Jackie Lee Shows Off Modern Sound on ‘Getting Over You’

Lee pushes the boundaries of country music by mixing his Tennessee upbringing with the modern sounds of pop for a fresh new take.

Written by Kelly Brickey
Jackie Lee Shows Off Modern Sound on ‘Getting Over You’
Jackie Lee, Photo courtesy BBR Music Group

Up-and-coming country artist Jackie Lee is not afraid of trying new things. While his traditional Tennessee upbringing brought him close to the world of country music, he’s always experimenting with the lengths that modern country music has come to, from adding unique sound elements to his tracks or writing something in the studio that could take a new spin on what the typical country listener is used to.

Being able to combine both the old and new vibes of the music he grew up on, Lee has taken the last few years he’s lived in Nashville to truly develop who he is as an artist and a person. As influences collided and working collaborations came through, Lee finally found the one song he thought could mark a stamp on his career and in the country music community.

The track “Getting Over You” became the beacon of hope for Lee thanks to the help from his two fellow co-writers, Paul DiGiovanni and Brent Anderson. Inspired by a harsh breakup of Anderson’s, it provided ample opportunity to seize the emotion and capture the heartache into song form that was universal on all counts.

“I just really wanted to get inside of his mind on what was going through [Anderson’s] head. I asked why they had broken up and he told me a couple things, but there was no real answer. It sounded the same from her end. So it was just one of those deals I just felt like they maybe broke up and didn’t know why, like a lot of people do. They think getting over the other one is just as hard as them and that’s just where the heart and inspiration of the song came from because I think Brent was feeling it that day. He brought some good vibes even though he was probably hurting a little bit, brought some good vibes to the room and we just set off that. I remember we finished the song, we finished it fairly quickly and I just feel like Brent was on a roll because he had just had all this emotion at his fingertips,” explained Lee to Sounds Like Nashville during a recent phone interview.

A few hours and a couple lyric tweaks later, the song was born. After releasing “Getting Over You” to a huge response from both friends and fans alike, Lee was immediately prompted to spend every second he could writing and recording in order to keep finding the next big thing in his musical repertoire. Day after day, Lee dedicates himself to pushing boundaries in his realm of country as well as based on other influences he’s heard from any space he finds.

“I am writing every single day,” said Lee. “I’ve written every day, honestly, in the last two weeks. Just doing my best to constantly try to push the envelope and find more songs. Just trying our best to find the appropriate songs that fit this new vision that I’m trying to discover and go from there.”

Seeking out that vision for Lee comes through the help of influences, both in his Tennessee lifestyle and elsewhere. Being able to mold the best of both worlds together demonstrates Lee’s ability to provide a fresh take on a classic genre despite losing the authentic flair that defines what his beloved platform is all about.

“Any of my friends know, it’s ridiculous how much pride I take in Tennessee. Being from Maryville, arguably to me, it’s the most beautiful place in the country and I’m just so thankful to be from such a beautiful place. Getting to go home always refills and refuels me on so many different levels—spiritually, emotionally, physically. Knowing that I’m only two and a half hours away from that, I think it affects everything I do,” he continued. “I guess compared to the other music I’ve made in Nashville, this new sound with ‘Getting Over You,’ I grew up singing in church, so I think when that’s the case with people, the genre lines are blurred and you do a little bit of everything. I think that kinda comes out in my music.”

At the end of the day though, Lee just hopes one thing comes across for him in his sound from here on out: the passion is real.

“I know that it’s touching people and that’s why I chose to do music,” he said to SLN. “I want to touch people, I want people to know I mean business and I’m passionate about what I’m doing and I hope that comes across.”

Fans can follow Lee’s career through his Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. They can also check out the lyric video for his latest single, “Getting Over You,” below.