JAZZIE YOUNG

Jazzie Young is a singer-songwriter who transforms life’s raw, emotional experiences into hauntingly beautiful indie-folk tracks. Growing up surrounded by music as the daughter of Jesse Colin Young, she found her voice early on, using her father’s fire-scarred Taylor guitar to write her first songs at 14. “Songwriting has always been a safe space for me,” Jazzie shares, reflecting on how her deeply personal music allows her—and her listeners—to feel seen and connected. With influences ranging from ’70s folk to modern indie-pop, her sound is as textured as the stories she tells.

Her latest single, “Lux,” draws inspiration from The Virgin Suicides and explores themes of love, loss, and confusion through a cinematic lens. “It’s about being trapped in the past and unable to fully move on,” she explains. The accompanying music video, dropping November 1, captures that tension with striking visuals co-created by Jazzie and her collaborators. As she readies her debut full-length album for 2025, Jazzie continues to embrace the constant change in life and art, aiming to connect with audiences through her heartfelt honesty. “If my music can grow alongside me, I’ll be very happy.”

Jazzie! How are you? What’s keeping you excited and creative recently? 

Hello! I’m doing pretty well actually. It’s been a busy time for me with a lot of collaboration and art and community. Honestly, what helps me feel excited and creative is being able to work with my friends on visuals as well as songwriting. I also feel like having a healthy balance of life and exploration mixed with work helps me not feel burnt out and keep my inquisitive spark alive.

Jazzie, your music seamlessly blends confessional folk songwriting with modern indie-pop elements, creating a unique and richly textured sound. How has your upbringing, particularly being the daughter of Jesse Colin Young, influenced your musical style and approach to songwriting? 

I think growing up in a house filled with music and having a father who specifically writes music was very influential. When you’re immersed in that world from such a young age, writing and expression are ingrained in your everyday life, it just feels like a normal part of existing. So, kind of having that as my baseline, helped me to feel really connected to songwriting from the get-go. And then as I evolved as a person, I started to create my own lane of expression and musical language.

You began writing songs at the age of 14, using your father's Taylor guitar that survived a fire which destroyed your family home. How did that experience shape your relationship with music and your creative process? 

That was the first time I had written a song with actual chords to it, so it felt more real to me. I was writing little a cappella songs since I was very small, but having an instrument to help shape the songs more, really opened up my world. Because that was my first guitar, I feel really connected to it. It’s the instrument I love writing on the most even to this day, there’s something really magical about it.

Your debut EP, "grown up & grown apart," delved into themes of maturation and personal growth. Reflecting on that project, how do you feel you've evolved as an artist and individual since its release? 

Oh my gosh I love this question. Honestly, I look back at that project with such fondness. It was the first time I had created a body of work, and it was such a beautiful learning experience for me. I was trying on all these different creative hats and really putting myself out there. It was a lovely starting point, and although I still feel like the songwriting was very potent, I think I’ve evolved a lot as an artist since then, both in my understanding of production and arrangements, as well as in my songwriting. Thats what is so cool about doing a collection of art, each one is a little touchstone I get to look back on to see where I was and how far I’ve come.

In your recent single "Lux," inspired by the character from Sofia Coppola’s film "The Virgin Suicides," you explore complex emotional landscapes. What drew you to this character, and how did you translate her story into your music? 

One day last fall me and my co-writer and producer, John Velasquez, were discussing movies that we both loved. We somehow got onto the topic of “The Virgin Suicides” and realized we had a shared affinity for that film. Since we had been writing for my upcoming album for a bit, we wanted to try out a writing prompt based on someone else’s perspective and we landed on this film. It’s such an emotionally acute movie, so having that feeling in mind, it was really easy to begin writing from the perspective of love and confusion and loss. Like most songwriting sessions, the song became imbued with our own emotional experiences related to that topic, and it turned into this really beautiful story that felt narrative and also deeply personal.

The accompanying music video for "Lux" will be released on November 1st. Can you share insights into the creative process behind the video and how it complements the song's narrative? 

Since the film was an inspiration to the songwriting process, I wanted to pay homage to specific scenes in the music video while also capturing my own emotional story. I got to work with two very talented visual artists and friends, Shelby Parks and Tatum Bronte, to bring my vision to life. There was an overarching story, about being trapped in the past and unable to fully move on, but we also wanted to add in specific reference shots to other indie movies that we thought related to the theme we were portraying. It became this very cinematic, slow burn film that contrasted the starkness of loneliness and connection through coloring, lighting, and physical proximity.

Your upcoming debut full-length album, slated for release in 2025, explores the emotional complexities of growth and love, emphasizing the constant state of change in our lives. How do you navigate the balance between comfort and despair in your songwriting? 

This is something that I’m constantly questioning within my own life, the inevitable flux of change. It’s something that I yearn for, the idea of growing and changing and expanding, but also something that feels like a constant threat to my comfort and the “known”. I’m not sure how well I balance that revolving door, but songwriting really helps me unload the emotions that come with my navigation of instability. It gives me a place to put my feelings of excitement or anxiety, and with that it helps to stabilize me in the reality of now.

Your music often carries a '70s ambiance, as seen in the "cigarettes & heartbreak" video. What about that era resonates with you, and how do you incorporate its essence into your work? 

I grew up listening to a lot of artists from that era, both because my mom loves people like Cat Stevens, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, etc, but also because my dad was in that era of music as well. So I think it had a heavy influence on my childhood that resonated throughout my life. I also love the idea of connection and creating community through music and the 70’s had such a strong emphasis on that. The fashion being so charming doesn’t hurt either.

