“...everyone is ultimately being led and fed by the same hand.”
Of all the artists we’ve listened to while curating our Darkness Calling playlist, Jackson VanHorn is certainly one of the best.
His music fits wonderfully on our post-punk-adjacent collection of tracks, but his songs could do just as well through another lens. In particular, VanHorn seems to have a strong grasp of the pop sensibilities that today’s mainstream pop acts have been lacking — instead taking cues from legends like David Bowie, who could walk the tightrope between radio-friendly hooks and avant-garde experimentation.
Listen to Jackson VanHorn’s “Another World” on Darkness Calling, then read on to learn more about his quasi-debut album After the Rehearsal.
DARKNESS CALLING: Thanks again for chatting with us! I did some research and saw that you were previously in a band called TV Ghost. My introduction to you is your latest work on After the Rehearsal, though I know you've had a solo album and EP before that, as well. How have your experiences as a solo artist differed from being part of a band — good and bad? Also, when it comes to your latest album, how many pairs of shoes do you have to fill (guitarist, drummer, keyboardist, etc.)?
JACKSON: Thank you, and I appreciate it. I think the main difference has been exactly that — the shift to filling every role myself, which is a lot of work, but also permits me to have creative control and the freedom to work at my own pace. I will say that the negative side to this has been the difficulty in keeping and maintaining a live band. So, I suppose that might be an upside of COVID.
DARKNESS CALLING: What can listeners expect to hear on After the Rehearsal that may be a departure from your previous solo work?
“In a sense, I’m viewing ‘After the Rehearsal’ as my first album. It’s the first thing I’ve done that feels really cohesive.”
JACKSON: In a sense, I’m viewing After the Rehearsal as my first album. It’s the first thing I’ve done that feels really cohesive. I think that the music, lyrics, production, etc. all have improved from my previous recordings, and I’ve finally landed at the start of something that I feel confident about. The album title After the Rehearsal (the rehearsal being everything prior) reflects that feeling. There are actually several different meanings to the title, the most obvious being the Bergman film of the same title, which references Strindberg's A Dream Play, which although surreal, expresses realistic concerns with human suffering, and this is what the album aims to do.
There are philosophical themes of disillusionment with capitalism, religion, politics, war, and themes of class struggle, poverty, mental illness, isolation, addiction, family life — the ideologies that come with some of these, as well as the hopelessness, cynicism, and dark humor that may come in response to the despondency. It may or may not be so clear at times throughout the record, but this is a lot of what was going on inside of my head at the time.
DARKNESS CALLING: We've featured both "Pierrot" and "Sunday" on the playlist. Both are fantastic songs. I know you released "Saturnine" as a single, as well. What can you tell us about these single choices and how a decision like that comes together? Were there any interesting moments in the production of these songs — lightbulb moments where you knew "this is the one," so to speak?
JACKSON: I knew that I wanted “Sunday” and “Pierrot” to be singles soon after those were finished, and the labels (Icy Cold/Manic Depression) chose “Saturnine.” “Saturnine” was released as a teaser single. Its lyrical content is pretty pessimistic; really just disappointed in the current state of political affairs — the hypocrisy and ideology motivated by political bias and the bullshit of everything on all sides — because everyone is ultimately being led and fed by the same hand. I want to reject all of it, but I also don’t see any avoiding it or anything really ever changing.
“I value genuineness, and it’s unfortunate that it seems so rare.”
“Pierrot” and most of the other tracks are an extension of this, sharing these sentiments and my general existential dread. Beyond that, it’s about the façade of life, the idea that nothing is ever how it appears and how one might crumble when confronted with oneself in isolation. And after the storm and when the dust settles — what’s left, what is the meaning? There is none. It also pertains to the fascism, conformity, and compliance with the superficialities of the music industry. And it’s not just within the music industry; it exists in all industries. It’s upsetting. I value genuineness, and it’s unfortunate that it seems so rare.
“Sunday,” lyrically, was partly inspired by a Bergman interview where he basically talks about embracing internal demons and working them to your advantage. But it’s taken on other meanings to me that don’t seem to stray far from the aforementioned, especially given all of the current madness. My lyrics tend to unfold subconsciously, and often it’s not until I’ve read them back that the imagery appears fully formed. Overall, at times it’s a more passive apathetic observation, and other times direct disillusionment.
DARKNESS CALLING: We really love your style at Darkness Calling. Describing your sound is a bit of a challenge. It's dark, but it's also got this sort of pop sensibility to it — and pop in the best sense of the word, like the kind of pop music we haven't had in decades, when it really stood for something. "Post punk" seems too simplistic, but there's some of that in there, too. What can you tell us about some of your influences and the process of developing this sonic palette?
JACKSON: Thank you, and I really appreciate it. I also find it challenging, and I'm never quite sure how to describe it. I suppose it could be considered dark, hopeless, somber pop. The pop structures are often there. But it is music that stands for something. I agree that this has been missing, possibly for decades. I definitely raised myself with quite a lot of post-punk, various forms of experimental and avant-garde music, but also a lot of Leonard Cohen. Plenty of other music as well. So, musically, I imagine it’s quite a culmination of things that end up coming out in the process. It’s one reason why I’ve been a bit stubborn about keeping my name for the project — so not to constrain myself with a branded artist/band name where it might be expected that I make the same kind of record over and over again. Bowie and Cohen never really made the same record twice.
“Bowie and Cohen never really made the same record twice.”
DARKNESS CALLING: Your sound definitely gets pretty experimental at times. "Mantra" is one such example. I noticed there is a prominent female vocal on that track (a nice touch). Can you tell us more about that artist and the process of recording that song?
JACKSON: The guest vocal on “Mantra” is actually my partner, Heather. I had originally recorded the repetitive vocals that you hear, but I thought it would be more interesting if I could get her to record it instead, and it is. We’ve actually formed a project together called Katherine. It’s maybe a bit of a departure from After the Rehearsal. We’ve teased a couple of tracks and are planning a proper release for early next year. So, keep an eye out for that.
DARKNESS CALLING: I always like to ask at least one potentially stupid or cliché question. If you could work with any musician — living or dead — who would it be, and what kind of project do you envision it being?
JACKSON: It may be ambitious, but I can envision working with a producer or engineer like Alan Moulder or Flood. I’d love to get into a studio with someone like that and share some of the workload and make a huge-sounding record.
If I had to choose any one musician, the first that comes to mind is David Tibet (Current 93). I’d be honored to contribute anything musically to any project involving him. He’s one of my favorites and has such a distinct and unique voice and style. There are plenty of artists (dead and living) that I truly respect and find inspiring that I’d mostly like to appreciate from afar. If any interesting opportunities were to arise with any contemporaries, I wouldn’t say no. I think that could be a fun experience.
“It may be ambitious, but I can envision working with a producer or engineer like Alan Moulder or Flood.”
DARKNESS CALLING: Finally, what's next for Jackson VanHorn? A break after finally releasing the album? Already working on new material? Any livestreams in the future?
JACKSON: No break; I actually just finished a follow-up record that I’m excited about. I’m aiming to have it mastered as soon as possible, and hoping to release sometime in 2021. There will be a few re-worked tracks from After the Rehearsal released after the album, and potentially a one-off single before the year’s end. As far as livestreams, I’m looking into it. If the interest is there, it’s possible.
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