For an artist with a message, music is more than just a collection of sounds. Heart and passion are poured into songwriting when there is a cause that the songwriter feels strongly about. This also helps the music really connect with the listener by telling a story that needs to be told. Our recent discovery Simon Jackson is one of these artists and he has a lot to say in his most recent record Ecocide.
The singer-songwriter is not some young man just starting out with a dream. Simon Jackson was born in Papua New Guinea, grew up in the Maldives and India, spent some time in Australia, and now proudly hails from New Zealand. This worldly upbringing has given him a broad sense of the world. Add in a day job, a wife of over 20 years, 2 kind, and 4 cats and you have someone with a life of songs in his head. Now Simon has the time to write them. His passion for the environment, social justice, and saving the world are perfect fodder for his music.
As he dove in to write some songs he realized there was a theme within and Ecocide came to be. The 8 track album creates something that anyone could enjoy listening to while also provoking thoughts that can help change the world.
Right from the opener “Earth Is Burning” we can see the direction that Simon Jackson is taking us in. It is a welcoming song that builds as it grows. With “Dirty Green” the energy is turned up with an aggressive feel that brings classic alt-rock and grunge to mind. The passionately howled vocals are the fighting call that this generation needs.
There is a fun vibe “ Plastic Planet” with its peppy guitar melody driving the track forward. For a solo artist, there is certainly a lot of sound and instrumentation on this one. Simon Jackson is a hell of a musician. He plays with our emotions on “Didn’t Know Better”. From verse to verse the song goes from mellow sing-along anthem to sped up rock to all-out psych sound fest back to chorus heavy song that will stay in your head for a while. This one demands a few listens to take it all in,
The album closes with “Big Big Time”, another fun rocker with some interesting synth thrown in to keep you guessing. The guitar will demand some toe tapping and head bopping too. There is music and meaning on Ecocide.Dive in to hear from yourself HERE.
One reply on “Simon Jackson Aims To Save The World With ‘Ecocide’”
[…] The socially conscious songwriter from New Zealand is a big believer that we can all like the music we like without pigeon-holing our tastes into specific genres. Create and listen to what you like. He proved that with his Ecocide EP last year. (We covered it HERE). […]