whats-on, music-and-gigs, max jackson, country music, newcastle nsw, gina jeffreys, singer, songwriter
If you read the Newcastle Herald's weekly gig guide, you might be familiar with the name Max Jackson. She's a talented Newcastle singer and songwriter who loves to perform live and does so, often. Jackson is celebrating the release of her second single, How To Love A Girl, when LIVE calls. It's a follow-up to Saturday, released in August, and a taste of what's to come when she releases her debut album Life of the Party early next year. "I'm at my parents' house in Maitland because I didn't want to be by myself when my song was coming out. I was standing in my living room and my partner was going to work, and I thought I might go to Mum's and have a little dance around the room with her. It's such an exciting time and I'm loving every minute of it," she said. Jackson lives in Carrington but grew up in Coonamble, a small town in western NSW. It's where her love for country music was born. "I was quite a difficult child," she said, laughing. "I was so full of questions. To channel my energy my Mum put me into netball, and I played one game and nobody threw me the ball but when they did, I dropped it and walked off. "There wasn't a lot to choose from in Coonamble so Mum put me in elocution lessons and I was reciting poems and then, apparently, I started to sing the poems and put melodies to them. My elocution teacher mentioned to my Mum that I could sing, so I started doing singing lessons and I've been obsessed with it and songwriting ever since. "I would stay home rather than going out with friends just because I had a song that I just had to finish." The family moved to Newcastle when Jackson was 12. "My parents wanted to create more opportunities for my sister and I," she said. "I felt a bit out of place at school - I was that different kid who liked different music and was from a different place. I really delved into my music at that time as a way to get through it. "I was writing songs, playing my guitar, and my feelings just came out. Then I met Rod and Gina." Jackson won a country music competition on the Central Coast back in 2009. One of the prizes was a four-day event tour with Golden Guitar winner Gina Jeffreys. The other was a recording session with Jeffreys' producer husband Rod McCormack. They became firm friends and remain so to this day. Jackson plays in Jeffreys' band and has opened for her on her latest tour. McCormack is producing her album. "Gina often jokes and says she 'won me' in a competition," Jackson said. "I've been working with them for 10 years now and feel like the luckiest person in the world." Jackson is a graduate of The Academy of Country Music and the prestigious Talent Development Project, and has penned songs for artists both here and abroad. She has been to Nashville five times and worked with songwriters Jay Knowles (Alan Jackson, George Straight, Jack Ingram) and Georgia Middleman (Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Sherrie Austin). Her most recent songwriting work was with Nashville pop singer/songwriter Syrcina's track Astronomical that has more than 2 million views on YouTube, as well as four songs on Gina Jeffreys' new chart-topping album Beautiful Tangle. It was Jackson's publisher who encouraged her to write and record her own songs. "I wrote these songs about my life and presented them to my publisher and she was like, 'It sounds like an album to me', and I was like 'Oh, I hadn't even thought of that'," Jackson said. "I'd just been writing about what I was going through and that organically became my album. "I've always been an observer. It's just a normal thing for me. Since I was a little girl I have suffered from varying degrees of anxiety, and being a writer I have always internalised emotions, both my own and other people's. "Being in the public eye is a real opportunity for me to share that you don't have to be the most outgoing, confident human in the world to do the things you love; you can come at it from a real and raw place. "I'm just trying to share my journey with people. Songwriting can be a really painful process, and baring all to a room of people you don't know is a very personal experience. But I have a lot of girls reach out to me and say they feel the same way and that is just so cool because at the end of the day it's not about charting, it's about human connections. And that's why I wanted to do this in the first place." Jackson has flirted with the idea of being a pop artist but says she loves telling stories to much to stray from her country roots. "Lines are blurring in the music world, more and more every week," she said. "I've never felt any pressure to conform but one thing I really really what to do is to have a voice for women. My music is very real and I feel like it gives a voice to a young woman who is trying to put her story out there. I'm not writing about what's popular or what everyone's talking about; it's deeper than that. It's about what I'm going through, what my friends are going through and what other girls are going through." Jackson will release a third single this year and has gigs booked through until June, including a stint at the Maldon Folk Festival. Life is good. So, how is she celebrating the release of single number two? One friend sent her a video of her horse bopping its head to the song. And her mother, who Jackson says is "way more into technology than me", sent her a video of her dog eating his breakfast to the song. Jackson laughs. "I'm so lucky to have such a beautiful and supportive family. We might have a cup of tea to celebrate and you never know, maybe even some champagne later."
