SONG PREMIERE: 14-year-old Jack Barksdale Displays Americana Troubadour Potential on “Sideways”

Jack Barksdale “has insights and awareness far beyond people twice his age (he’s 14 years old), and he’s able to put them into songs that touch listeners.” (American Songwriter) “He shines with earnest, unjaded passion on a foundation of will and an ability to connect.” (Premier Guitar) He is a “musical phenomenon” (Buddy Magazine), “special” (NPR), and a “Texas force” (Paper City Magazine).

Jack Barksdale is a folk/Americana singer-songwriter from Texas. Inspired by folk, rock, and blues legends, Jack started performing original music at the age of 9 and has already shared the stage with Wynonna Judd, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Bruce Robison, John Fullbright, and Hayes Carll.

Recently Jack launched a podcast focused on songwriters and songwriting called “Jack Barksdale’s Roots Revival Podcast.” In March 2022, Jack will be releasing a full-length album entitled, Death of a Hummingbird. In June 2019, Jack released a live album recorded at famed Niles City Sound in Fort Worth, TX. In September 2018, Jack released his debut EP, Revival.

Jack tours nationally and wows audiences with lyrics wise beyond his years. Jack plays guitar, slide guitar, harmonica, mandolin, piano, and ukulele, but identifies first and foremost as a songwriter.

Today Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of “Sideways,” a song that showcases the talent of this young troubadour and also shows his potential. Singing with a cool and confident twang, Barksdale strums his acoustic guitar in uptempo fashion to make for a light-hearted and catchy work of Americana-folk. Co-written with accomplished singer-songwriter Jeff Plankenhorn, the tune tackles the single idea of someone who’s stuck in a rut and can’t seem to get out of it. Of course, we can all relate to this, and the tune ultimately shows Barksdale’s penchant for crafting straightforward lyrics that resonate in a big way.

Listen to “Sideways” and read our interview with Barksdale below…

What inspired you to write this song? What is the story behind it? What is it about?

Jeff Plankenhorn (who I wrote the song with) and I are both big Tom Waits fans. We had started talking about the song “Down Down Down.” We worked our way around to the word “sideways” and decided that might be an interesting song idea. It ended up being about someone who’s stuck in a rut and can’t seem to get out of it. It’s a very fun song and I’m glad to have done that with Jeff.

What was it like co-writing this song with Jeff?

It’s always great writing with Jeff. He’s so kind and easy to work with. “Sideways” is the second song I’ve written with him, so it was a lot more natural.

What was the recording session like for this song? Any stories in particular about recording this song?

The recording session for “Sideways” was interesting. The song only had percussion, bass, and my guitar, but the guitar didn’t sound quite as full as I would have liked it, so I overdubbed my 12-string guitar over the original guitar track, and it sounded perfect. You can’t even tell that there’s a 12-string on there unless you hear the song without it.

What do you hope listeners hear in its music and lyrics?

Everyone interprets things differently. That’s one of the great things about art. So I think I’ll leave that for the listeners to answer.

This song is from your forthcoming album. What made you want to release this song into the world as the first single before the album comes out?

“Sideways” has an entertaining and visual storyline, and I’ve found that it’s a good way to get people’s attention, which is exactly what you want in a single. I hope the song is enjoyed and gets people excited for the rest of the album.

Photo credit: Michael Lewis