Artist Highlight: justjackson

At just 19 years old, justjackson is already carving out a name for himself as a producer, singer, and songwriter balancing artistry and identity from the heart of New York City. Born in London and raised in Los Angeles, his journey has been one of constant movement, both geographically and creatively. Growing up in a household surrounded by music gave him a natural entry point into the craft, but it wasn’t until he landed in the U.S. in 2015 that music fully took hold. Producing became more than just a hobby, it was an obsession. Hours in his room turned into years of producing for others and syncing songs for TV before stepping into the spotlight himself.

With his own project front and center, justjackson is stepping into a more personal phase of his career. His latest single, “Patience,” reflects that shift, but in a way that doesn’t feel overly confessional. Instead, the track explores the emotional tug of war that comes from hoping someone will change, even when their history proves otherwise. It’s a subtle reminder that growth, whether in others or ourselves, only really happens when we stop repeating the past.

While sound is at the core of Jackson’s process, he’s just as intentional when it comes to visuals. Color is everything to him, every song, every release, needs to feel like the hue it belongs to. His personal brand is built around a three color palette of turquoise, jade, and cream. Which he believes best represents the energy and mood of his music. Though still in the early stages of refining the visual side of his artistry, he’s committed to experimenting and staying true to a creative vision that feels cohesive and lived-in, not manufactured.

Influence-wise, Jackson pulls from a broad and ever-shifting mix. Names like Jack Antonoff, Bon Iver, Thom Yorke, and Frank Ocean, have all play a part in how he has built his sound over the years. Recently, he’s especially been inspired by Lizzy McAlpine’s Older and Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet, admiring the emotional honesty and melodic control both artists bring to their work.

In his down time when he isnt working and not in the studio, he’s either lifting weights, behind the wheel as driving is a form of head-clearing, or simply testing how his mixes translate outside a pair of headphones. For someone so deeply involved in every part of the process, it’s no surprise that even downtime can become creative for him.

If he could go back and give his younger self a bit of advice, it’d be simple: get better at guitar, and don’t run from music theory. Both skills, he admits, are tools that would’ve helped him connect the dots even faster. But if his work so far is any indication, he’s well on his way to mastering every piece of the puzzle, on his own terms.