Jackson Englund’s “Give Up the Ghost” Speaks for the Ones Watching from the Sidelines
On his new single “Give Up the Ghost,” Jackson Englund lets nostalgia slowly bleed through the percussion and guitar. Carrying echoes of 90s soft rock, the track pairs that warmth with a near-whispered, slightly raspy vocal that sends chills down your spine before you even register why.
Written and produced alongside longtime friend and collaborator Lee Curtiss, “Give Up the Ghost” explores addiction and mental health through vivid imagery of tormenting inner voices, desperate pleas, and the fleeting relief of giving in.
Englund sings in a low, airy register, maintaining a quiet calm that makes the darker truths he uncovers all the more unsettling. His voice is deep, with a steady tone capable of bringing anyone to a state of complete relaxation, as he tells a story in coded language, where ghosts lurk relentlessly.
The song is accompanied by a cinematic video that opens with the powerful statement, “This film is dedicated to my fallen angels. When all hope is lost, you are not alone.” We then see a woman arriving alone at an apartment. The phone repeatedly appears in the frame, but she never touches it.
Under red and violet lights, the protagonist walks among bodies that appear to be asleep on the floor. Later, the arrival scene plays out again, this time with Englund by her side. Toward the end, she is the one lying on the floor, while another version of herself watches from the window.
That final shot frames the video as a portrait of someone starting to see herself from the outside. At the same time, the song speaks to the people standing on the sidelines, those who want to help but don't know how to break through. Englund knows that helplessness firsthand from supporting loved ones through addiction and mental health struggles. Throughout the video, the recurring image of the phone makes that emotional distance feel physical. It sits right within reach, yet the call goes unanswered.
“Give Up the Ghost” is the fourth single off Englund’s forthcoming album, Shadow Work. The track and its video landed right before a Los Angeles Halloween event that brought together his own party series Shadow Play, Midnight Lovers, and Germany’s Giegling.
The electronic pulse of “Give Up the Ghost” still carries traces of the late-night scene Jackson Englund comes from. The video's final image, however, feels closer to what remains after the party is over, with the message “When all hope is lost, you are not alone” never quite reaching its destination.