“Ethereal, immersive, and dense,” Jackson Muenster, currently a senior at RAHS, describes his music in three words. Muenster released his EP ‘Everything for Everyone Else’ on February 2nd, 2024, shortly after the release of his first single titled “Don’t Move,” under the name Jacksam.
Filled with distorted guitars, soft vocals, and experimental beats, ‘Everything for Everyone Else’ transports its listener to a space between the real and unreal. Muenster channels a genre reminiscent of 90s shoegaze, bringing with him a much-needed energy to the music of today.
Muenster has had a passion for music since he was young, playing the piano at four years old and eventually beginning to create his own beats and hip-hop-style music at the ages of 12 and 13. However, Muenster says music production and songwriting have been more recent endeavors.
“It wasn’t until maybe 6 months ago that I started really getting into songwriting and actually recording myself singing and playing guitar,” he said.
Muenster describes ‘Everything for Everyone Else,’ his first EP, as a product of learning as an independent musician. Muenster took around three months to write and produce the songs, noting that he never had any specific direction or deadline in mind for the music.
“I just eventually got to a point where I had five songs finished that I was proud enough of to put out into the world,” he said.
Muenster will graduate from RAHS in June of this year. He plans to attend an out-of-state school while simultaneously focusing on writing and producing music, which he says will continue to hold an important role in his life.
“Music creation will forever be a huge part of my life even if I don’t end up doing it as a profession,” he said.
Muenster’s music style has a distinct dream-like element, full of heavy guitars and soft vocals. His musical inspirations come from various alternative 90s bands, primarily Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, and Slowdive. Muenster noted that My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive have influenced him the most as a vocalist and guitarist, their “distinct atmospheres” hugely inspirational to him.
In addition to his 90s muses, Muenster said that artists Jane Remover and Quadeca have helped influence him to bring a more modern and experimental element to his work.
Overall, Muenster is a Radiohead fan at his core, emphasizing that “they’re [his] favorite band of all time. They’re a giant part of everything I create musically, and their music is with me in just about everything I do.”
If you are hoping to catch Muenster live in concert, he is currently making connections with local venues and plans to put on a show sometime this summer. With the assembly of a band and proper setlist still in the works, Muenster is now working on music he says is intentionally written to be performed live.
“I’m hoping to release a lot of that [music] by the end of the school year,” he said.
Muenster’s music is available to stream on all platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) under the name Jacksam, so go listen to some great music and support a local independent musician!
