Carbondale, CO-based Jackson Emmer’s got a big voice and a expansive wit. Emmer’s releasing a song a week on YouTube, and this ballad to old Toyotas is but one. I picked it out because of the song’s sense of fun — plus you can hear the whole band get rowdy in this live video. Emmer also told us about his influences, which will surprise you given the song’s traditional feel. But it all makes sense in the end: Emmer is focused on production and boundary-pushing. Check out the song, then check out Emmer’s recommendations — they’re awesome.
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way:
“Work Work” by Clipping. Everything about this song moves me. The production/sound design is huge, interesting, gritty, danceable, and flawless. The lyrics are visual, inventive, and political without being too “on the nose.” During an interview a few years ago, the band described their sound as “a creative misunderstanding of hip-hop.” While I think that description is charmingly self-aware, it really illustrates their willingness to explore the boundaries of a genre — thus pushing it forward. This song is as good as any.
Have you ever been star-struck when playing with a musician?
Every week for the past couple of months, I’ve been writing songs on Zoom with Tom Paxton, the legendary folksinger. We’ve become friends and comfortable collaborators. While working on the songs, I don’t really think about the starstruck thing… But, as soon as the song is complete, I look up and see Tom Paxton singing our brand new tune, and think: How did I get this lucky? He tells me stories about Shel Silverstein and John Hartford and I go wide-eyed.
How are you using your platform to support marginalized people?
Honestly, I don’t think I’m doing enough. I take money earned from my music and donate it to Black Lives Matter and BIPOC activist organizations, but I wouldn’t call that “using my platform.” That’s behind-the-scenes work.
I am not the most eloquent messenger for championing equality and diversity, so, I try to promote BIPOC voices and artists whenever possible, to bring attention to them and their work directly. To let them speak for themselves, and to amplify their voices. That said, I’m not the type to share a lot of BLM content on social media. I live in a pretty “Purple” area of Colorado, so I’d much rather have difficult conversations with my neighbors face to face, and hopefully “move the needle” that way, rather than shout into the void of social media and pat myself on the back. I’m a work-in-progress on this.
Who would you love to collaborate with? Why?
– Lizzo: because she radiates joy and resilience– two things we can all be inspired by.
– Dua Lipa: because she’s reinventing funk, again, and making it her own. Her vocal arrangements are stellar.
– Keb Mo: because he’s a flat-out master of American music. I know I’d learn a ton by working with him.
– R.A.P Ferreira: because his approach to production and sound design is genius, playful, and inventive. His music astounds me.
Have you ever been given something remarkable by a fan?
Yes. One time, my guitar fell off its strap just before I walked on stage to perform in Fort Collins, CO. My guitar split in half on the floor. I played my set anyway. I was opening for the folksinger Johnsmith, and when he heard about my guitar, he asked the audience to start a collection dish to help pay for the repair. The entire crowd pitched in and paid to have my guitar fixed in about 5 minutes. I was blown away. Their belief in me and my music was transformative. I strive to honor them with every song I sing.