Name: Jarrod Dickenson

Nationality: American
Occupation: Guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer
Current release: Jarrod Dickenson's new album Big Talk is slated for release February 3rd 2023. It can be pre-ordered here. The first single off that album,  “Long Hard Look,", is out via Hooked.

If you enjoyed this interview with Jarrod Dickenson and would like to find out more about his music, visit his official website. He is also on Instagram, Facebook, Soundcloud, and twitter.  



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

I don’t know that I can pinpoint where the impulse to create comes from for me - I just know that it is an indispensable part of who I am.

Inspiration comes from life and all that encompasses it. Art, relationships, a conversation, what’s happening on our screens - it all informs who we are as people, and who we are as people naturally spills into our art.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

While I like to have a firm grasp on what it is that I am trying to say, or what emotion I’m hoping to convey with a particular song, there is always plenty of room for spontaneity and improvisation; both in the writing process and when it comes to recording.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

I don’t necessarily have a “preparation phase” when it comes to writing. When I have an idea I tend to just jump right in, and see where it takes me.

That said, once the song begins to take shape I usually make various voice memos of the song-in-progress so that I can listen back, and plot how to move forward.

When the song has gotten to a point that I feel is at least close to being “finished” I’ll make a demo with my humble home recording set up. This can just be a simple guitar and vocal version of the song, or I may add other parts as I hear them - guitar hooks, percussion, backing vocals, etc.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

I wouldn’t say that I have strict rituals when it comes to writing. Songs can come at any time or place, and you just have to be ready for them when they appear.

That said, when I’m writing at home I find that I’m most productive in the mornings, so good coffee is a must.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

The vast majority of my songs have begun with a lyric. It could be a single line, or it could be an entire verse or chorus that comes all at once.

In my personal experience, the first line usually comes fairly easily. It’s where you take it from there that requires the most time, patience and care.

Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

In most cases for me, after I’ve gotten the initial idea, the lyrics and music come together simultaneously.

My song, “Buckle Under Pressure” is a notable exception for me.



I wrote this entire song in my head while making the 12-hour drive back home to Nashville from Texas. It was the day after my former record label told me that they were essentially going to shelve my previous record; an album that they played no part in creating, making it almost impossible for it to ever see the light of day.

A year and a half-long legal battle ensued, and I was eventually granted back the rights to that album, but this song was me gearing up for the fight and refusing to back down.

This is the only song of mine where I’ve written all of the lyrics before ever picking up a guitar. I remember making a voice memo of the song-in-progress while I was stopping for gas, and by the time we made it home that night I finally got my guitar out of its case, figured out what chords to play underneath what I was singing, and that was it. The song was done.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

I think a “good” lyric is one that makes you feel something. This can be achieved in any number of ways, and each song is different in that respect. Some lyrics are clever and witty, others can be stark and simple, direct and to the point or shrouded in metaphor. I try not to go into a song with preconceived notions of how I am going to approach the lyrical structure.

My main goal with any song is to make the listener feel whatever emotion I’m trying to convey, and I let the lyrics naturally take shape as I go along.
 
Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control over the process or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

Songs are mysterious creatures, and I think you have to allow yourself to be surprised by where they take you.

Obviously, as the writer you ultimately have control over where a song goes, but I think it’s easy to hold on too tight, and potentially miss out on something really special as a result.

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

Creativity often leads to more creativity. That does sometimes mean that in the middle of writing one song, an entirely different song pushes its way to the forefront.

In my experience, the songs that bully their way to the front of the line in your mind are often the ones that are the most special. I try to be open to putting one idea aside if another idea springs up that gets me excited.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

I try not to think too much about the creative state, and how one gets there for fear of spooking it, and scaring it off.

It’s certainly a mysterious and delicate thing, and I’m grateful every time it pays me a visit.

Especially in the digital age, the writing and production process tends towards the infinite. What marks the end of the process? How do you finish a work?

For me, the song is always finished before I ever enter the studio. Writing and recording are two different muscles, and I like to be confident in what I am singing before the tape starts rolling.

As an independent artist, studio time is always fairly limited due to humble recording budgets. So there isn’t the option of working on something for extended periods of time. It’s usually a pretty fast and furious affair. I also like to make records in a very analog way, working on tape as much as possible. This requires you to be decisive, and commit to sounds and ideas much quicker than if you are purely working digitally.

As far as what marks the end of the process, or how I know it’s finished … it just has to feel “right”. I’m not sure how else to say it. If something is nagging at you when you listen back, it probably isn’t done.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practice?

With regards to the writing process, I think it is important to put a song down once you’ve reached a point where you feel it may be finished. Let it breathe. Let your mind clear, and then come back to it with fresh ears later on to see if it still stands on its own legs, or if you need to reevaluate.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

The song is always the most important piece of the puzzle. Without a good song, the production doesn’t mean much.

That said, once you have a song that is worthy of being recorded, I think production is very important. A good song is a good song, no matter how it is recorded, but a good song that is recorded well can hit the listener in a way that a poorly recorded or poorly mixed song simply can’t.

I’m very involved in the recording and mixing process. I’m not the kind of artist who likes to simply leave that side of things in someone else’s hands. I will have a vision for how I want my songs to sound and feel, and I take a very hands-on approach to getting them to that point.

That doesn’t mean that I do everything myself, of course. Part of the process is surrounding yourself with talented people who you think will best bring your vision to life.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

“Release Day Blues”! It’s a real thing. You work so hard and so long to get to the point of releasing something into the world, and it can often feel like a letdown when that day finally arrives.

There are a million reasons for it, but I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that as soon as you finally let it go, what happens next is totally beyond your control. You obviously want it to reach as many ears as possible, and you hope that people connect with it, but the reality is that you don’t have much say in that side of things.

All you can do is create something that you’re proud of, something that you would want to listen to, and then let the chips fall where they may. Of course, that’s far easier said than done.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?
 
Well, I’m a firm believer that a good cup of coffee is an essential part of daily life, and its importance shouldn’t be underestimated. That’s why my wife and I travel with all of our coffee-making paraphernalia wherever we go!

That said, music reaches a place inside of me that nothing else can get to. Music is deeply embedded in who I am and how I make sense of the world around me.

While a day without coffee is an uncomfortable thing to imagine, a day without music is simply unimaginable. It’s vital.