Meet Jackson Redd: Guitarist/Vocalist for Willess

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jackson Redd of Willess and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jackson, what are you inspired by?
I think that most of all, we’re inspired by the music that came before us – bands like The Toadies, or The Cars, or Thin Lizzy. We also find inspiration in the people and places around us – you don’t get anywhere in music without being able to derive at least some form of inspiration from your surroundings.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
So personally, I’ve been playing guitar since I was 14 years old and it’s something I’ve had to work at (and am still working at); anyone who tells you they’ve learned everything there is to learn about playing music (or any other subject, for that matter) is telling a tall-tale, lol! I was in-and-out of bands for the first nine or ten years and eventually ended up with Willess. The thing that sets us apart from other bands, I think, is that we’re playing a style of music that isn’t necessarily heard as often anymore – and that’s a bit of a double-edged sword! On one hand, the music itself is great and we put on a hell of a show; on the other, heavier, guitar-driven alternative rock music isn’t really par-for-the-course in terms of widespread radio airplay these days; that presents a bit of a challenge, but we work through it. If there’s a lesson in this whole thing, it’s this: always keep creating your art. One thing I can say is that I never stop writing songs. For anyone out there who’s looking to make music a viable outlet for their creativity: don’t stop practicing and don’t stop writing! Overall, it’s been a wild ride so far. I’ve played live more times than I’ve ever imagined I would, and gone further with it than I ever anticipated. We’re actually cutting a record right now, too! If you really like alternative rock music with a bit of a 90’s flair, go check us out on Spotify, ITunes, Apple Music, etc! We’d like to think that there’s a little something for everyone in our music.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, I’m an Augusta boy, born and bred, so we’d probably do the following for someone dropping in town: 1) Go hiking and hammocking near the Savannah River. 2) Go shop for records at Psychotronic and Grantski Records on Broad Street. 3) Grab some lunch over at Nacho Mama’s. 4) Make a steady loop up to the Hill and do a little coffee at Buona Cafe. 5) Drop by Portman’s Music to see a man about a guitar. 6) Drive over the river to the Highlander and have some drinks to cap off the day (and maybe even play a show depending on the night)! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Personally, I’d like to give a shout-out to my wife, Misty! We just got married in October last year and she’s my best friend, so there’s that. As far as the band goes, we have to thank Matt’s wife, Alix – she does a great job with the handling of band scheduling, merch, and finances. It’s always good to have someone like that on your team. We’d also like to shout-out to our buddy John Fogarty, our friends over at MAVERICK APPAREL and every venue owner who’s ever given us the chance to play.

Website: www.Willessband.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/willessband?igshid=1d8mtc6b68fdp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willessband/

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6BtcDSEPsoQ7tRYgOVzPu7?si=LFJKMM_lSEmj43Fb_dqokw

Image Credits
Sanjeev Singhal