THE CALL OF THE WILD ISN’T ALWAYS WHAT YOU THINK
Jackson Dean Reaches for the Next Horizon
“The Moon And The Wolf” Delivers The Inspiration of Desolation with Rising Artist Laci Kaye Booth
SEPT. 2 Release Primes OCT. 9 MAGNOLIA SAGE (IN FULL BLOOM) Deluxe
Dean Reveals Upcoming MAGNOLIA SAGE TOUR Across The US
Singer-songwriter Jackson Dean had more he needed to say, so he returned to the studio to record “The Moon And The Wolf,” a moody midtempo homage to the lost hours where often your thoughts are your only companion. For loners, dreamers and artists striving to make their mark, that’s the hour when the emotions are the most unfiltered. Out Wednesday (2/9) via Blue Highway Records, “The Moon And The Wolf” not only evokes the desolation of those hours, it invites the reflection of a like-minded soul.
Enter Laci Kaye Booth, the rising East Texas singer-songwriter whose voice has an ethereal tone that finds dreaminess in the isolation. Together, the pair of creative spirits create a song that could be as much two lost souls finding each other in the forgotten passage of night as it might be a solitary person having that soul-baring communion with the moon.
Pre-Save “The Moon And The Wolf” HERE
“When Luke and I went in to record ‘The Moon And The Wolf,’ we realised how far the song reached into places most people go, but don’t really know how deep those feelings are,” Dean explains. “It’s a space where you’re almost suspended – and it’s so alive and so real, even though obviously you can’t stay there, or want to stay there. But it’s a space where all the emotions come out, and it’s powerful.”
“And when we added Laci, it took the mystery of that moment to a whole other level. Is it two people? Is she the moon? Does it matter? I don’t know. But for anyone who’s ever had those late-night moments where the whole world is silent and still aside from you and the moon, I think her performance is definitely the voice you might hear in that moment.”
The record is powerful enough that it offers another facet of the smoldering live performer that suggests there are still places and emotions to mine with the Maryland-born and -shaped musician. So much so, Dean didn’t want to wait for his next album to release it. Very much committed to Magnolia Sage, he created a way to add this song, plus three more songs that expand the 11-track project’s spell with Magnolia Sage (In Full Bloom)releasing on October 9.
Pre-Save Magnolia Sage (In Full Bloom) HERE
“Magnolia Sage goes places,” Dean says. “It’s a journey. So when we were trying to expand what was already there, it just made sense to pull in songs from the road, a more unplugged take on ‘Wildfire (Afterburn)’ to add some vibe, and ‘The Moon And The Wolf.'”
With the blazing slide guitar and industrial thump of a wide-open, hellbent “Blacktop Blues” from Colorado and a resonating “Hey Mississippi” from London that’s long on atmospherics that add a humidity to the performance, the live tracks deliver the immediacy of Dean live. The swirling vocal on the latter also foreshadows the vocal tag of “The Moon And The Wolf,” which suggests the canine’s forlorn howl.
Written by Dean’s longtime producer Luke Dick, triple Academy of Country Music Songwriter of the Year winner Jessie Jo Dillon and double GRAMMY Awardee Chris Tompkins, “The Moon And The Wolf” delivers tension with a dry electric guitar, an otherworldly synthesizer solo in the bridge and the spiraling tag of “ahhwooooooo…,” which marks the chorus with a cry of release and surrender.
Taking the acclaimed album and new track directly to the fans, Dean will embark on his Magnolia Sage Tour this fall, kicking off at Sayreville, NJ’s historic Starland Ballroom (18/9). With a focus on iconic roadhouses and theatres, the venues are designed to maximise the intensity of Dean’s performances with the intimate nature of his songs. Presale tickets are available beginning this Thursday (3/9) at 10 a.m. CT, and general tickets go on sale this Friday (4/9) at 10 a.m. CT at jacksondeanmusic.com/tour.
“Taking this music to the people is the thing that’s driven me since long before I had a record deal,” says the impassioned vocalist-writer. “But bringing these songs from Magnolia Sage out on the road makes me really want to get out there. We’ve got some of America’s greatest venues ahead of us, and I can’t wait. This is exactly the reason I do this.”
Magnolia Sage (In Full Bloom) Track List
1. “Blacktop Blues” (Jackson Dean, Tucker Beathard, Jimi Bell, Luke Dick)
2. “Make A Liar” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Randy Montana)
3. “Be Your Man” (Jackson Dean, Rodney Clawson, Luke Dick)
4. “5th Of July” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick)
5. “Tennessee Moon” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Jessie Jo Dillon)
6. “Over And Over” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Laura Veltz)
7. “Hey Mississippi” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Jessie Jo Dillon)
8. “Something Easy” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
9. “Wildfire” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Josh Miller, Josh Thompson, Chris Tompkins)
10. “Dust On A Dirt Road” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Jon Decious)
11. “Heart On The Range” (Jackson Dean, Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith, Dan Isbell)
12. “Wildfire (Afterburn)” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Josh Miller, Josh Thompson, Chris Tompkins)
13. “Blacktop Blues (Live In Colorado)” (Jackson Dean, Tucker Beathard, Jimi Bell, Luke Dick)
14. “Hey Mississippi (Live In London)” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Jessie Jo Dillon)
15. “The Moon And The Wolf (ft. Laci Kaye Booth)” (Luke Dick, Jessie Jo Dillion, Chris Tompkins)
ABOUT JACKSON DEAN:
With his strong gravel-toned vocals, wayward spirit, intentional songwriting and overall mystique, PLATINUM-selling singer/songwriter Jackson Dean has earned a reputation for his impressive live show and thought-provoking music.
Since astonishing Nashville in 2022 with Greenbroke, the acoustic-forward debut that rocked as hard as it embraced freedom, the dusky-voiced songwriter from Maryland has always gone his own way rather than chasing trends. “Don’t Come Lookin’,” his propulsive No. 1 debut single, struck PLATINUM, giving Greenbroke a launching pad for a writer willing to pay the price and go the distance.
The demand for Jackson skyrocketed after landing a coveted spot on artist to watch lists by Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and CMT, as well as an ACM New Male Artist of the Year nomination in 2023. On The Back of My Dreams, Dean’s sophomore album, continued to provide fuel for a combustive live show; it also delivered the No. 1 “Heavens To Betsy” from a project American Songwriter deemed a “near-perfect follow up.”
The hard-charging performer, who has opened for headliners including Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Lainey Wilson, Blake Shelton, Brooks & Dunn and Brothers Osborne, as well as conquering Europe, Australia and New Zealand on his headlining tour, is now stepping into new territory both sonically and lyrically. His third studio album, Magnolia Sage, was released earlier this year to critical acclaim. A stellar collection of songs that move from sweeping to soothing, rocking to ruminative, the 11-track project creates a sound that is singularly Jackson Dean: alive, vital, frisky, sexy and rugged. The album’s expanded version, Magnolia Sage (In Full Bloom) is available Oct. 9, including the hypnotic collaboration “The Moon And The Wolf (featuring Laci Kaye Booth).” More new music from Dean is expected soon.