Recently signing to September Recordings, Chicago’s Kara Jackson has shared the brilliant, blunt, and beautiful first single, “no fun/party.“ A video for the track, directed by Jellystone Robinson, has also been unveiled. With elements of the macabre mingling with the domestic, the video for “no fun/party” references Angela Carter, Grimm’s fairy tales, Carmen Maria Machado, and more.

Wielding her voice like a honey-coated blade, Kara Jackson crafts a blend of emotional folk music and poetic alt-country. With the radical honesty of Nina Simone, the intricate lyricism of Fiona Apple and Joanna Newsom, and the straightforward, no-frills delivery of artists like Kimya Dawson, Kara’s writing blurs the line between poetry and song, demanding an attentive ear and a repeat listen.

SRaised by country folk and Black feminist poets like Gwendolyn Brooks and Lucille Clifton, Kara’s songs have the softness and warmth of a southern drawl, while still being sharp enough to cut deep. Born and raised in Oak Park, IL, a community 10 miles west of Chicago, Kara studied music and writing from a very young age. A Black Queer polymath, she took piano lessons from the age of 5 and later taught herself to play guitar. She honed her poetry skills in high school, eventually becoming the National Youth Poet Laureate in 2019. That same year, Kara self-released her debut EP, A Song for Every Chamber of the Heart, a tender offering of acoustic meditations on love and desire. Since then she has toured the country in support of artists such as Julia Jacklin, Neko Case, and Kaina.

“no fun/party” is the perfect introduction to the exciting next chapter in Kara’s story, one that will unfold and unspool throughout 2023.

Photo Courtesy: Lawrence Agyei