Singer/songwriter Jackson Dean released his debut album, Greenbroke, in March. The 10-song offering, which was produced by Grammy-nominated tunesmith Luke Dick, includes lead single, “Don’t Come Lookin’.” Fans of TV’s Yellowstone will recognize the tune, which was featured on Season 4, Episode 7, in December 2021.
Jackson is hitting the road hard this spring and summer in support of the new album. The Maryland native has more than 40 tour dates on the docket, including stops at Nashville’s CMA Fest (June 12), the Michigan International Speedway (July 22), Dierks Bentley’s Seven Peaks Festival (Sept. 3), and more.
Outsider caught up to Jackson Dean to ask him 5 Questions about his hard-working Maryland roots, musical upbringing, working with producer Luke Dick, new album, and more.
1. That’s a helluva baritone you’re got for a 21-year-old. Where did those vocals come from?
Jackson Dean: I don’t know, man. I grew up pretty quick, I guess. When I was just starting out, I started this thing when I was probably 13, 14, and my vocal chords had already kind of gotten close to where they are now. But yeah, I grew up pretty quick and had the vocal maturity you’re talking about. I was raised a little bit different than the people that I grew up around. I worked for my dad, basically since birth. Me and my brothers all did. And I just grew up a little bit quicker, I guess—vocals just followed.
2. What kind of work?
Jackson Dean: My dad’s a bricklayer. So real labor. And we could build you anything you wanted. We were in commercial building for a long time. He had somewhere between 150 to 200 men working for him at a time, and then it went to me and my two brothers and him. So for the last, probably seven, eight years or so. So that’s what we’ve been doing, manual labor.
3. What was your musical upbringing like, because I hear a lot of blues in the new album?
Jackson Dean: Well, I grew up on everything from Hank Jr. to David Allan Coe to Springsteen to Led Zeppelin to AC/DC. And a whole bunch of blues. I love Taj Mahal. I love John Lee Hooker and Howlin’ Wolf. All that good shit. My family loves music. It’s a passion of ours to be like, “Oh man, this song slaps. I need you to check this out.” My whole family loves music, man. So that’s kind of where my sound came from.
4. How cool was that Yellowstone bump as you were gearing up to release the new album?
Jackson Dean: I was like, “Are you fing kidding me?” It was good. It was real good. That’s one off the bucket list. Yeah, man. I’m a big Kevin Costner fan, and I’m a big Ryan Bingham fan. I mean, anything with Costner in it is gold. I grew up on Dances With Wolves and The Postman, all the great films of his, so I love Yellowstone. Of course, I love Rip. He’s just one bad motherfer right there.
5. Slashing guitars, thumping drums. To borrow your word, this album “slaps.” How big of an influence was producer Luke Dick?
Jackson Dean: Oh my gosh, yeah. He’s my sensei. So, “Don’t Come Lookin’” was the first song we ever wrote together where it was like, “Oh yeah, that’s a no-brainer.” And that was only a couple months into my publishing deal. I signed that pub deal when I was 18, I think. And yeah, Luke has been my sensei ever since. I love him to death, man.
