Tom Jackson Reveals Healing Single ‘Lost Myself’

Brisbane, Australia based 20 year old artist, Tom Jackson, joins us to talk all about his single release, ‘Lost Myself’.

Influenced by artists such as The 1975, 5 Seconds of Summer, John Mayer, Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes and Khalid, Tom writes, performs and records all his own music.

Tom’s latest single release, ‘Lost Myself’ is a deep dive into mental health.. specifically the feeling of being disconnected from those around you.

Completely in the flow, Tom wrote and recorded this song in a single night in the home studio he built himself and then mixed by Manny Park and mastered by Riley Knapp.

For Tom Jackson, this song was healing and therapeutic and he has hopes that the track will inspire the healing of listeners that may be experiencing similar feelings.

“Lost Myself is probably one of the most raw and honest songs I’ve ever written. I wrote and recorded the entire song in one night, it all just kind of burst out of me. The song is about mental health and feeling like you’re losing touch with who you are. It also plays off of this whole theme of “time heals all”. A song this raw you can’t really sugar coat with big production so the track is just vocals, guitar and bass with nothing fancy going on.”

You can listen to ‘Lost Myself’ below:

Would you like to start by telling us a little about yourself?

I never know what to say for questions like this haha, My name is Tom Jackson and I’m a 20 year old artist from Brisbane Australia

What was it that first inspired you to begin a career in music?

I was first inspired around age 11 or 12 when Ed Sheeran and the whole loop station craze kinda began.

I remember I got one for Christmas one year and I learned all of his live performances of his songs on it and that really kick started my love for music and performing/writing.

Since then I have moved away from that sort of sound I guess you can call it and am heavily inspired by bands like The 1975 and trying to put on bigger shows.

How would you describe the feel of your music?

I would say my music is a fusion of synth pop with live instrumentation such as layering guitars, bass drums etc.

I’m very influenced by those like 80’s synth sounds so for my new EP there has been a lot of experimenting in that realm which is a step away from the production style in my first EP and the foundation for this new sonic identity I’m trying to create for myself.

You have recently released your single, ‘Lost Myself’.. what was the inspiration behind the creation of this track?

I wrote and recorded ‘Lost Myself’ in one night. I remember I was just feeling really down and kinda wallowing in self pity haha.

The song is about mental health and the feeling of losing touch with who you are and the people around you.

The song was definitely therapeutic to make and it all just came out of me.

I think there are parts where I could have done this better or sang that better but the original take just felt so raw and connected to how I was feeling so I decided to just let the song be how it is.

Songs like that I don’t think you can hide with fancy production and big moments so I wanted to keep the instrumentation as minimal as possible and use vocal layering to create dynamics.

What does ‘Lost Myself’ mean to you?

Lost Myself is definitely a cry for help, it takes me back to a time where I really did feel like I lost touch with myself and It’s the first song I have written that isn’t about love so it means a lot for me to have it out and show this different side to my music.

I also think it’s the perfect last song for the EP.

The song is a vulnerable and honest look into Mental Health.. What would you say to a listener who may be relate to some of these sentiments?

I would say that time really does help everything and if you’re going through some tough times despite how you feel you are never alone.

Take the time to work on yourself and talk to those around you and I hope the song makes you feel like you’re understood.

What did the creative process look like for your song?

I always start with guitar when I write my music.

I was playing around with the chord progression and I recorded it quickly on my phone so I wouldn’t forget.

I kinda fell in love with the Lo-FI sound of that recording so it’s actually been put in the start of the song before fading into the proper guitar recording.

I then wrote the lyrics and built the rest of the song around that

Where do you find your inspiration for your music?

I find inspiration through aesthetics and images I am trying to create.

I am a very visual thinker so having a picture in mind or a scene like driving through a tunnel or in this case laying on the road in the rain helps me to create the mood in the music I am chasing.

I also find a lot of inspiration from other bands and songs that capture the same vibe as what I want to achieve.

What would you like to see happen for you in your music from here?

I want to keep growing and not being defined by genre or outside sources.

I really just make the music I like listening to and I’m not afraid to cross multiple styles if I write something that sparks my ear.

Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of R&B with the new silk sonic album so who knows, maybe I’ll try that haha.

But I definitely want to work on my live shows and touring the world and playing big venues has always been my dream, all this is just small steps towards that I suppose.

What is one message you would like to share with your fans?

I am super thankful to everyone who listens to my music or comes out to one of my shows.

It means the world to me and without anyone listening I’d just be making music in my parents house haha.

Where can people find your music?

You can find my music on Spotify under ‘Tom Jackson’ or follow me on Instagram @itstomjackson