The lure of the road has always been a defining motivation for singer-songwriter JACKIE BRISTOW.
She took her first musical steps in Gore, in the South Island of New Zealand, honed her craft in the pubs and clubs of Sydney, Australia, and found her voice in the United States, where she has continued to enhance her reputation as a soulful, seductive independent recording artist and dynamic live performer.

Her wanderlust informed her writing on four previous albums – Thirsty (2002), Crazy Love (2007), Freedom (2010) and Shot of Gold (2015) – and again on her fifth, Outsider, which is due for release on March 4, 2022.

While building on the strengths of her previous albums, Outsider finds Bristow drawing inspiration from the music of the American South — particularly the myriad sounds of her adopted home, Nashville.

“Nashville feels like a melting pot in a hub of creativity,” says Jackie. “Being exposed to such great American music has really inspired me.”

Jackie put the finishing touches to Outsider while staying in New Zealand after its first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. While in her homeland she has been “making the best of the crazy world” by focusing her creative energy in new directions.

A planned New Zealand Back to the Roots tour in 2021 fell by the wayside because of Covid restrictions, so Jackie used the time to develop a new youth songwriting programme called SongCatcher. The first programme yielded a single in November 2021, It’s Christmas, written and recorded by Jackie B and the Mini Band, a group of youngsters from the Queenstown area.

“Life changes,” Jackie says. “When one door closes another opens. You can’t sit and dwell on the setbacks. You’ve got to believe in yourself and keep moving forward.”

This unwavering positivity and global outlook have served her well in an industry where there are more hard knocks than greatest hits, enabling her to form lasting relationships with a wide range of influential personalities.

Her exquisite songcraft and compelling live performances have seen her share the bill and a personal connection with many of the world’s musical elite, including Bonnie Raitt, Boz Skaggs, Chris Isaak, Tommy Emmanuel, Steve Miller Band, Foreigner, Art Garfunkel, Phoebe Snow and John Waite.

And, always, the road calls.

‘Outsider, album by Jackie Bristow. A high point among Bristow’s many high points, Outsider blends Americana, rock, blues, urgency, romance, and joy in these 12 songs . Each is a stand-alone jewel and the entire album is an adventure into the heart of a legendary talent. Could be an album of the year.’ – Indie Pulse Music -USA

‘Addictive with a mix of acoustic and deep-down electric guitars, banjo, and her seductive Americana voice, this song will make you rock and soar with her melody at the same time’ – Shutter 16 Magazine – USA

‘Country music has been around for decades. It’s virtually up to the artist to modernize the antiquated mold & recreate a good country tune. Some rehash the same tired ingredients & some have no clue what true country tradition is. But, then there’s a Jackie Bristow who has the frame for it all. She paints with her own bold strokes’ . – Americana Highways

“The record finds her standing at the crossroads of soul and country, rock and roll and singer-songwriter folk and reveals her drive to embrace change, keep moving and to discover something new and exciting.”– Michael Christopher – Daily Times