This week Roni Glasthal is joined in the studio by Luke Jackson.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Based in Kent. I'm Ronnie and this is the show that introduces you to
00:18original music artists from around the county. Each artist will be here with me in the studio
00:22talking about and performing their own original music. Today I'm joined by singer-songwriter
00:26Luke Jackson from Canterbury. Thanks for being here, Luke. It's a pleasure. Thank you for having me.
00:30So I just want to dive right into it. Tell me how you got started in music. I started music when I
00:36was really young. I was probably about 11 years old when I first picked up the guitar. My dad was
00:41like a closet guitar player so there was always instruments around the house but he loved music
00:46so from an early age I was introduced to a lot of amazing musicians in a real eclectic mix of genres
00:52really. And then it was just that time really when you start playing football or pick up an
00:57instrument and I went for the instrument and just kind of really stuck with it. Amazing. So your
01:02first song for us today, Rainbow Valley. Tell me a little bit about it. Yeah, it's on a new album we
01:07released at the end of last year and it's just a story song I wrote about. It's all based around
01:12Mount Everest. I started reading loads of stuff about Mount Everest and I saw this amazing documentary
01:17about those who have climbed it and the casualties and the way that they often don't have the means
01:23to bring the casualties home and it's just these heartbreaking scenes and scenarios of these people
01:27that go up there and there's part of the mountain that is nicknamed Rainbow Valley and what this is
01:35is the downsuits of the casualties actually poking out from underneath the snow and you can see them
01:40from the tip of the mountain on the right day. So the idea of that view kind of stuck with me of it
01:44being so harrowing and heartbreaking but at the same time so strangely beautiful. So I wrote a song
01:49based around that but telling a father and son story. Wow. Well I can't wait to hear it. Take it away for us.
01:55The day was dry. It was still when he started to climb. Stood tall and broad. Stronger than most. Still a boy in my eyes. Though I showed him the ropes. It didn't take him too long until he started to shine.
02:19So there he was on the roof of the world. Yeah he had reached the highest height. How was he to know that a storm so cold would creep in overnight.
02:44Anything he could control. No it ain't something that he could tame. He looked down at the world below. As the mountain made its claim.
03:02Age will never wither him now. Forever frozen in time.
03:17Though there's chips and dings in my pain. Though I am tired and I'm grey. I will not let that be the thing that stands there in my way.
03:36What sort of father lets his son go first. And worse lets him die alone.
03:45I knew I knew I had to make that climb. I knew I had to make that climb. And bring my boy back home.
03:52Age will never wither him now. Forever frozen in time.
04:09Age will never wither him now.
04:15June 19th Voorheen
04:17Age will never wither him now.
04:20Oh sure.
04:22Let me tell him who's a little higher expenses.
04:24Let him go first.
04:26September 1st
04:58The day was dry, it was still when I started to climb. Once tall and broad, stronger than most, now worn down by time.
05:17In truth I knew I'd never make it back, but as long as I got to you.
05:25The Father and Son now bound as one with the whole world is our view.
05:34Age will never wither us now.
05:43Together frozen in time.
05:50Age will never wither us now.
05:58Together frozen in time.
06:07Age will never wither us now.
06:28And that father-son perspective is really shining through in those lyrics.
06:32It really paints a clear picture that you were talking about.
06:36It sounds so important and I hope people who relate to that kind of feel some peace with it.
06:42Yeah.
06:43Because it sounds so important.
06:44Well thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it.
06:47So your next song for us today, Curse the Day, very powerful title there.
06:53And I have a feeling that there's a similar backstory to it.
06:57To be honest with you, there's not much of a backstory to this.
07:00This is one of those songs where I play a lot as a trio with a bassist and a drummer.
07:04And for years I just did solo stuff so I never really thought too much about arrangements of songs.
07:10Meaning other instruments because I was just writing knowing I'd be performing them.
07:14But having done more as a band, I had the riff for this song, took it into the boys and we just started playing it.
07:19And it kind of made itself all together in the room.
07:23So the lyrics are more just things that kind of were almost ramblings for me that fell out of my mind.
07:30But more of it is about the actual vibe of the song, the feel of the song more than anything.
07:35Well so many songs are like that, aren't they?
07:37Yeah, yeah.
07:38Well I can't wait to hear it, take it away.
