James Morse

Somewhere at the intersection between classic narrative songwriting, instrumental experimentation, and ambient expression, McKenzie Jasper is an artist based in Atlanta, Ga, and his work focuses on the evolving self in the context of an increasingly complex society.

The name is ambiguous and multivalent as it is a moniker for the layers of identity formed by a person on a journey of realization. It is rooted in a self that is conscious of a mythic, Southern, gothic sensibility while also hearkening through lyrical prose to a harrowing realist experience. Both the real and the imagined are part and parcel of McKenzie Jasper’s aesthetic vision whether through lush harmonies and instrumentation or the stark open space of contemplation. His sound is often described as similar to Ben Howard, Fleet Foxes, The Head and The Heart, Bon Iver, Nick Drake, and Henry Jamison, and he’s shared the stage with up and coming Southeastern acts Tyler Key, Book Club, Betsy Phillips, Bea Troxel, and Big Brutus. Like these artists, McKenzie tries to let the work speak for itself as it expresses something deeply personal. MCJ is neither arrived nor complacent, but rather in a state of being on the road, always pressing on in hope of true fulfillment in an eternal realm.

His process generally employs impressionistic and collage techniques, but acknowledges strong aesthetics in any genre.