When Thunder Roars

Kyle Bradley, better known to the world as Thunder Jackson began his journey at the age of 14 in his hometown of Piedmont, Oklahoma. As The son of a professional Elvis Impersonator, Jackson's own showmanship and stage presence are something of a genetic birthright that he's been refining over the years, and if you can see hints and glimmers of the King's immortal swagger in him, know it's nothing but fate.

At the age of 19, Jackson did what many have dreamed and dared but few have succeeded at. He packed up his bags and his talent, and he left for L.A. with the hopes of busking out a living and eventually, a career. A year and a half later, he would get in a fateful shared taxi cab ride with musician and producer Pete Lawrie Winfield who heard him singing in the back and dragged him the next day to the studio, kickstarting the blooming career we're lucky enough to be witnessing today. Don't get fooled though, that awesome twist of fate did not come easy, and Jackson even considered cutting his loses, returning home and trying again sometime in the future, however, his dad gave him one more push to stay in L.A. and double down, and for that, we're thankful.

The fortuitous meeting made best friends of the two men, and their work together came to a first great milestone with the release of Thunder Jackson's self-titled debut album released in early 2020. The 11-track record cemented Jackson's style as one that effortlessly blends danceable electro-pop with powerful-yet-funky vocals that leave a strong impression with every song.

The Album was actually yet another stroke of great fortune for Jackson, because it was released through the innovative Vero Music label in what Thunder himself called “one of the best record deals ever set in front of an artist”, one that allowed him to retain complete ownership over the copyright of everything he's making with them, ensuring not only a more-than-fair fair business partnership but also a very strong creative control that should be the right of every artist who plans to leave a legacy behind with his music.

A career that's taking flight just as the world entered a period of lockdowns and restrictions was a huge challenge for many emerging names, a test of inventiveness and resilience that no doubt gives Jackson and his contemporaries a certain patina. it's this very process of persevering against uncertainty and fear that sparked Thunder Jackson's muse “Now that clubs are opening up, I can't think of a better song to celebrate our resilience and true spirit… Our colours that won’t wash out,” he says of his amazing "Colours", a song that was picked up by Legendary NYC Dj/producer duo The Knocks and retrofitted as a nu-disco dancefloor anthem which we discussed in detail here.

In an almost prophetic way, Jackson becomes an unwashable color in the music scene, eventually coming back to OKC for an incredible show on July 31st at the Tower theater. This show sealed the deal and marked TJ's return, leaving L.A. behind as a base of operation in favor of his home turf. Since then, Jackson has been packing clubs and theaters across the U.S. with his electrifying sound, with his next highly-anticipated show coming this Oct 19th, on the prestigious Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based. 

I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant  ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.