From his cramped apartment in New York City, Jackson August released his second EP “TWENTY3” on all streaming platforms yesterday. This raw and gritty DIY set of tracks will open you up to the honesty of the indie scene of NYC, and it hardly disappoints. Get ready to dance in your room to some freshly made indie alt-rock.
Social Media Cinematics
With every musical release, Jackson August always releases a promotional video, and the release of “TWENTY3” is no different. Jackson’s promo video teases the concept of the album: being in your 20’s and feeling like you’re growing up too fast.
To add to the anticipated EP, Jackson has also released a music video. The video shows an epic depiction of Jackson playing the intro to “TWENTY3” alone in a studio until he smashes his guitar and unleahses havoc, being exactly on point to his song. Patrick Lineham, who sang background vocals, filmed and directed the music videos for not only “TWENTY3” but also “WHATS MY NAME” and “COOL RIFF!”
Past Collaborations
Jackson August is going on to his second year of writing and producing his own music, but he wasn’t always a solo artist before this. A year before releasing his first single “7ELEVEN” in 2023, he played saxophone and guitar with his college friends in a band called “NONEWFRIENDS.” The band shared one goal as a group: to get people to come to their shows and have a good time. Through their success in delivering energetic basement shows with vibey jazz music, they went on tour, playing all over the East and West coasts.
Unfortunately, all good things must eventually come to an end. After four years, NONEWFRIENDS. marked the end of their journey with their releases of “When I Met You” and “whats on your mind?” As all the band members graduated together, Jackson and his friends ultimately split apart to focus on their own projects despite having planned to continue making music together. Being from towns so close together, some of the band members still play in other projects together.
Peter Groppe, the lead guitarist of the group, has always been writing and producing his own music. After graduating, he wrote an album with Jack Harrington called “Sleeptalking.” The two former NONEWFRIENDS. bandmates now perform with the indie folk band Shallow Alcove. They currently boast over 80,000 monthly listeners, and their single “Dream Song” has garnered 1.8 million streams, leading them to a tour in Europe. They will be touring again on July 25th starting in NYC.
TWENTY3
With this being his second EP release, Jackson August stays true to his DIY indie ways. Jackson describes this EP as raw, gritty, honest, and imperfect, which is exactly what you will hear in “TWENTY3.” It is a must-have EP to add to your alternative indie playlist. Jackson had the help of his friends Theo Rogers and Tony Davia for “WHATS MY NAME?” and “COOL RIFF!,” as well as Rocco on drums. The EP also features Alex Yoo on drums for “TWENTY3” and “SALLIE”, as well as Cisco Swank on keyboard and Alina Sloan on bass.
If you are looking to discover independent artists like Jackson August, visit respectmyregion.com for more. Jackson August is an artist with fiery ambitions to revitalize the indie scene of NYC, veering away from “boring and safe” music at shows. Add “TWENTY3” to your indie playlists now, you don’t want to miss it.
