Meet Jackson Watkins | Microbiologist and Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jackson Watkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jackson, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Making or creating things that feel like they are meaningful to us is really important, and what makes me happy. Like, we spent a lot of time being more intentional with our latest album, with things like song structure and rhythm. That made me really happy with the album. Also playing shows live, of course, is always a blast. I don’t think there’s anything more validating than that.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I don’t know I mean I don’t think anything sets us apart I’m sure you can find elements of our music anywhere. Maybe that we sing about topics of philosophy of science throughout our albums? Even then bands like Peaer might have us beat to the punch. And I don’t think we got anywhere professionally, I mean kind of to the point of the last question, DIY is structured in a way that pushes back against professional pursuits, or at least traditional “branding” so I dunno. We’re pretty bad at all that shit I think the most important lesson I learned was just to make things that make you feel authentic, and try to make some close pals along the way who care about you genuinely (and vice versa).
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Lakeside amusement park, so we could take that little train around the lake. But like, I’d make them sit on the left side so they don’t get the lake view, just that weird Kohl’s and the small stretch of I-70. Then maybe Sputnik because their vegan corndogs rule even though I’m pretty sure they’re just frozen and heated up. Then maybe on a nice day we could go to TWAS in Keenesburg because my partner works there and the tigers are cool, but they also have room to run and not be held captive. Seventh Circle to see a show of course, then maybe one of those yuppie bars in the Highlands just because the drinks are insane. St. Marks coffee, Ratio Brewery, then we could hit up Fort Collins where I used to live because the campus is nice this time of year and State Forest State Park is an hour away and the prettiest place on earth.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Probably Denver and Fort Collins DIY generally speaking; Seventh Circle in Denver especially is where I was able to meet a lot of my dearest friends, and bands I adore in the scene. It’s one of the few places in music that has felt like a true collective and community that isn’t driven solely by profits, or career ambitions, or whatever. The only reason I play music, really, is because there are avenues through DIY that don’t make me feel like a slimeball. And the folks I’ve been able to meet through both Denver and Fort Collins DIY have similar mentalities towards building community through music. The music industry is maybe the worst thing in the world so alternative avenues have been so so so important.
Website: yail.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @yailtheband
Twitter: @jacksonprobably
Image Credits
AJ Frankson, Bri Romo, Abby Matzke