Jackson Interview + Single Feature | Body Tax
On diving into the darkness to see what emotions lay there
Lifeless conversations, solidifying anxiety into music and building a sandcastle with cement structuring are just some of the things Jackson of Body Tax tells us about Infused and Confused, which is being launched at Old Bar on Sat August 8 with Notch Cut and RACH.
Hello Jackson, you have recently dropped the single Infused and Confused, your third single release to date and its aptly titled as its filled with tension and uncertainty. It’s got some 80’s Australian pub-rock vibes with plenty of energy compared to the previous two slower and more sombre singles. How does it feel to have it out?
G’day! This release feels like I’ve been running instead of walking if you get me. Right in your face, twists and turns, but I’m trying to push myself and show off a bit more of my creative range. Feels great honestly and can’t wait to play it on stage -
I was a DJ for ten years and when I started again with this project releasing honest music like this feels like I’ve finally arrived at the music I want to put out.
I’m proud of it and shows my heart on my sleeve. I was raised on 80’s pub rock and I feel like theres a bit of me that always just wants to make that sound so I’m glad you can hear it in the song.
The song is about the disorientating reality of telling someone you’re fine when you’re truly screaming internally. Can you tell us more about the track and what the personal meaning is for you?
I always find it a destabilising experience when people ask “how are you going” and we always reply with a “I’m good” and everyone moves on.
I guess this is a little stab at those lifeless conversations we have at work or with strangers and what we should truely be saying to each other.
Either that or it’s easier for me to write a song and scream it on a stage then tell people in conversation my own internal voice in another form of avoiding and burdening someones day with my problems hahaha.
Feels like a lot of the time I’m solidifying my own anxiety into music and it allows me move on and carry on - this is no exception. Overthinking, feeling like you’re taking up space when you barely put your foot in the door, these kinds of internal thoughts that keep us stuck in constant fear I can put on a song and scream it out. The perfect juxtaposition.
I am interested to know who the main influences are for your sound and if they are more points of reference and the music you mostly listen to is something completely different?
For this release I implore people to listen to Matt Finish - an 80’s Aus rock band my dad played me again and again as a teen. That 80’s chorus guitars, surf rock laid back but at the same time screaming vocal - it gets me every time. They only released one album and it kills me but I’ll take it.
Apart from that a lot of Rowland S Howard of late (The Birthday Party guitarist solo project) another tortured artist lost in their sorrow and music seems the only outlet to releasing it. I’ve been diving more into that Murder Ballad, Darker storytelling artists like The Drones are another big one. Feel like I just want to make music like that.
I know the world needs a little light right now but I love diving into the darkness and seeing what emotions lay there.
In terms of the recording of Infused and Confused, I am keen to here where you recorded and who was involved in the process?
I’ve only been writing guitar music for maybe 2 years now and I have the vision to capture the essence usually but never execute a recording perfectly. And preferable I don’t like to capture the final works. So I work with an amazing producer Liam Bevan in his studio and I’ll come to him with pretty much laid out demos - programmed drums, guitars and bass parts with scratch vocals and will build them again from scratch.
It’s a really fun process like building a sandcastle again with cement structuring.
He brings ideas too, drives at parts I shy away from and believes in 2-3 takes for recording so whatever we capture we have to lock down - the process is less perfectionism and more about capturing the essence before the magic of it floats away if you were to try get the perfect take.
After the three singles so far, I am wondering if you are currently building towards an album release and if so, are the rest of the tracks in a similar vein or can we expect other directions as well?
These first 4 releases (one more to come in September!) are my first babies and trials of writing guitar music. With them out in the world I’m going back in the studio in August to record the first EP with some more emotive songs like my first single Blood on My Teeth > but in saying that I have no stylised sound’ yet and still experimenting.
I truely know I’m in the incubating stage of this project and hopefully will start writing a full album by end of year that really locks in the sound I want to start championing - again looking for that Drones / Rowland S Howard style but will see! Ohh reminds me - ive been listening to a lot of Sharon Van Etten & the attachment theory aswell! Give me anything close to that album and I’ll be happy - look into her back story it’s so inspiring.
You are having single launch on Sat August 8th at Old Bar with Notch Cut supporting. Do you have a special connection to the venue, and the support act?
I’ve seen everything from Spanish glitch punk, spoken word electro acts to Naarm indie folk and doom metal in Old Bar. It’s the first venue I went “sh** I wanna play band music” probably 10 years ago and here we are finally doing it!
This stage has given me so much joy, even stage dived once or twice off it hehe it is the bread of our music scene and a place like Old Bar keeps local music alive. To me thats more important than gold.
The support acts Notch Cut and RACH (just announced) are acts I’ve been watching, enjoying their build up and really selfishly - I just wanna to see them play live. They both complement the spectrum of sounds Body Tax is trying to achieve so I thought it perfect to mash them on the bill. Line ups I believe should have similarity but not the same vein, give people a journey on a night that isn’t jarring musically but isn’t same same.
Finally, who are your favourite local Melbourne bands right now and who would you like to see interviewed for Tempo?
Hard Rubbish is a great local band who moved from Adelaide few years back. Jason the singer has an incredible talent for storytelling and filling in the feeling of the rough life of Australiana. I often play their music on a road trip and feel at home. That and the great Fan Girl who just went to London to record an album - they been at it for 10 years and I think I know every lyric to every song. They are the best band in this town and truely they deserve so damn much for their efforts and hardships. Go have a listen!
The Old Bar presents:
BODY TAX
With guests NOTCH CUT + RACH
The Old Bar (Fitzroy)
Saturday, 8 August 8pm