Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Jackson Watson

THE RELEASE

Jackson Watson just wants a fresh start in “No Place Like Home,” the newest single from the Montgomery, Alabama-based musician. But as the song reveals, roots run deep, and it’s not always as simple as picking up and moving on.

The title itself can be read in a couple of different ways. In one reading, the narrator longs to escape the suffocating familiarity of their hometown. In another, they’ve already left and now find themselves adrift, yearning for the comfort they once knew.

In the first case, No Place Like Home becomes an ironic shrug—a resigned acceptance of feeling stuck. In the second, it’s a sincere admission that moving on comes with no guarantees and that leaving stability behind may mean never finding it again.

Regardless of the way you read the song’s narrative, Watson articulates that feeling of being stuck, yet fearful of taking the next step, exceptionally well. He manages to convey the sense of loneliness one feels when they look around at a room full of familiar faces–and realize they are the only one changing.

Watson pits the notion of “make a break for it” against that of “fake it til you make it”–both are common responses to the feeling of loneliness and, in this case, neither will give the narrator exactly what they want–a true sense of belonging.

Watson gets a lot of mileage out of his use of poetic imagery. The lines “I’ve been captured by the four walls of this city” and “I’m only blaming bodies / standing around at this party” effectively capture the feeling of disassociation he addresses directly in the song’s bridge. Where Watson once felt a connection, he now only feels distance, but how do you start over when there’s no place like home?

It’s a closed loop, it’s claustrophobia, it’s panic-inducing, and Watson’s new song successfully brings the listener into that cloistered feeling.

THE INTERVIEW

It’s been two-and-a-half years since the release of Numb, your sophomore album. What have you learned about yourself as an artist in the time away?
  

In my time away, I have learned so much about myself. Before writing for this album, I found myself in a 'situation' with someone I truly loved. Unfortunate for me, this 'situation' wasn't something that was good for me deep down inside. I think it's so easy to be blindsided by what feels good so much to the point where you're unable to see what's wrong with it. When I stepped away from that, I was able to accept myself for who I truly am. I also credit Beyonce's RENAISSACE WORLD TOUR for helping me see myself in that light. I attended her show in August of 2023 and it brought me so much joy and freedom. Everyone in the stadium was so nice and complimenting my outfit. For one of the first times ever, I truly felt a part of something and a part of a safe community. It was around then that I began taking solo trips to Atlanta which eventually led to me writing my upcoming album. Artistically, I have learned to slow down and better select what it is I want to showcase to the world. With previous projects, I would be so eager to get music out to the world that I'd sacrifice great songs by rushing the production. Not only have some songs in my catalog aged poorly in production value but I would also end up writing much better songs than some that appear on albums but they never get released because I can't find room on the next project. It's one of my biggest mistakes starting out but I've learned to adjust that which is why it has taken so long for me to release new music. I have grown to be okay with it taking me some time. A lot of bloggers or people out there give the advice to independent artists that if you want to make it, you need to put out this many singles in this amount of time but I disagree. If you factor quality over quantity, your people will find you. I wholeheartedly believe mine are slowly finding me. Everything just takes time and I'm learning to be okay with that.

This song is all about home. I’m curious, does your hometown have a musical heritage that influenced this song in any way?


Yes, my hometown has such rich music heritage that has inspired this song. I'm from Montgomery, Alabama which is also the home to Jazz singer Nat King Cole. My late grandmother admired Nat King Cole like no other which inspired me to learn more about him when I was younger. His voice is so magical and soothing to me. While this song isn't a Jazz song in particular, I definitely borrowed some Jazz inspiration with the melodic structure of this track. Also, quite a few members of The Temptations are from my area and they are a huge inspiration to this song and my entire new album. While some of them are from here, their origins are in Detroit, home of Hitsville/Motown. I really love the idea of the foundation starting here and blossoming elsewhere. It makes me wonder if the streets I take each day are similar to the ones they did growing up. I like to think of the inspiration still looming in the air waiting for a soul to attach to.

One of the most compelling things about this track is how it resists easy genre classification. Was that a conscious decision, or something that emerged naturally during the writing process?

I find it interesting that you say this and thank you for recognizing that about this song. I wrote this song on acoustic guitar in October of 2023, but I immediately had this Rock 'n Roll sound in my head the moment I began writing it. However, when it came around to producing it in mid-February of 2024, the song became funkier than I had ever imagined. Around that time, I had been listening to Cameo's 1980 album called Cameosis and a lot of Michael Jackson (specifically the Bad and Thriller albums), and I believe this funk influence rubbed off on the song. That's right about when the horns came in for the pre-chorus of the song. I debated with myself to leave them in or take them out because it felt so forced and originally, I didn't the melodies made sense. Of course, I decided to leave them in and I'm happy I did because it makes what I'm saying at that time feel more like a powerful decision with thought versus a pitiful excuse to "settle down" to conform with the norms of society. Later, in the bridge, you can hear "shoops" which were inspired by classic Doo-wop/Blues songs of the 40s and 50s. I've always been fascinated by Doo-wop music, especially as a Black musician because that is one of the many genres we created. I think the inspiration here is also drawn from my grandmother as well because this was another genre of music she used to play when I was younger. Essentially, the sound of this song is all a tribute to my home and youth in some way, whether as a whole or in little pieces throughout.

This song strikes me as very personal. What do you hope listeners take away from No Place Like Home?  

"No Place Like Home" is incredibly personal. I believe this song is one of my most personal yet, especially because it's not masked by a 'love story'. It's an authentic self-reflective song. I hope that listeners are able to take away that you are in control of your own destiny. The song is essentially about feeling so disconnected from the things you want in life and ultimately allowing that to consume you and send you into a panic. I hope that the audience realizes that 'home' is whatever you choose to make it, whatever you choose to take from that. Do not let anyone else try to control your life. If you're unsure of what to do with your life or with a decision you have to make, it's okay to take a step back and think about it. Don't be like me and cling onto the first "sign" of hope. It will likely trap you in a state of mind you do not want to be in. Once you find your "home", there is literally no place like it.

"No Place Like Home" feels like a jolt to the system–in the best way. Where do you see your music heading from here, and what can listeners expect from whatever is next?

From this point on, my music will carry messages with the intent to help others. My goal with being a musician and being an artist is to provide a voice, and/or an ear, to those who need it most. Growing up, I did not feel heard nor seen and that was such a difficult challenge for me, and it still is. It led to a lot of avoidable experiences that I still suffer from today. For me, music is so healing and I hope that anyone out there feeling exactly how I felt, and how I'm still feeling, can find this music, hold on to it, and know that it is there whenever you need. I am here whenever you need. I want to be a voice for the people just like me and that's exactly where we're headed with my upcoming album. I can't wait to share this project with the world because it contains some of my deepest and darkest emotions. It's comforting knowing you're not alone, especially when you feel like the only person left on the planet. What better way than to feel that emotion from addictive melodies and relatable lyrics?

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