Jackson Wise stays busy. The multi-instrumentalist plays bass with grunge band Bleach Bug, guitar and bass in the punk project Prozac Dreams, along with performing in JS Terry. He’s also been working hard on Apricot Blush’s next album From Adlivan, With Love. Several of the demos are already out on the Apricot Blush Bandcamp page, and this time around Wise takes a slightly different approach to the songwriting lyrically. It’s not full-blown concept album, but there is a theme as he weaves in his own personal narrative.
“Although this next full length is more of a story album, I heavily relate to the story and I still use writing as a coping skill.” says Wise. “My problems and feelings are very real within my writing still, but this time it’s more vague and a little bit more fun to write since it’s a challenge for me to write a story album while combining my feelings. So I wouldn’t say my writing is any less personal with this next album, but it is different.”
Wise credits his friends in the collective of bands and musicians out of Clemson called the Pablo Generation for driving his music forward and keeping him in town.
“I don’t think I would have stayed at Clemson if I hadn’t had found Wesley(Heaton).” says Wise. Wesley Heaton primarily plays bass in Daddy’s Beemer, but is also a huge part of Clemson’s radio station WSBF and does PR for the collective. “Being a part of this collective is everything I’ve ever wanted and it’s fallen into my lap so perfectly. This people are so good at being people and friends. Playing with the Pablo Gen has pushed me to become a better performer and writer by seeing all my friends perform and write beside me. It’s impacted my style of performing tremendously.”
At Pablopalooza last week at The Radio Room Wise went from the long blonde locks seen in this video to a mullet, so we decided to have a little fun and find out his top three haircuts he’s had in his life. Who knew a mullet could be so polarizing?
“Top haircut I’ve ever had was a bowl cut in elementary school. I’ve been highly considering getting it again to honor my hero (Malibu Illusion). The mullet is fun but my mom might disown me if I have it longer than a few months. The mullet has surprisingly gone over pretty well among the general public, I’ve bonded with old bosses about it and new teachers at Clemson. 3rd favorite haircut was the long hair, which wasn’t that much fun since it would dread all the time. Long hair is wack, get a bowl cut.”
