Jax Hollow is the rock revival artist taking Music City by storm. A Nashville native, the guitarist and singer-songwriter has overcome hurdle after hurdle to get to where she is today. Underdog Anthems, her aptly titled debut album, came out on February 26th. This week, we’re highlighting her work with our Local Artist Spotlight!
Jax Hollow was created as the project of Jess LaCoy over the summer of 2020. After graduating from the prestigious Berklee College of Music as a guitar principal, her career took off when she created a series of one-take music videos on Youtube. Her talents quickly caught the attention of industry giants Ron Nevison (Led Zeppelin, Heart) and Michael Wagener (Metallica, Skid Row), the latter of whom would go on to produce Underdog Anthems from Wire World Studios here in Nashville.
Hollow is still making these same no-edit videos, which she describes as her “commitment to authenticity.” The gentler, acoustic style of the record’s third single “Drift Together” lends itself well to this kind of stripped-down vulnerability— no autotune, no click-track. She may be known for her visceral, high-energy shredding, but “Drift Together” proves Jax Hollow has range. A reference to the Doobie Brother’s “Drift Away,” the melancholy love song reveals a quieter side of the guitar shredder.
The track’s official music video was shot at locations across the Arizona desert, including the Grand Canyon and White Sands. Hollow’s rambling storytelling makes sense in front of these backdrops, and even on “Drift Together’s” more understated sound, her powerful delivery ensures there is never a dull moment for listeners. You can check out her live show for yourself at the Basement East on April 9th, where she’ll be playing a socially distanced gig with VOLK and fellow Lightning 100 Local Artist of the Week alumna Mia Morris.
We’ll be playing “Drift Together” throughout the week as we feature Jax Hollow as our Local Artist of the Week. Catch it live on-air at 100.1FM on your dial or streaming live at lightning100.com.