07:39Set my heart on fire
07:54Keep me up at night
07:59Fighting my desires
08:05Trying to ease
08:09My troubled mind
08:12Burns
08:14So bitter
08:16Sweet
08:18Hits me on the drive home
08:23Pull over to the side of the street
08:27Inside the street
08:29Inside the house
08:30Inside the house
08:31We used to own
08:37Now I know
08:38Your love
08:39Didn't break me
08:42At least it hasn't broke me yet
08:47Your love
08:50Drove me crazy
08:52I'm going to curse the day we make
08:59Wish that I could put the bottle down
09:08Why, if I had to feel it
09:14And the urge just to follow you around
09:19The surface of my demons
09:25I want to know your love didn't break me
09:32At least it hasn't broke me yet
09:36Your love drove me crazy
09:43I'm going to curse the day we make
09:49guitar solo
09:55guitar solo
10:04I wish that I could put a little
10:34And the way it seemed to put a lid on me
10:42Maybe I could learn to let you be
10:48Maybe you could get some sleep
10:52Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
11:06Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
11:20Yeah, you're gonna curse the day
11:29Yeah, you're gonna curse the day
11:35You're going to cast the day
11:42You're going to cast the day
11:44And you're going to cast the day
11:47We met
11:49Hello and welcome back to Based in Kent
12:04Where I'm joined by Luke Jackson from Canterbury
12:06Thanks for being here Luke
12:07It's a pleasure
12:08So next is my favourite part of the show
12:10We're going to do a quick fire question game with you
12:12A timer is going to come up on this monitor between us
12:15It'll start counting down when I ask the first question
12:17And we're just going to get through as many of them as we can
12:19No pressure
12:20Live or recorded music, what's your preference?
12:24Live
12:24Tea or coffee?
12:27Coffee
12:27Writing or performing your music?
12:30Performing
12:31Winter or summer?
12:33Summer
12:33Alright, favourite song you have written so far?
12:36At the moment, the next one I'm going to play
12:38Because it's my newest song
12:39So when they're fresh, that's when they're good for me
12:42Okay, nice
12:43Morning or evening?
12:45Evening
12:45Okay
12:46First song you learned to play?
12:49House of the Rising Sun
12:51Oh, that's a good one
12:52Year six leavers assembly at school
12:53Wow
12:54Yeah
12:54Okay
12:55I honestly kind of wish I could have seen that
12:57Yeah
12:58Really I do
12:59Sweet or savoury?
13:01Savoury
13:02First artist to inspire you?
13:05Oh, probably a great folk musician called Richard Thompson
13:08Oh, okay
13:10Interesting
13:11Time alone or with your mates?
13:15Equal measure, probably
13:16No preference?
13:17But with mates
13:18With mates
13:18Okay
13:19Favourite fellow Kent musician?
13:22Oh
13:22I'm going to go for my mate Jack Bowden
13:27He's an amazing musician
13:28Writes fantastic song
13:30So shout out to Jack Bowden
13:31Okay
13:32Maybe he'll be on next
13:33Yeah
13:33I'll try and make it happen
13:35Oh, I can't wait
13:36Okay
13:36Favourite gig you've attended?
13:39Attended?
13:40Oh
13:40Maybe
13:41I got to see Ray Lamontagne
13:44And I'm obsessed with his stuff
13:45And hearing his voice live in a room
13:47A guy called Foy Vance as well
13:49Was amazing
13:49In Union Chapel in London
13:51Okay
13:52Good choices
13:52First gig you ever played?
13:55Probably a pub somewhere in Kent
13:58Where I shouldn't have been
13:59I was probably about 13
14:00Doing little open mic nights
14:01Yeah
14:03Somewhere around here
14:04Everyone has a past
14:05Yeah
14:05One music goal you have for your career?
14:09To continue growing
14:10I think
14:11To continue growing
14:12To build a bigger audience
14:14As always
14:14And just keep kind of going
14:16On the trajectory
14:17That it is slowly climbing
14:18Alright
14:19And very quickly
14:20Dream venue to perform in?
