My 2022: Jarrod Dickenson
Please introduce yourself!
My name is Jarrod Dickenson. I’m a relatively tall, blonde-haired, ginger-bearded, Texas-born artist. Over the last 15 years or so I’ve called Austin, Nashville, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and now Nashville again home. I’m married to an endlessly talented woman from Belfast, Northern Ireland named Claire, and we travel the world together, singing our songs to anyone who’ll listen.
What’s the best gig you’ve seen in 2022?
Patrick Sweany and The Tiger Beats - any Monday night at The 5 Spot. Patrick and the band (usually consisting of Jason Smay on drums, Ted Pecchio on bass and McKinley James on guitar) bring the blues to Nashville on a weekly basis. In a town that’s filled with cheesy country bands and bad songwriter in-the-rounds, these guys deserve to be given the keys to the city for the meaningful work they do spreading the gospel of the blues to a community in need.
What’s the best gig you’ve played in 2022?
This past February we got to do our first European tour since the start of the pandemic, and the whole thing felt pretty triumphant after everything we’ve all been through these past few years. The Belfast show in particular was very memorable. Belfast is something of an adopted hometown for me now since that’s where my wife is from. We’ve spent a lot of time there over the years, played many shows, and they always feel like a homecoming. It’s a very special city to me, and the February show was pretty electric.
Where’s the best place you’ve visited?
We visited a lot of wonderful places in 2022, many of which we’ve been to before that are near and dear to us. Calling one “the best” would be tough, but the best new place we visited was Palm Springs, California. We found Palm Springs to be filled with funky, soulful people, and brimming with wonderful Mid-Century architecture and design. It’s definitely a place we hope to get back to soon.
Best food you’ve eaten in 2022?
My wife’s chilli. That may not sound terribly adventurous, but it’s really, really good. It’s a staple in our household, and we have it with almost embarrassing regularity (almost).
What’s the best thing that’s happened in music generally in 2022?
More people are becoming aware of some of the shady practices in this industry, like the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly and the abysmally low royalties that artists earn from streaming platforms like Spotify. I don’t know that either will change in the near future, but at least more people are becoming aware of the fact that these are real problems that artists face.
What’s the best thing that happened to you in music in 2022?
We finally got back on the road. Aside from a few random dates here and there, we’ve been largely sidelined since March of 2020 on the live music front. I wouldn’t say 2022 was “back to normal”, but we certainly spent more time on the road this year than seemed possible just a year ago. Travelling and singing our songs to live audiences is something we’ve both been sorely missing these last few years. I’m hoping 2023 finds us logging even more miles yet.
What’s your favourite song of 2022?
It’s a tie between Seth Walker’s ‘Remember Me’ and David Ford’s ‘It’s Alright’. Both are from new records that they released this year, and both records are stunning, top to bottom.
What are your top three albums of 2022?
I’m going to break the rules again here by giving you my top four albums of 2022. In no particular order…
Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder - Get On Board
Grant-Lee Phillips - All That You Can Dream
What are you most proud of in 2022?
I’m most proud of the fact that we have started releasing new material again. It’s been a long road to get to this point, with plenty of obstacles, but I’m very proud of my new record, BIG TALK, and I’m excited to finally be sharing these songs with the world.
To find out more about Jarrod you can visit his website or check out what he’s up to on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
