MacD on Music: Deal With The Devil

The Nerve Centre: One of Derry’s most iconic music venues. Since opening in 1990, it’s hosted some of the city’s finest gigs by artists from around the world.

Acts as diverse as The Darkness, Steve Vai, Hozier and Saint Sister (the first gig to ever grace this column) have played the esteemed Nerve Centre stage and soon, it will play host to Texas singer Jack Burton (along with Derry’s own Oscar Jennings).

Jack has been in the business for over twenty years now, making music with his wife while raising seven children. Over the last few years, they’ve been splitting their time between Austin and Europe and says they “love European music fans and the focus on the arts and culture that we’ve experienced here.”

I spoke with Jack recently and we discussed, among other things, his career to date and his thoughts on his upcoming gig.

What first made you want to be a musician?

Well, first off, thanks for having me, Domhnall! And that's a great question. Looking back, I can't remember a specific moment when I decided to become a musician...I think it was more that I just grew up with music as a constant in my life. My elder brothers always had music blasting, my friends and I always had the radio on, and my parents had a great hi-fi and record collection. And as a kid who grew up in church in the southern US there was always music going on there. Some of it was even decent, haha. I guess at some point my folks and people around me recognized I had some talent and a definite passion for music so they made sure to encourage me along the way.

Who would you say have been your main musical influences?

Oh man, I could name influences for days! For the music I'm making these days I'd have to say: as a Songwriter some of my faves are Bruce Springsteen, Glen Hansard, Josh Rouse and Bill Withers. As a vocalist there's always some Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Robert Plant, Mick Jagger and Marc Broussard. Stylistically, my live shows definitely lean toward some of the front porch blues belters like Howlin Wolf and Big Mama Thornton with a touch of Jack White. And in my current studio projects I'm striving to combine that Rootsy base with a more indie and exotic sound that has some Tom Waits and David Byrne influence.

Tell me about some of your personal career highlights to date.

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is a couple shows I played while on tour here in Ireland, last September. One was a great festival called Vantastival - I got to play for an absolutely stellar crowd packed into a circus tent down in Drogheda. And later I had a more intimate show in Bangor that was just really personal and freeing. Plus afterward we had a great hang...uh, great craic as you say, haha! Irish music lovers are the best!

As an Austinite, there have been some great local moments for me over the years. In 2014 my band was voted one of the top 10 live blues/soul acts for the Austin Music Awards at SXSW. And I'll never forget hearing my music on the radio for the first time via Austin's famous NPR station KUT - it was just...mind blowing!

Is this your first time in Derry? Are you looking forward to it?

Ah actually this will be my second time in Derry. I'm playing the Nerve Centre again on March 9th with Oscar Jennings, a great indie artist from Derry. Totally looking forward to it! As a Texas kid, it's kinda surreal to be making music at a great venue like the Nerve Centre, then walk out the door and I'm standing on what, to me, is like an ancient castle wall from some amazing film set. There's just nothing that compares in the US.

Have you got anything else coming up you want to talk about?

Thanks for asking! I'm playing all over Ireland on this tour, from Belfast and Bangor to Galway and Kilenny so it's a huge help if people spread the word amongst friends.

I've got new music on the way throughout the year. You can find all that and tour info via www.jackburtonmusic.com and even better if you join my email list via the website. And I'm @jackburtonmusic on social media. Drop me a line, y'all.

Any other artists you think we should be keeping an eye on?

Oh man, if you like to rock, you can stream my wife's band MBUR on any platform, at mburmusic.com or @mburmusic. Because it is amazing music, not just because I'm totally smitten with her. And another rocker-last year I caught a band out of Cork called Red Sun Alert...incredible!

Jack Burton plays the Nerve Centre on the 9th March. He can be found on Instagram @jackburtonmusic. For more information on the Nerve Centre and what’s coming up, see @nerve_centre and nervecentre.org.