Jack Barksdale might be getting a little tired of hearing about his age in press stories. At 17 years old and with years of recording, touring, and songwriting already under his belt, not to mention praise like the word “phenom” about his guitar playing being thrown his way, it’s no wonder that that’s the direction things go when talking about this seasoned performer out of the gate. It stands out that he has accomplished so much before he can legally vote. But his age aside, Barksdale has all the markings of a career singer-songwriter, with profound lyrical depth and weight, accompanied by enticing folk-driven Americana music. His new album, “Voices,” is a tour de force, at times introspective and philosophical, other times drawing forth a smile or knowing nod at a particularly adept turn of phrase, the lyrics gently delivered in his deepening voice. “Voices” is a gem, and one that should be heard by everyone. Barksdale has set the bar high with this album, creating something that is truly required listening.
We sat down with Barksdale recently to get the story about this stellar album.
Hi, Jack! You have a terrific new album out in June called “Voices.” How did these songs come together and what broad strokes can you tell us about the collection?
I like the word “collection” because that’s what it is. People tend to talk about all albums like they’re concept albums, but in this case, it’s just a collection of songs that I think complement each other well. There are some common themes throughout the songs, like existential reflection and all-around understanding, but each song is different. I did decide to try and stay away from exclusively personal songs and save those for a later date, but, other than that parameter, these are just my favorite songs that I had ready to record. Anyway, I hope some people enjoy these songs and get something out of them.
One of the songs on your new album, “Martyrs,” is really great and stood out to me. What can you tell us about that song? What inspired you to record this song?
I started writing this one when we were driving through West Texas, and I started thinking about how strange Texas and the Western and Southern states are. My mom grew up near Abilene, TX, and I’ve played lots of shows in Texas and the South. Life, and especially childhood, can be pretty interesting in some of these places. I feel like some of the issues and dilemmas that arise in these situations get downplayed or looked past, so I wanted to take them seriously. I think it turned out well, and it was made even better by Sarah Jarosz playing on this song. She’s written songs like “Hometown” that are about these same issues, so I was really excited for her to be a part of this.
What was it like recording this album? What was the vibe in the studio overall, and how did this song, in particular, come together?
“Martyrs” was a really fun song to record. As the recording process progressed, it started to sound more and more how I had wished it had always sounded. I really loved the accordion that Bukka Allen played on the song, and, of course, Sarah Jarosz’s harmonies and mandolin playing were beautiful. Both Bukka and Sarah’s parts were recorded after the original recording session where Jared Reynolds, Mike Meadows, and I laid down the guitar, lead vocal, bass, and drums for all the songs. It came together pretty miraculously.
What do you hope this album conveys to those who listen to it?
I tried my best to be as truthful and thoughtful as I could be when writing these songs and choosing them to be on this album, so at this point it’s out of my hands. I may have failed to do those things in some ways and succeeded in other ways. I can’t know what people will take away from the album. Some people may not take away anything at all, but if someone does take something away from listening to this record, I hope it does something positive for them or at least lets them see something they never saw before.
The album title is interesting. How did you choose it?
I had a lot of songs to record, but they didn’t really have anything to do with each other, so I didn’t know how to choose what songs to record or what I would name the resulting album. Eventually, I came up with the idea to call the album “Voices” as a metaphor for the songwriting process. Sometimes, it’s akin to schizophrenia, with each song coming from a slightly different place and taking on its own identity and personality. It feels local and foreign at the same time. That’s where it came from. After I came up with the title, I wrote “The Man, The Myth, The Legend” and “Voices,” which both reference “voices” and act as a kind of intro and outro to the album, respectively.
If you look back over your career, you probably feel like quite a different performer now than when you began for a number of reasons – life experience, industry experience, studio and performing experience all factoring into that. Where do you tend to get your biggest inspiration from these days?
Inspiration comes from all sorts of strange and random places, so there aren’t any concrete examples I can give, but I’d say that, generally, the thing that sets off the most creative activity for me is new knowledge. Learning and trying to understand your surroundings, so to speak, are potent when it comes to creativity, and while the effects aren’t always immediate, they usually prove beneficial, at least in my case.
Songwriting and recording music can be a really personal endeavor, yet when you release a song or an album or an EP, you share the music with so many people. How does this make you feel, and is it difficult to share songs widely like that? Have you gotten feedback from anyone who has connected with your music or had a song impact them in a deep and meaningful way?
Songwriting can be very personal, especially because I try not to think about the future implications of live performing and recording when I’m writing a song. I try to isolate myself and think about what I would want from a song if I were to listen to it. That method is very good at getting you out of your comfort zone, which makes for better songs, in my opinion, but it also makes the whole singer-songwriter experience a lot more nerve-racking. Ultimately, I know that no song is for everyone, so you just hope your songs are good enough that some people will connect with them if they come upon them. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough for some people to find my songs and get something beneficial from listening to them. That’s all you can ask for!
What has been the most exciting thing to happen for you in the past year? What are you most looking forward to for the rest of 2025?
One of the things that sticks out to me the most over the last 12 months is getting to play in England. It was great! We got to go and see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey and ride an “UberBoat” on the Thames. I can’t wait to go back! As far as the rest of the year goes, I’m really excited to do more touring and share this album and these songs with people.
Speaking of touring, where can fans see you on the road?
To support the album, I’m going on tour with my friend, Abe Partridge, in July. We’re going to a bunch of towns and major cities, many of which I’ve never been to before. We’re going to New York City, Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Houston, Austin, and many more. You can find all the shows on my website, Jackbarksdale.com.
Artist website: https://www.jackbarksdale.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackbarksdalemusic/
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JackBarksdale
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jackbarksdale
