 Courtesy of the Artist
David Thomas Jacobson is a singer-songwriter whose raw sound reflects the city where he was born and raised: Austin, Texas. His upcoming alt-country debut, On My Own, is a concept album based on the themes of heartbreak and redemption. In advance of the project's release, Jacobson took some time to answer his Essential 8 and talk about the new album, inspiration and songwriting, and much more.
What’s the story behind your album’s title? I've always been a fan of naming albums after songs. A lot of my favorite albums of all time are actually named after songs; Shotgun Willie, Highway 61 Revisited, etc. So when I wrote the song "On My Own" I always thought it would make sense as an album title because it's going to be my first release as a solo artist. When/where do you do your best writing? I usually do my best writing at night for some reason. I've always been that way. But when I have an idea I am trying to figure out I will usually stay up working until it's finished. I also refine my songs a lot live before I ever attempt recording them. An audience is the best trial judge for a new song. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? I draw inspiration from other musicians, obviously. I love studying great songwriters and trying to get some sort of insight or understanding about the craft. Every song is different but there are always those influences. People say imitation in the sincerest form of flattery, but I like to think I have my own distinct voice and sound. Any creative writing is going to be primarily inspired by factors like taste, environment, etc. It's just life. Which song of yours gets the best crowd response? Probably "Stay For A While" because I've been playing it for so long. It's the first song on the new album but I wrote it years ago. So either that or maybe "Love (After All)" just because it's fast and fun.
Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else, or a combination?
It's definitely a combination for me. I like to use the term "semi-autobiographical" to describe my writing. It's a mix of personal truths, old sayings, and sometimes flat out lies. My main focus is on the finished product. As long as you're serving the story or imagery then I think it's perfectly healthy to take some liberties with your songs. Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did? Well I had over 20 songs going into the recording process. But when it came time to narrow it down I noticed that several of them fit together very nicely. They were just similar both sonically and thematically. So we started working on a track order and quickly realized they almost told a complete love story; from beginning, to end, to new beginnings again. So it just kind of happened by accident I guess. I didn't write it as a concept album but it turned into one eventually. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? Just be yourself. It took me a long time to be comfortable with my voice. And I think because of that I wasted a lot of time trying to figure out the kind of music I was "supposed" to play instead of playing the type of music I wanted to make. But no matter how hard you try you can't be something you're not. And everyone else is already taken. So just be yourself. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? Be nice. A lot of things in this life just come down to being nice to people. Because as a musician, you are going to hear the word "no" constantly. But usually the way you respond is what makes all the difference. Website
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