JACKLYN INTERVIEW: West London’s rising popstar Jacklyn who has previously written for several household names including Jorja Smith and Giggs, also boasts co-signs from UK hit-makers Lola Young and Cat Burns after supporting both on tour. Get familiar…
What five words define your sound?
Bold, unapologetic, relatable, fun, nostalgic.
Tell me something unique about your creative process:
Most of my songs stem from me singing/mumbling the chorus at my desk at my day job, then I’ll usually quickly record a voice note and take it into my session a few days later!
Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?
‘Don’t be a *ick’ 🙂
What inspired you to make that song?
I went into my session feeling a little defeated and felt like “no ones gonna care, until everyone cares” so why was I caring if everything I was putting out was so polished and perfect. I guess it just felt right to put all those emotions in a song that just felt so raw and unapologetic.
What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?
I wrote a song for my best friend recently, and it really hit me while I was in the session, I got super emotional writing it. A few days later, I played him the demo, and we both ended up crying, [laughs].
What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?
Worst was definitely a small bar gig where no one was paying attention, but I just used it as a chance to try out new songs. Best was my sold out headline show last year and two days before, the original venue fell through, so it was a mad rush to find a new venue . I was worried no one would come with the change, but walking out to a full room was unreal.
What is your favourite song to perform?
That’s a good question! I feel like my all time favourite is ‘LoveDrunk’ that’s definitely a fan favourite too! But currently it’s also ‘Don’t be a *ick’ just because it’s fun to sing and people seem to vibe with it a lot now too!
Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?
My parents were definitely not musical but they loved music, which made me love it. The first album that really made me want to create my own was Beyoncé’s ‘B’Day’. That was the era when I was glued to MTV, obsessed with all the Pop and R&B artists, and I’d be dancing and singing along like it was me performing their songs!
What’s the meaning behind your name?
I wish there was one [laughs]! It’s my real name! My mum loved the name and my dad was too late to help pick one so he gave me my middle name! But I do always thank my mum and dad for spelling my name in a unique way!!
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
I think something to do with fashion or jewellery! I’ve always loved those but if it was something completely non-creative, I’d say I’d probably like to be a therapist. I love listening to people’s problems and trying to help find them a solution to them!
What’s success to you?
For me, success is just being happy doing what you love. In my case, that’s making music, performing it, and hoping it connects with the right people.
What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?
Probably right before I dropped my debut EP last November. It was a sound I hadn’t really explored before, kind of an experimental phase for me. That’s when I realised that being independent means I can just mess around, try things out, and figure out my sound along the way without stressing too much about what people might think.
Where can people keep in touch with you?
Mainly through instagram and TikTok @jacklynpandolfo 🙂
