Jonathan Jackson + Enation at The Nick

Jonathan Jackson + Enation are in the midst of their biggest tour since forming in 2004. Riding in from Nashville in support of their fourth studio album, Radio Cinematic (Loud & Proud Records), Jonathan Jackson + Enation will bring their latest musical endeavor to The Nick this Thursday.

The trio is comprised of Jonathan Jackson on vocals and guitar, Richard Lee Jackson on drums, and Daniel Sweatt on bass. The group’s sound ranges from the heartfelt piano and strings of the single “Cinematic,” to the desperate wails and flourishing guitars of “Everything Is Possible.” Influences swim just under the surface, with shades of REM, Coldplay, and U2 permeating the band’s modern-rock introspections and anthems.

“I’ve got one life to live, I’m gonna live it right,” affirms the album’s second single, “Everything is Possible.” Jackson recalls that the song was written at a low point. “It’s a song of defiance,” he says. “I wasn’t going to let circumstances push me down. Sometimes you write songs that you feel. Sometimes you write what you want to feel. I needed to believe it.”

The live set promises to cover the scope of the band’s sounds, from the intimate, piano-centric ballads to the guitar-driven anthems. “It’s a dynamic experience,” says Jackson. “It might defy some expectations- it’s definitely a rock show.”

Jackson and company are looking forward to bringing their rock set to the well-worn stage at The Nick. “Venues like that are great for a rock show,” he says. “We enjoy the immediacy we get with the crowd.”

While their upcoming set will highlight Radio Cinematic, The band has incorporated a few beloved covers into the mix. Influences like Radiohead, U2, and Pearl Jam have made their way into the set, as well as older numbers from the bands earlier albums. “Lately, we’ve been rediscovering how the old songs fit into what we’re doing now,” says Jackson. “It shows you how you’ve grown and changed since writing them.”

The show marks the band’s first appearance in the Magic City, but many will no-doubt recognize Jackson for his extensive acting career. The five-time Emmy winner has starred in TV dramas like “Nashville” and “General Hospital,” while film credentials include his endearing portrayal of Jesse Tuck in Tuck Everlasting and a far more nefarious role in Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia.

Jackson considers the two creative fields related. “I’ve always seen music and acting as forms of storytelling,” he says. “They’re ways to reach out to people and share something.”

Oddly enough, Jackson doesn’t tend to think himself as an actor or a musician. “They’re things that you do, but not everything that you are,” he says. “A musician once said that eventually, you stop looking at these things as if they’re your career, they’re just parts of your life. What matters is what you get out of it, people and memories.”

Jonathan Jackson + Enation will perform at The Nick on Thursday, June 18 with Lost Language. The show starts at 10 p.m. The Nick is located at 2514 10th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205.

Image and video courtesy of 37-Media and Loud & Proud Records.