Luke Jackson

Event information

Luke is a rising 18 year old Roots singer/songwriter from Canterbury, Kent , and 2013 sees him nominated for both the Horizon Award for Best Emerging Talent and the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award.

With a bold, show stopping voice and honed guitar skills, Luke is a confident and captivating performer demonstrating an astonishing maturity. He has been making ripples on the live acoustic scene supporting such luminaries as Show of Hands, Paul Brady, Chris Wood, Steve Knightley, Lucy Ward and Boo Hewerdine and playing Sidmouth, Bristol and Trowbridge festivals.

More than Boys, produced by the acclaimed Welsh singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph, launched at the Shrewsbury Festival, has been receiving plaudits from critics and airplay on numerous radio stations.

Luke has also appeared on BBC South East TV, guested on BBC Radio 2’s Good Morning Sunday, interviewed by Aled Jones, and received national airplay from such respected DJs as Bob Harris and Mike Harding. He was also one of the artists appearing at Lancaster University’s PipeFest, hosted by Martyn Joseph.

The 11-track debut album is a riff- layered “rite of passage” CD that draws inspiration from memories of childhood camaraderie; a lyrical real-time journey from adolescence to young adulthood – in songs that are by turns powerful, passionate, poignant and pop tinged.

A cache of arresting but honest, uncluttered narrative numbers it brilliantly conveys the free-wheeling freedom of youth – climbing trees with friends in Bakers Woods, scoring a Winning Goal, riding down the Big Hill on a bike with no brakes – and then changes tack with a totally unexpected insight into parents watching their children grow in the perceptive and graceful How Does It Feel? His lyric “now it seems like all my childhood songs have been sung” seems to underpin the whole album mirroring Luke’s own journey into what promises to be a “tipped for the top” future.

“A great singer, a great songwriter and a really commanding presence” – Mike Harding

“A fantastic voice, a great year and a terrific new album” - Simon Mayo, BBC Radio 2

“For a while after Nic Jones and Chris Wood there was a big gap and you wondered where the next generation was coming from – now Luke’s the next guy” – John McCusker

“A huge talent is emerging” – Acoustic Magazine

“An affecting and highly promising debut album – one to watch” – Daily Telegraph

“ A sumptuous voice loaded with maturity and a melodically blessed guitar style – with wisdom and musical clout beyond his teenage years we’ll be hearing much more of Luke” – Spiral Earth

“A young man enjoying some notable patronage – a debut album of surprising maturity and a compelling listen” – Properganda

“A maturity beyond his 18 years reminiscent of a young Tim Buckley with a touch of Nizlopi thrown in for good measure”-– Northern Sky

“One of the strongest first albums I’ve heard in absolutely ages. This is an album to buy now and be able to say ‘I was there’.”- FATEA

“Luke Jackson sings with an extraordinarily rich voice and possesses a guitar technique astonishing for one so young. I first heard him sing four years ago and even then his songwriting suggested a performer of rare promise” – Steve Knightley, Show of Hands

“This teenager has a voice you could get lost in. He has a musical maturity and a songwriting ability that belies his years. His roots may be firmly within folk music but his exuberant stage performance suggests emerging rock star! “ – London Life