Blog

The good and the bad 

First the good news. I've gotten some rave reviews on my new single, “Throwing Good Love After Bad Blood”. The Music Farmer 5 blog writes, “A masterclass in emotional storytelling.”  Jamsphere writes. “His ability to craft melodies that touch the deepest recesses of our souls is nothing short of awe-inspiring.”  So far, the song has been streamed over 8,000 times and Spority, and over 1100 listeners have saved the song to their libraries. So, there's a lot to celebrate.

The bad news is that it looks like I…

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Sick and tired...literally 

I've been sick with Covid for the past 3 ½ weeks. Ever since I came down with the virus, I've been feeling exhausted almost all the time. 

I spoke with my doctor the other day, and he thinks I'll be OK. I just have to rest.

I've been be productive for an hour or 2 on some days, so I did manage to finish the mix of my new single, and I got it uploaded for distribution on May 16 to all the streaming platforms. Members of my fan club get early access and can get it now.

I was finishing up a new song just as I got…

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Fifty years ago 

Last Thursday, it suddenly hit me that it was exactly 50 years ago to the day when I first stepped foot into a Grateful Dead concert. That day changed my life. I became an instant “Dead Head”. I ended up seeing the band almost 300 times in concert over a 30-year period, and I still listen to them almost every day.

This concert was the most joyous 8 hours I can remember. The New Riders of the Purple Sage, who I'd never heard of till then, opened the show and played for about 2 hours. Then, after a break, the…

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New Single from Indie Singer-Songwriter Seth Hilary Jackson Shows Age Is No Barrier 

"Few artists can put out such a high quality type of message and storytelling into a song" -Rethink Music

CLIFFSIDE PARK, NJ, January 13, 2023 - Following his rock anthem "One Great Nation", aimed at healing his country, indie singer-songwriter Seth Hilary Jackson, shifts to healing the spirit in his new single, "Young Enough to Know Better"

Maybe you can't stop Father Time, but this song makes it clear that Father Time is not going to stop Seth Hilary Jackson from keeping the dream alive. Over a…

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"One Great Nation" 

Release day is here! This song had been in the works for some time, and I'm excited to finally be able to put  it out into the world. 

"One Great Nation" a message song. While I like to write all kinds of songs, the desire to use music to send a positive message is one of the main things that first drove me to become a songwriter and music artist.

I'm actually a little nervous to state that it's a political song. A lot of people don't like to talk about politics.talking about it can easily lead to…

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Good songs, bad songs, great songs 

"Write as many songs as you can. It's fine to write bad songs. Just move on to the next one. Eventually, you'll strike gold." That's the advice I heard from nearly every pro writer I worked with or learned from. It's advice that's always been hard for me to follow, which might explain why I was never signed to a staff writing deal.

I hate writing bad songs. I'm usually not going to start a song unless I have an idea that excites me or a message or a story I want to communicate. If I have that, then I'm going…

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A song and a sequel 

About a year ago, I released a song, "The Worst Thing", a song about mistakes and regrets. I almost hate to admit the autobiographical nature of this song, but my art is about being real. Sometimes, you're lucky enough to get a second chance, and when you do, you have to make the most of it. So, I did something I've never done before is write a sequel song.

The song, "I Wanna Make You Happy" is a love song. It's an apology, a thank you, and a promise. I didn't want to it to be a happily ever after, ride off…

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The evolution of a brand new song 

In Nashville, TN, it's really common for pro writers to sit down in a writing session and finish a complete song in 3 hours. Then, they're done and never go back to it unless their publisher asks for a rewrite. 

I've  done that at times when working with Nashville writers, but it's not the usual way I work. Especially now that I'm recording my own material instead of pitching it to other artists. Nashville staff writers write hundreds of songs a year. Most of them never see the light of day. There's a…

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Sorry... 

...I had to cancel tonight's livestream. I started feeling dizziness yesterday so I went to the doctor. They decided to send me to the ER out of caution,  so here I am getting all kinds of tests.

They just gave me a pill for the dizziness. And a Covid test.

It's times like this when I realize how fortunate I am to have health insurance, when there are millions of Americans who don't have access to healthcare.

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Update: All the tests came back, and they didn't find anything wrong.  They suggested I stay in…

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Guns... 

I have a song I was hoping never to have to sing again. It's called "Thoughts and Prayers", imploring American politicians to take action against gun violence in the United States. As you probably know bynow, yesterday outside Chicago marks another major mass shooting. 

I recorded a Youtube video of this song, which was featured in Country Music International. You can watch the video here

Because a gun law was recently passed, I thought it was time to retire this song. But now I'm not sure. I have another…

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