14:22I've got to do my dream venue
14:23Which was the Royal Albert Hall
14:24So I'd love to go back there one day
14:26Amazing
14:27Okay
14:28And that took us to the end of time
14:29Beautifully
14:29So your next song for us today
14:31Ask Twice
14:32Give me a little bit of background on that
14:34Yeah
14:34So this is a brand new song
14:35I actually released this today
14:37And only wrote it a couple of weeks ago
14:39But it's a song that I feel kind of has an important message
14:42It's a personal message with me
14:44But also other people
14:45I hope it resonates with
14:46Simply about how I feel everyone's climbing their own mountain
14:49Everyone has their own struggles
14:51But it's so often that we don't talk about it
14:53And as well as that
14:54There seems to be some kind of taboo to simply ask
14:57And there's a great kind of mantra that people use
15:01Which is if you need to, ask twice
15:03If people aren't willing to come
15:04Not willing, but aren't so open about it
15:07That second time asking it
15:08Might allow them to actually speak about stuff they're going through
15:11So I wrote a song based around that
15:13It's called Ask Twice
15:14Alright, take it away for us
15:15So an old friend of mine
15:26Asked how he was
15:28Said I'm doing fine
15:30But had I asked a second time
15:34Maybe he'd have been more inclined to say
15:38Ain't slept right since sweet sixteen
15:42I still chase a buzz at the end of each week
15:47I'm terrified of almost everything
15:51And still don't know what my future brings
15:55Don't see those friends we used to know
15:58But I'm glad that you still see them
16:02Though I'm lonely whenever I'm alone
16:07At times I can't get so damn low
16:11I saw an old friend of mine
16:16Asked how he was
16:18Said I'm doing fine
16:20So an old friend of mine
16:41Asked how he was
16:43Said I'm doing fine
16:45But had I asked a second time
16:49Maybe he'd have been more inclined
16:53To tell me about his family
16:56His baby boy with eyes of green
17:01A baby boy he's yet to meet us
17:05But mother and him no longer speak
17:09Now he's scared he'll only let him down
17:13His own father never stuck around
17:17So he spends his days just thinking about how
17:21His son would be better off without
17:26I saw an old friend of mine
17:30I saw an old friend of mine
17:30Asked how he was
17:32Said I'm doing fine
17:34So an old friend of mine
17:55Asked how it'd been
17:57Said I'm doing fine
17:59But had it asked a second time
18:03Maybe I'd have been more inclined to say
18:07I have days when I'm a blinding light
18:11I have days when my sun don't shine
18:15My friends bring out the best in me
18:19I'm so damn scared of what I let them see
18:23I'm frightened when the floorboards creak
18:27At times I trust a little easily
18:31I've lost so many friends and family
18:35I don't think my body lets me grieve
18:40Now I watch the same show on repeat
18:43But it still makes me laugh before I sleep
18:49I saw an old friend of mine
18:53Both asked how we were
18:55Both said fine
18:58So ask twice
19:04Ask twice
19:08Amazing
19:24And that all came from a mantra
19:25That's so cool
19:27It's so interesting to me
19:29Where people find inspirations for songs
19:31Because I've heard just about it all
19:32But I think a mantra
19:33That's a first
19:35Well I'll take it
19:36It's always good to be the first at something
19:39Isn't it?
19:39Yeah
19:39Alright so we're running a little short on time
19:42But your final song for us today
19:43Rubber and Magic
19:44Yeah
19:45Tell us a little bit about that
19:46I became an uncle for the first time
19:48My older sister had a beautiful little baby boy
19:51And really this song is just a song for him really
19:54Amazing
19:56An ode to the nephew
19:57Yes
19:58I can't wait to hear it
19:59Take it away
20:00There's a lot that I know
20:16More that I don't
20:21See no one makes sense of it all
20:24The world it keeps spinning
20:30It ain't slowing down
20:34Just gotta try
20:37Keep a hold
20:39Try keep your nose clean
20:45And don't pay no mind
20:48To friends who just try and drag you down
20:54People they come
20:59People they go
21:03I oughta know that by now
21:08But my words of wisdom
21:13And my best advice
21:17Won't mean much
21:19So let me just say
21:23Nobody knows if they're doing it right
21:30We just learn along the way
21:36Don't rush to grow
21:45It's fun feeling young
21:49Like you're made up of rubber and magic
21:54Mistakes are lessons that need to be learned
22:03And I've made that a habit
22:08And it seems to me we get one time around
22:17Go chase those dreams
22:21If you've got them
22:23Be less impressed
22:27Try be more involved
22:30Don't slow down for nothing
22:37But my words of wisdom
22:42My best advice
22:45Won't mean much
22:47So let me just say
22:51Nobody knows if they're doing it right
22:58We just learn along the way
23:05No words of wisdom
23:10No words of wisdom
23:10No good advice
23:13Can mean much
23:15It's best just to say
23:19Nobody knows if they're doing it right
23:27We just learn along the way
23:32Boy, you'll never know
23:38If you're getting it right
23:41But I'll be there on your way
23:48But we just learn along the way
23:53Whatever it is
23:58No good advice
24:00No good advice
24:03It's just been wonderful
24:04You never know
24:08I'll be there on my way
24:09Meanwhile, you'll never know
24:11Who the things are
24:12Who the things are