In our latest Artist Spotlight, we chat to Jack Robertson about Scarborough, musical inspirations and everything in between!
S] Hi Jack, how are you?
Very well thank you, busy busy with cover gigs lately which I do to fund my original music project. It was supposed to ease off after summer but it never did, which is a nice problem to have I suppose! Hopefully though, one day my original music will pay the bills instead!
S] What would you say your mission statement is as an artist?
People who hear my music say they relate massively to my lyrics, and feel moved. My mission is to grow as much as possible, find my audience wherever they may be, and bring my music to them. Most of my songs are story-based, so I can offer some escapism to the listener too, which I think is needed more than ever in the current state of the world.
S] What motivates you outside of music, think specific people and places, or movies?
I take a lot of inspiration from the geography of where I live in Scarborough, from the old town and the castle to the beaches and surrounding woodland. It’s my favourite place to be and it’s like nowhere else I’ve visited. I find there’s just a feeling in the air, I call it the Scarborough Effect. It’s so inspiring, even more so during winter when it’s a lot more grey and bleak. As well as the geography of the town, I also take inspiration from the people of the town, as I have met some incredible people here. Recently I’ve been writing more about the news, exploring topics such as political division and global warming.
S] What is the biggest challenge you face as an artist?
I came into music from a completely different world, so I started playing guitar at 16 but never gigged until I was 27. I went down the more traditional route of university (I studied maths) and then 9-5 job, and my guitar playing was always a hobby. I explored the idea of joining a band in my early 20s but that didn’t work out. I then decided to go for itsolo at 27 which brought challenges as there are people around me who’ve been in the industry for decades and have built up contacts and knowledge of how it works. Thankfully, people have been helpful and I feel like I have caught up mostly and am progressing very fast, but I do sometimes still feel left behind or like I don’t “really belong” in this scene, even though deep down I know I do, I suppose it’s a case of imposter syndrome!
S] What is your favourite thing about performing, and recording?
I’m lucky enough to have a backing band consisting of three of my best friends. We’ve been friends long before we started playing music together so this makes all gigs, practices and recording that much more special as we’re experiencing it as a close group of best mates. They’re all brilliant musicians as well as great guys so that’s a bonus!
S] Talk to us about the themes and ideas that run across the ‘Corporation EP’?
Corporation Blues is about rebelling against the corporate machine. I had done nearly 10 years in finance jobs at the time of writing the song and it’s just a playful dig at that world, and how it robs millions and millions of people of their entire lives. I remember looking round the office and seeing rows upon rows of computer screens and just thinking “wow they remind me of rows of headstones in a cemetery” which is where the opening line “screens on the desks like headstones” came from, the rest of the song fell into place after that.
S] How do you look back at 2025’s ‘Danube Blues’ now?
I look back fondly at Danube Blues, it makes me smile when I listen to it. The songwriting, especially musically, is a lot more basic and arguably more amateur than my more recent releases, and I think you can really see how much I’ve progressed with the new releases. I’m so proud of it though, as it allowed me to break into the music scene and progress onwards to writing the 2nd album which in my opinion is far better.
S] What sort of things about your local scene inspire you, and why?
There is some insanely talented musicians in Scarborough that I have had the privilege to learn from, it’s a town often forgotten on the grassroots circuit but if smaller bands were to venture here more often they would find so much talent. (Scarborough is funny as it attracts huge acts to the open air theatre, but up and coming bands just seem to miss it out). We also have the amazing Beckview Studios in Scarborough that are really helpful with industry connections, and they also recorded my first two albums! Going further down to Bridlington and Hull that I consider part of the same Yorkshire coast scene, it is just so friendly, welcoming and inspiring. In Hull especially, I’ve met people who I never thought I would, and received incredible advice from people high up in the industry that I never would have got without the friendliness and willingness to help of the people in the scene. Overall I think the Yorkshire coast scene is incredible, and one not to be dismissed!
S] Anything I’ve missed that you’d like to plug before we finish?
I’d like to plug my second album which released/is releasing 4th December and the album launch at the Crescent Lounge in Scarborough 5th December. I’m also in the early stages of planning a Yorkshire tour for April 2027, so follow me on Instagram for updates on that! Speaking of Instagram, I’m on a bit of a mission to grow my following at the moment (grown 270 in the last 3 weeks), so any help in getting new followers who are genuinely interested in my music would be greatly appreciated too, my account is jack_robertson_music. Cheers!