JACKSON SADINSKY
Q When did you first start working on “Wonder,” and what was going on in your life at that time?
Wonder formed over a few years, it began as a poem after I first moved up to New York City in the summer of 2021. The idea of chasing a dream and only being able to achieve that which you can imagine is prevalent in artist circles. A door can’t open for you if you aren’t even aware of it. New York City is a massive city, and coming from North Carolina the change was isolating and eye-opening. It can be so freeing to be in a place where no one knows you and there are no expectations, but it can also create a strong sense of isolation.
Q There’s such a sense of introspection in the lyrics — does songwriting help you process emotions?
Songwriting has been key to my mental health. My artistic journey began with producing electronic beats, a la Monstercat, and doing spoken word poetry completely separate. By 2018, I had begun playing bass guitar and dropped having an alias, instead releasing music under my name. Combining the spoken word poetry with my production, this project began. I think it can be one of the most insightful things to write down your emotions – one may not even think there’s a specific reason they feel a type of way, but through writing it can reveal itself. A lot of my writing begins with a “flowing faucet” type approach, where I’ll just write freely with no expectation and see what comes out. It opens your eyes to what you could be feeling subconsciously and draws light to it.
Q Your descriptions of pain are so candid and explicit. How do you approach writing about mental health?
Writing about mental health can be tricky. While I understand its purpose, and why some artists would, I really try my best to avoid shock-value and glamorization. I want it to be a message from a friend or a peer to let the listener know they’re not alone; that others have felt what they are feeling, and we’re still here. Still dreaming. Personally, it comes from a place of necessity – I wouldn’t write this way if it wasn’t something I needed to get out. For those who don’t deal with these struggles, maybe it’s a way to shed some light on the struggles faced by those around them.
Q Do you believe that listeners can relate more intensely to music when it is as vulnerable-sounding as this?
I think the average listener can find themselves in vulnerable music for sure! There isn’t a soapbox I’m preaching on, there isn’t a VIP section I’m in; I’m right here, with you. We’re walking under the same bridges, missing the same buses.
Q How do you balance writing about more sad experiences but still making the song have a sense of hope?
I think it’s key to recognize that in life there’s a yin and a yang. Without the negative, one would never appreciate the positive. This song, for example, is rooted in the dark unknown of moving to a new city and trying to make a name for yourself. It’s the gravity of the unexpected – it could go well, but the only way to know is to keep pushing through it.
Q Did writing “Wonder” make you get to know yourself any better?
All of my songs are auto-biographical. I learn a lot about myself from writing any of them, but Wonder stood to me as one where I found myself growing through the writing. The Jackson who wrote this song, and the Jackson replying to this interview are different. I have a home in the city now, I have a community, have played hundreds of shows, and released 2 more albums. I think recognizing the million small steps it takes to make any progress in the industry is worth celebrating and recognizing.
Q The sentence regarding “not judging a book by its cover” is prominent. What do you believe that line is telling you in the song?
“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” refers to several things in Wonder. The most prominent is this – one could publicly be living the dream, yet harbor these feelings of insecurity and uncertainty underneath. Followed by “but you see right through me,” is a leveling with the audience. I’ve pulled the curtains back in the verse, allowing you to see the machinations that go into being an artist. It’s wandering and wondering, it’s planning and hoping, it’s falling and getting back up. The cover of the book doesn’t show the whole story, take a look closer before you pass judgement.
Q The lyrics refer to tripping over compliments — do you think self-acceptance is something you’re struggling with?
I think every artist struggles with acceptance. I have a reputation of working longer than most on my songs. I don’t know if it’s the “you’re supposed to like it, you’re my friend!” effect, but oftentimes compliments can come off more as a kind gesture – this is something I struggle with! On a non-artist level, finding one’s place in a community can be hard; especially when surrounded by yes-men and those who feign compliments to achieve something out of it. One’s belief will either reflect or embrace kindness based on their own perspective on it.
Q Do you have any writers or artists who inspire the way you tell stories through your lyrics?
Definitely! Some of my favorite artists are Linkin Park, Knuckle Puck, Bring Me the Horizon, Lil Peep, and 93feetofsmoke. I think all of these groups have some really cool tricks up their sleeve for how they connect to their audience through lyricism, from Knuckle Puck’s super realistic and near tangible lyrics, to Linkin Park’s universally relatable choruses. There’s lessons to learn from the way they reach people!
Q What is beauty “beneath the surface” to you personally?
I think the “beauty underneath” is that which further drives your understanding of the subject. When you finally have a conversation with someone that rationalizes why they are the way they are, you’ve seen the beauty underneath.
Q Do you believe that telling your story makes other individuals feel less alone?
The power of art as a whole is to further our understanding of what it means to be alive. It can be super isolating to feel like you’re the only one experiencing something or feeling a certain way. If one person can relate and feel seen through my art, then my mission was served.
Q If someone is going through something like what you depict in “Wonder,” what do you want them to take away from it?
I want them to recognize that it is a normal thing to experience. The fear of the unknown and the uncertanties of the future should be fuel to get there – let the curiosity guide you and make you wonder; the worst thing that can happen is you have to keep dreaming.
