LISTEN IMMEDIATELY
Video for Conceptual Track “Real Real” Premieres at 12pm CT
13-Song Body of Work Features Current Single “Heavens To Betsy”
Watch Album Trailer: HERE
NASHVILLE, TN (September 6, 2024) –Jackson Dean today unleashes his eagerly awaited sophomore album, On The Back of My Dreams, an otherworldly concept album that solidifies Dean’s reputation as a thoughtful yet refreshing artist, adept at addressing a wide range of topics–from the tangible to the metaphysical–with a rare blend of complexity and accessibility. Available now (via Big Machine Records) the 13-song set was crafted to take listeners on an emotional expedition from light to dark, exploring notions of freedom, solace, youth, mortality and the things that haunt and creep into our subconscious. Across the journey, the bigger picture comes into focus—Jackson Dean is a man dreaming of truly living–and truly living that dream.
Collaborating with some of Nashville’s finest musicians and producer Luke Dick, Dean has meticulously taken his gritty, rambling highwayman spirit to new heights, playing with turn of phrases, biblical references, soaring guitars and blink-and-you-might-miss subliminal messages to construct big, wide-open songs that demand an equally bone-shaking vocalization. Quickly earning a reputation for his strong gravel-toned vocals and awe-inspiring live performances, across the 46-minute set, Dean delivers a captivating performance that is striking, distinctive and built for the live stage.
Listen to On The Back Of My Dreams HERE
“The title bares its name from a lyric in my favorite song on the album, a misty witchy little nursery rhyme named ‘Jane.’ It has this surreal, ‘is this real life?’ feeling to it that carries throughout every song on the project—and across my reflections on the last few years of this journey chasing the music dream,” shared Jackson Dean. “I’ve lived a lot of life and have watched a lot of life be lived and each of these songs were written from a single frame of a moment, almost as vignettes, drawn from daydreams, nightmares and everything in between.”
Two songs paired together truly pull Jackson’s perspective into focus, “Real Real” and its brooding complement “Another Century,” which is the finale of the album and ties the entire project together with its existential threads. “Real Real” blends faith, hope and the pursuit of understanding to deliver three and a half minutes of reassurance “that everything is going to be just fine.” The bouncy-yet-philosophical track finds Dean searching for peace and harmony in the simpler moments that fill up the pages of our life’s story. In celebration of the album, at 12pmCT/1pmET, Dean will premiere the video for “Real Real.”
Tune in to the premiere of “Real Real” HERE
“We’ve been working on this album for several years now and the thought of people turning it up and getting lost in the journey of it all is really doing something to this thing beating in my chest,” added Jackson Dean. “A lot of love and life was put into these 13 songs and I hope people find something in it…joy, healing, connection, thoughts, memories or even just a good groove.”
The album also features his current single which just debuted as Most Added at radio, “Heavens To Betsy,” a stand-out in his live show, which places Dean in the shoes of a regret-filled man attempting to send a transmission from the beyond to right the wrongs of his past and seek redemption with his daughter. Going from a 19-year-old Jackson hearing the expression “heavens to Betsy!” for the first time and being struck with a flash image of a man sitting on the outskirts of heaven, trying to communicate with his daughter via a CB radio, to becoming his third radio single because of fierce fan-reaction, the unexpected journey of “Heavens To Betsy” encapsulates that surreal aura of On The Back Of My Dreams and takes a gruff from the opposite side of living that carpe diem spirit and its consequences.
The album’s release comes hot on the heels of a sold-out show at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, as Dean continues to support GRAMMY® Award-winning ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson on her Country Is Cool Again Tour. More information, including tour dates, can be found at https://www.jacksondeanmusic.com/.
On The Back Of My Dreams Track List:
1. “Big Blue Sky” – Jackson Dean, Brandon Aksteter, Rich Kolm, Sean Mercer
2. “Duct Tape Heart”– Jackson Dean, Casey Beathard, Luke Dick
3. “Talkin’ To Backroads”– Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Ryan Tyndell
4. “Daddy Raised” – Jackson Dean, Tucker Beathard, Bryan Simpson, Ryan Tyndell
5. “Long Goodbye” – Jackson Dean, RL Burnside, Trent Dabbs, Luke Dick, Jeff Hyde
6. “Real Real”– Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Josh Osborne
7. “Heavens To Betsy”– Jackson Dean, Benjy Davis, Driver Williams
8. “Train” – Jackson Dean, Brandon Aksteter, Luke Dick, Rich Kolm, Sean Mercer
9. “Free”– Jackson Dean, Blake Chaffin, Luke Dick
10. “Sweet Appalachia”– Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Ryan Tyndell
11. “Jane”– Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Ryan Tyndell
12. “Heaven”– Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Laura Veltz
13. “Another Century”– Jackson Dean, Brian Koppelman, Jon Sherwood
ABOUT JACKSON DEAN:
One of Nashville’s most intriguing artists with his strong gravel-toned vocals, wayward spirit, intentional songwriting and overall mystique, the fast-rising singer/songwriter Jackson Dean is quickly earning a reputation for his impressive live show and thought-provoking, lyric-driven music. The young talent burst on the scene in 2022, showing people how real music can be with his atmospheric, musically-forward debut album Greenbroke that featured his debut single, “Don’t Come Lookin’” (which became the fastest debut to reach No. 1 in 2022 and cemented Jackson as the youngest solo male Country artist to reach the top of the charts with a debut) and his Top 10 follow up single “Fearless (The Echo).” The demand for Jackson skyrocketed after landing on Pandora’s Ten for 2023 (all genre), Spotify’s Hot Country Artists to Watch 2023, Apple Music’s Country Risers, the CMT Listen Up class of 2023, CRS New Faces 2023, Amazon Music’s 2023 Breakthrough Artists to Watch: Country Class as well as a slew of other artist to watch lists and nominations. A vocalist who truly thrives on stage (as evident in his Live From The Ryman album), the Maryland native has leaned hard into touring, wowing audiences and building a passionate fanbase that connects on a deeper level. Because of that connection and crowd passion, his live show stand out “Heavens to Betsy” has evolved to become his latest single—and lead track from his forthcoming sophomore album On The Back Of My Dreams, ( now available via Big Machine Records).
Embarking on an impressive and bold new chapter, the 23-year-old old soul recently delivered a textured, experiential body of work, that is layered in meanings, giving listeners plenty to ruminate on. Each song, born from a daydream vision, together takes you on an emotional journey and completes the concept of the album: Jackson Dean is a man dreaming of truly living—and truly living that dream. The multi-instrumentalist and skilled artisan whose pastimes include making leather goods, wood-burned art and disappearing into the woods to sleep under the stars, brings a sense of adventure to his craft. Constructing big transcendental, swelling songs that demand an equally bone-shaking vocal performance, across On The Back Of My Dreams, Dean delivers an aspirational and captivating vocal performance that is striking, distinctive and stimulating, with both swagger and intellect.
Following an early career of local performances in his hometown, Jackson has joined bills with superstar acts like Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Brantley Gilbert, Kane Brown, Jake Owen, Brooks & Dunn, Lee Brice, HARDY and Brothers Osborne and found himself on the bill for credible events like Austin City Limits and Stagecoach. The young talent recently wrapped big tours with Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, and Jon Pardi as well as his first headlining tour (Head Full of Noise Tour) and is on tour with Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson this summer.
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