The Latin American songwriter refuses to fall into old habits. Older and wiser, Spurs channels his experience and drive for personal growth to bring us “If I Didn’t Know Better” from his upcoming album 'Waking Up.'
If you had to choose one word to describe Jaxen Spurs, resilience would probably be at the top of the list. Although he discovered his love for the guitar at the tender age of 15, his path has been anything but straightforward. After falling in love with music, Jaxen quit his day job to pursue music full-time, embarking on a 6-year journey that encompassed stretches of homelessness, nationwide hitchhiking, and exploration.
Although music was always at the heart of Jaxen’s journey, towards the end of his travels, he, unfortunately, fell into cycles of addiction and alcoholism. However, inner strength and perseverance prevailed. Rather than let his vices destroy him, Jaxen (now nearly eight years sober) refocused his efforts on perfecting his craft, moving to LA to get both a degree and experience in audio. Now residing in Nashville, Jaxen is laser-focused on his music, more ready than ever to establish himself among the city’s finest.
“If I didn’t know better” is Jaxen’s take on what it’s like to date within the modern hook-up culture. With lines like “If I didn’t know better / I’d just turn another cheek and keep throwing my life away” and “You fell in love with a married man / Forgive me I'm gonna exit while I can,” Jaxen shows the wisdom and maturity one can only gain by going through hard times and coming out on top. It fits an artist who refuses to let life keep him down, and we can’t wait to see how far he can go.
Jaxen Spur’s “If I Didn’t Know Better” is more than just a song about hook-up culture. It’s a testament to his strength, resilience, drive, and love for music. “If I Didn’t Know Better” is available now on all major streaming platforms, and look out for Jaxen’s debut album, 'Waking Up,' to be released shortly.
We loved “If I Didn’t Know Better,” your story and how you got to this point were super inspiring. We’ve gotta ask, how big a role did music play in helping you overcome some of the issues you’ve faced in the past?
Thank you so much for the warm welcome and all of the support. I have a ton of history and faced a lot at a young age, so for a long time, music was the only way to express myself or connect with people. Sometimes without anyone to talk to, it felt more like a relationship I had with my guitar. It was the only place I had to be honest.
You mentioned that you were initially a little nervous about releasing “If I Didn’t Know Better” because you weren’t sure if it would be accepted by many people (clearly, it was). What was your favorite part about bringing this particular song to life, and what did it mean when you saw its success?
I think the only other person that saw this as a single was Jamie Tate (Producer). The song doesn’t resemble anything mainstream and is so confrontational towards a few women I’ve dated that I wasn’t sure how people would respond. To see it gain traction was incredibly liberating. Art and expression are supposed to be real.. and sometimes it feels like we have to worry more about image and “fitting in” than we do about making music.
You also mentioned that you discovered the guitar when you were fifteen. How did that happen? Were you introduced to it by your friends or family, or was it something you picked up yourself?
As for the rest of my life, I had a really hard time growing up. My family and I have grown to be close, but we had some dynamic issues. So when I was 15, I ended up at a halfway house, and one of my roommates played guitar. I’ve loved singing for as long as I can remember. It just didn’t click until then.
So you’ve performed in venues all over the country, from LA to NYC. Is there any particular performance that stands out as your favorite? How come?
My most memorable performance was at the Levitt Pavilion in Hartford, Connecticut. It was my first festival date, and took the stage with nothing but an acoustic. It was the moment I knew I could do this for real. I sold out of burnt blank CDs with the song names written in Sharpie.
You’re releasing your debut album, 'Waking Up,' soon. What does it mean to you to be able to bring this project to your fans? What was your favorite part about bringing your artistic vision for this project to life?
Hands down, the upcoming album is what I’ve worked toward my whole life. (Release planned for February) I was hands-on with the music and am on co-production credits on two tracks. We had so much fun putting these songs together, and we focused on being organic. “If I didn’t know better” doesn’t have any tuning or timing on any of the vocals or acoustics. It was a major personal accomplishment to release a track like all my influences did and perform my instrument in a room with studio musicians in Nashville.