Jaxxee - Five Questions With

Jaxxee released her new funk-da-fied single “How It Goes”

Jaclyn Hull, aka Jaxxee, weaves through the past and present with her moody, sultry vocals. As a songwriter who found her voice later in life, she is self-taught and sings with raw power & emotion. Her smoky and soulful voice takes you to a deep and trans-formative place where trip-hop and funk meet.

Home to Victoria, British Columbia, Jaxxee sizzles onstage while embracing her love of R&B, soul, jazz, and blues. In 2015, she began performing on local stages as part of disco cover band Tight Hair, where fans fell head over heels in love with her dark sass and lively charisma.

In 2018, Jaxxee joined forces with powerhouse Electric Timber Company(ETC), a local folk rock group known for their bold collaborations and Western-inspo. With Jaxxee’s songbird aura front and centre, the group flourished at events like Rifflandia, Victoria International Jazz Festival, Folk&Fiddle Festival, and of course, their cornerstone project as the house band for acclaimed event Brewery & the Beast. The cast of ET Chave shared the stage with Harry Manx, Ayla Tesler-Mabe, Pat Steward, Shaun Verrault, Kendal Carson, Jesse Roper, members of the Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer, as well as Jon&Roy.

First off care to introduce yourself to our readers?

I’m Neil James Cooke-Dallin and release music under the monicker NEIL JAM3S. I’ve owned and operated Burning Rainbow Studios in Victoria for over 20 years and am the frontman of 6 piece funk/jazz/disco band Astrocolor and half of the underground live techno act Righteous Rainbows of Togetherness. I’ve been engineering and producing bands going back to the 90s with Canadian legends such as Hot Hot Heat.

Hey there! I’m Jaclyn Hull, also known as JAXXEE. By day, I navigate the intricate world of entertainment accounting in the music industry, while by night, I transform into a vocal songstress. A decade ago, I summoned the courage to step onto the stage, lending my voice to local bands. Then, in 2023, I ventured into my first solo project, unveiling songs written from years of therapeutic introspection and personal expression. As a nocturnal enthusiast, I am always ready for a dance-filled night and love a good boot stomping.

Tell us a bit about your recent release.

Neil: How It Goes is a dirty disco affair driven by a minimal modern drum and percussion-focused production. We wrote the vocals to be a playful take on the push and pull of contemporary identity and ego, trying to harness the infectious groove of classic dancefloor rhythm but with a playful tongue-in-cheek approach to character roles and a rebuking of passé cultural norms.

Jaxxee: Our first collaboration sets the stage for what’s to come. ‘How It Goes’ felt like the perfect introduction, playing to both our strengths. I mentioned to Neil last summer that I was itching to dive back into disco, and seeing it come to life now is incredibly fulfilling. This track is a mood, a vibe, and a celebration of empowerment with the seamless interplay of our sultry vocals. With a dynamic beat and hypnotic basslines, ‘How It Goes’ invites you to lose yourself in dance and self-expression.

How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?

Neil: Jaxxee and I tend to approach each song as its own identity and aim to illuminate its specific and unique qualities rather than trying to create a body of work that forces all songs into a single mould of form or genre. More specifically, we tend to embrace what is easy and comes naturally and run with it as fast as possible. We have a really great synergy that feels like swimming with the current rather than against it and we’ve come to embrace that and focus energy anywhere that the process feels effortless and instantly rewarding. It’s been a really wonderful approach both in terms of rapid output and spiritual fulfillment. How It Goes is an excellent example of this methodology – we had sat down in a weekly meeting but I was in a bad way at that moment and feeling rather depressed and disempowered. We just asked each other “what can we reasonably accomplish right now?” and the answer was to simply indulge in play and remove all expectations of accomplishing preset goals. The song erupted in less than 2 hours from that shift in expectations. Our friend Conor dropped some percussion hooks over top in the same playful mindset the next night and suddenly the song felt done. We agreed to not overthink it and try to release it as fast as possible.

Jaxxee: I couldn’t agree more with Neil. Embracing the flow and remaining immersed in it is key. When working together, we keep it real. By staying true to our feelings and energies, we dissolve barriers in our creative process. I consider myself fortunate to work with Neil, whose prodigious skills as a producer open up countless musical avenues for exploration. As an artist, authenticity reigns supreme; I need the freedom for songs to unfold naturally, unconstrained by genre. Neil not only understands this but also possesses the expertise to bring it to fruition.

Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?

Neil: We are working on a music video and have just adapted the song to a 5 piece band performance. We don’t have a tour in the calendar yet but as I tour playing DJ sets, I will be playing the song out and as we have in the past, Jaxxee can join me in the booth for old-school DJ + singer disco jams.

Jaxxee: There is definitely more music to come in the near future, in addition to the music video that is in the works. As we both have our own solo projects – we have been able to support each other on the stage and share our songs in live settings and will keep that going.

Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?

Neil: I am so grateful and honoured to say that there have been many. As a producer, Astrocolor taking Instrumental Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards was certainly one. Working with Grammy winner Steve Christensen (Khruangbin) and Grammy-nominated Count (Tycho) were certainly huge honours as well. Playing immediately after one of my heroes, Nightmares on Wax, on the Main Stage of Bass Coast Festival is another highlight

Jaxxee: Releasing my debut song ‘GONE’ was a milestone for me, especially since it led to my first music video featuring my daughter Maddox as the dancer. I couldn’t be prouder to have shared this artistic journey with her and the video is stunning (check it out on YouTube). ‘GONE’, which was mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated Count (Tycho, Mavis Staples), recently received airplay on CBC’s Marvin Room. Additionally, being invited to perform at Song & Surf Music Festival for the second time this year was truly an honour. The festival holds a special place in my heart; it feels like being part of a big musical family.