney, Prince, Michael Jackson or whomever they all did things that kind of hold the test of time. They were kind of brave the way and become instant classics. I think that some people like Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd and Justin Timberlake will be those people twenty years from now. So, I try to look at the heroes I have and do something that I can be proud of ten years from now or one hundred years from now. I want to be able to tap into something where people realize I’m not someone just trying to sell them music. I’m an actual artist that they can akin to art in a museum that you can appreciate and love, but if you hear something on the radio you have the ability to say “that’s bad.” But it’s really just a matter of opinion. So, I kind of want people to be able to have a museum of my music in their memories and have my songs be the soundtrack to some of the best (and maybe) the worst moments of their lives. Just to have that connection to something is what I’ve always wanted.