J.G. Hackett

Biography

J.G. Hackett (full name John Hackett, born 5th July 1980) is an English musician, song-writer and singer largely known for his pop/rock work. Hackett was born and raised in the Black Country but has lived in the Warwickshire town of Nuneaton since his mid-twenties. His primary instrument is Piano, but he is also proficient in Violin and Pipe Organ. Hackett spent much of his childhood playing in ensembles and orchestras but in his adult life has generally worked strictly as a solo artist. He i...

J.G. Hackett (full name John Hackett, born 5th July 1980) is an English musician, song-writer and singer largely known for his pop/rock work.

Hackett was born and raised in the Black Country but has lived in the Warwickshire town of Nuneaton since his mid-twenties.

His primary instrument is Piano, but he is also proficient in Violin and Pipe Organ. Hackett spent much of his childhood playing in ensembles and orchestras but in his adult life has generally worked strictly as a solo artist. He is an avid user and proponent of technology in music creation and as a result, all parts in his recordings are generally played or programmed by him.

Hackett's work generally features strong production values, with many of his songs having complex and rich arrangements. His vocal work is equally creative, with many songs featuring interweaving and multi tracked vocals. His voice has been characterised as a boyish tenor, although later recordings have seen him take a more experimental approach to vocals with greater expression and more use of the higher and lower parts of his vocal range.

For the most part, Hackett's lyrics break away from the established rock cliches. Many of his songs explore subjects such as psychology, theology and social concerns. This makes his work unusually thoughtful and brooding in comparison with many artists.

Hackett's first album release was 2009's Life Songs, showcasing lush, Piano-based arrangements with lyrics focussing on issues that Hackett had experienced in his life up to the age of 25. Despite being his debut album, Life Songs features several notable songs including the Jim Steinman influenced "Hard Act To Follow", the bittersweet "Happiness and Make-Believe", the synth-based "Ghost Town" and the haunting closing track "The Ending".

The debut album was followed by Trans-Racial-Impression, released in 2011. The album built upon the foundations laid by Life Songs, with Hackett crediting David Bowie's Low as a major influence on the sound and content of the record. Trans-Racial-Impression featured the most mature and varied set of songs to date - featuring material such as the funky "State of Flux", the delicate yet disturbing "Water Addict", the wry "Lose Yourself" and the regal "Epitaph of the Architect".

Rather than quickly producing another album in a similar style, Hackett spent the following four years obsessively crafting a more ambitious follow-up to Trans-Racial-Impression, The Sins Of Science. With its intricate and detailed widescreen production and complex song structures, the album is a significant departure from Hackett's previous work.

The first single from the album, "Bootleg Romanticism" was released in December 2014.
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