As an artist who has been compared to Dolores O'Riordan, you covered The Cranberries' "Zombie." What was your approach to making this iconic song your own, and what challenges did you encounter? 

With a song like that, it's already so perfect; there’s no way you’re going to top the original version. I just always really loved that song, and I’d never done a cover song before, so it felt like a fun opportunity to expand myself and honor an artist I really respect. I think when you take ego out of the process and don’t make it about comparing yourself to the original version, it becomes more about an expression of joy.

You've been involved in various aspects of your music videos, from executive producing to styling. How does this hands-on approach influence the final product, and what have you learned from these experiences? 

Whenever I’m working on a new song, I start to have images circling in my brain. Every song for me has a color pallet associated with it as well as a general tone (ie is it a day or night song, is it outdoor or indoor, is it crowded or isolated). Because my songs are so personal to me, I like to be as involved in the visual process as possible while allowing others with specific expertise to guide me. I also just genuinely love visual storytelling, I’m such a fan of cinema, and not in a high-brow critique way, but in a simple appreciation of learning and connecting to characters. So this is my way of creating my own kind of short film. There's so much of a song’s world you can expand on through visuals. Every music video I’ve don,e I’ve learned so much about the logistics of shooting, as well as the direction I want to take my art in the future, and I feel very grateful for that.

Your Instagram presence showcases a blend of personal moments and professional milestones. How do you decide what to share with your audience and maintain authenticity in the digital age? 

I really don’t put too much thought into it. My music expresses certain parts of my personality, and as I grow in my songwriting I’ve been able to incorporate more sides of myself in my music. But, I love social media because I get to show other sides of myself that may not be highlighted in my music. I’m not a really curated person, I like to be able to show all aspects of myself depending on my mood. And I think that keeps me feeling authentic. I want people to know me and feel seen and able to express all the different sides of their being. That’s something that’s very important to me and the community I’m building.

Fashion appears to play a significant role in your artistic expression. How does your style influence your music, and vice versa? 

This is a great question. I think it's not necessarily a thought-out connection for me but something more inherent. I’ve always loved fashion, and I’ve always had a bit of a unique style. I wear what I want regardless of whether it's a trend or not, and in that same way, I think that’s how I approach songwriting and music as well. 

You've mentioned that songwriting was the first way you learned to express yourself. How has this form of expression helped you navigate personal challenges, and what advice would you give to others seeking creative outlets? 

Songwriting has always been a safe space for me to express emotions that I’m too afraid to say out loud in my day-to-day life. Having a place to put those more uncomfortable or overwhelming emotions has been such a gift for me. However as I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to take that same vulnerability I have in songwriting and allow that to flow into my more intimate relationships. Being vulnerable is so scary! But the payoff is always worth it. Even saying that, though, it's something I’m still very much working on. 

I think everyone is creative, I don’t believe the idea that only some people are born with it. Its just a matter of finding the thing, or things, that brings you joy, and make you feel safe and connected to yourself. Everyone deserves to have that. So I guess my advice would be to allow yourself to explore and find what makes you feel more you.

In your journey as an artist, what pivotal moments have shaped your career and personal growth? 

I’d have to say this past year shaped me a lot. I tried a lot of new things career-wise that I was nervous about because I hadn’t done them before and was worried I wouldn’t be very good at them. The journey of creating this album and opening myself up more to connection and collaboration has been so transformative for me both professionally and personally.

Besides that, I’d have to say the relationships that I’ve experienced, both romantic and platonic, whether they were healthy or stepping stones to lessons, have always had the greatest impact on me. Relationships are mirrors; they help you see things hidden within yourself, maybe things that need some extra attention, and within that, reflection and growth happen. And to me, that’s what artistry is: it's feeling, and learning and growing and then putting all of that into your creation.

Your music often touches on themes of introspection and emotional growth. How do you hope your listeners connect with these themes, and what impact do you wish your music to have on them? 

Since writing has always been about exposing the deeper feelings within myself, my songs are often very personal. Being able to write about these kinds of emotions allows me to be somewhat of a witness to myself. So my hope would be that when people hear my music and connect to it, they feel witnessed and less alone in whatever season of life they are going through. Connection is so important, to ourselves and to others and music has such a beautiful way of connecting all kinds of people through a common thread.

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for your music and career? How do you envision your evolution as an artist in the coming years? 

I would love to be able to continue creating and connecting to more people. Music is such a joy for me and songwriting is my actual favorite thing in this world. So I hope I get to do that for a very long time. My goal is also to get better at guitar, I only know about 5 chords. Some people say that’s enough, but I'd love to expand my skills in that area. I would also love to tour and be able to do more live shows to meet people face-to-face and continue building a community of deep feelers.

As for my evolution, I just hope that I continue to stay authentic to myself and open to exploring, because that’s where the fun in art is. If my music can grow alongside me, I’ll be very happy.

Lastly, if you were a book, what book would you be and why?

Oooh, okay, let me think. Honestly, I’m obsessed with mystery and fantasy novels, so I’d love to be a protagonist in one of those and have magical powers. I grew up in a kind of hippy school that talked about elves, fairies, and magic all the time, and I love a good mind-bending story that requires putting clues together. I don’t know if this is an actual genre, but someone should recommend me a book to read based on this, please!