Watch: Jackson Dean on NZ debut, LOTR obsession & more

Jackson Dean is finally coming to New Zealand!

American country rocker Jackson Dean is making his long-awaited New Zealand debut this October, and if you’ve seen even a snippet of his live shows online, you’ll know we’re in for something wild.

“I know it’s snuck up on us,” Jackson told iHeartCountry NZ. “But me and all the boys are pretty excited.”

While he’s toured Australia before, this will be his first time stepping foot in NZ. And for Jackson, that’s a big deal. “A big part of it for me is going places that are hard to get to from home,” he said. “It’s a wild feeling going to the other side of the planet and they know who you are.”

Jackson’s fanbase has been growing globally since day one, thanks to social media and streaming. “We’ve had fans in Europe and Australia since I started doing this,” he said. “It’s really just about going anywhere they’ll let us play.”

If you’ve ever watched Jackson perform, you’ll know he doesn’t hold back. “I’m full of adrenaline up there,” he said. “It’s like walking a tightrope… there’s no feeling like it.”

He describes performing as a physical, almost spiritual experience. “My job is to make something intangible fly through the air and into somebody else’s body and make them feel things,” he said. “You can’t leave anything in the tank.”

When asked what he wants to do while down under in NZ, Jackson didn’t hesitate: Hobbiton. “I was trying not to talk about it this whole time,” he admitted. “But ain’t nobody got nothing on Lord of the Rings.”

Turns out Jackson is a full-blown Tolkien nerd. “I was listening to Andy Serkis read The Silmarillion on my last drive home,” he said. “From a creative standpoint, it’s incredible. It started out as a language and became a whole world.”

So what can Kiwi fans expect when Jackson hits the stage?

“It’s all or nothing up there with us,” he said. “Some nights it’s anarchy. I want people to sing, headbang, and let something run through them.”

Watch our full chat with Jackson Dean below!

Hear Jackson Dean and more of your favourite country artists on iHeartCountry NZ by using the player below.