If you read the Newcastle Herald's weekly gig guide, you might be familiar with the name Max Jackson.
She's a talented Newcastle singer and songwriter who loves to perform live and does so, often.
Jackson is celebrating the release of her second single, How To Love A Girl, when LIVE calls. It's a follow-up to Saturday, released in August, and a taste of what's to come when she releases her debut album Life of the Party early next year.
"I'm at my parents' house in Maitland because I didn't want to be by myself when my song was coming out. I was standing in my living room and my partner was going to work, and I thought I might go to Mum's and have a little dance around the room with her. It's such an exciting time and I'm loving every minute of it," she said.
Jackson lives in Carrington but grew up in Coonamble, a small town in western NSW. It's where her love for country music was born.
"I was quite a difficult child," she said, laughing.
"I was so full of questions. To channel my energy my Mum put me into netball, and I played one game and nobody threw me the ball but when they did, I dropped it and walked off.
Max Jackson. Picture: Charlie Hardy
"There wasn't a lot to choose from in Coonamble so Mum put me in elocution lessons and I was reciting poems and then, apparently, I started to sing the poems and put melodies to them. My elocution teacher mentioned to my Mum that I could sing, so I started doing singing lessons and I've been obsessed with it and songwriting ever since.
"I would stay home rather than going out with friends just because I had a song that I just had to finish."
The family moved to Newcastle when Jackson was 12.
"My parents wanted to create more opportunities for my sister and I," she said.
"I felt a bit out of place at school - I was that different kid who liked different music and was from a different place. I really delved into my music at that time as a way to get through it.
"I was writing songs, playing my guitar, and my feelings just came out. Then I met Rod and Gina."
Jackson won a country music competition on the Central Coast back in 2009. One of the prizes was a four-day event tour with Golden Guitar winner Gina Jeffreys. The other was a recording session with Jeffreys' producer husband Rod McCormack. They became firm friends and remain so to this day. Jackson plays in Jeffreys' band and has opened for her on her latest tour. McCormack is producing her album.
"Gina often jokes and says she 'won me' in a competition," Jackson said.
"I've been working with them for 10 years now and feel like the luckiest person in the world."
Saturday - Max Jackson
Jackson is a graduate of The Academy of Country Music and the prestigious Talent Development Project, and has penned songs for artists both here and abroad. She has been to Nashville five times and worked with songwriters Jay Knowles (Alan Jackson, George Straight, Jack Ingram) and Georgia Middleman (Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Sherrie Austin). Her most recent songwriting work was with Nashville pop singer/songwriter Syrcina's track Astronomical that has more than 2 million views on YouTube, as well as four songs on Gina Jeffreys' new chart-topping album Beautiful Tangle.
It was Jackson's publisher who encouraged her to write and record her own songs.
Max Jackson. Picture: Charlie Hardy
"I wrote these songs about my life and presented them to my publisher and she was like, 'It sounds like an album to me', and I was like 'Oh, I hadn't even thought of that'," Jackson said.
"I'd just been writing about what I was going through and that organically became my album.
"I've always been an observer. It's just a normal thing for me. Since I was a little girl I have suffered from varying degrees of anxiety, and being a writer I have always internalised emotions, both my own and other people's.
"Being in the public eye is a real opportunity for me to share that you don't have to be the most outgoing, confident human in the world to do the things you love; you can come at it from a real and raw place.
"I'm just trying to share my journey with people. Songwriting can be a really painful process, and baring all to a room of people you don't know is a very personal experience. But I have a lot of girls reach out to me and say they feel the same way and that is just so cool because at the end of the day it's not about charting, it's about human connections. And that's why I wanted to do this in the first place."
Jackson has flirted with the idea of being a pop artist but says she loves telling stories to much to stray from her country roots.
"Lines are blurring in the music world, more and more every week," she said.
"I've never felt any pressure to conform but one thing I really really what to do is to have a voice for women. My music is very real and I feel like it gives a voice to a young woman who is trying to put her story out there. I'm not writing about what's popular or what everyone's talking about; it's deeper than that. It's about what I'm going through, what my friends are going through and what other girls are going through."
Jackson will release a third single this year and has gigs booked through until June, including a stint at the Maldon Folk Festival. Life is good. So, how is she celebrating the release of single number two? One friend sent her a video of her horse bopping its head to the song. And her mother, who Jackson says is "way more into technology than me", sent her a video of her dog eating his breakfast to the song.
Jackson laughs.
"I'm so lucky to have such a beautiful and supportive family. We might have a cup of tea to celebrate and you never know, maybe even some champagne later."
