Heart. Ambition. Discipline.
These are less a display of random motivational words and more so adjectives I would use to describe the very aura of Jadan Locklear. A fellow terrestrial who harbors an approach to life and music that is all encompassing. Do read on, because you will find proven responses that these aspects of her being only co-align more than ever wouldn’t. But first, a quick story!
I met Jadan back in March (2023) when I was chosen as a panelist for evaluations put on by Rahm Academy cohorts. It was their Spring semester and this was the first of two gauntlet showcases. One of those folks was (technically) Greenville’s resident raspy crooner, Scotty K (if yer reading this, I’m still comin’ for ya’, bud!).
However, Jadan is Scotty’s bassist [and, at the time, interim manager] and I actually got to talking to her and Scotty’s drummer (Caleb Mayfield) before even seeing Scotty scooting around Velo Fellow (the bar/venue this was held at).
They’re the cats who are cooler than even they think they are, and I’m sure Caleb is still tellin’ folks “he just hits shit with sticks,” but my man…drums and bass are what drive people’s feet. Lyrics move you on the inside, but the groove is what moves you on the outside! We wound up talking for a solid 10-15 minutes, just breezing over who they are and what they did.
A part of that day, later on, were across-the-table-interviews-of-sorts with the artists and their managers. I wound up being divvied Jadan and Scotty second. Neither of them shied away from answering any questions and, if I remember correctly, I asked a question out of misunderstanding at one point. While everyone at the table did perk up a bit…Jadan cleared the air with absolute grace and did not take the question as a jab, and understood it as mere curiosity.
In the same wave of calm, collaborative poise, I am finally getting to introduce the Moved to another stellar South Carolinian up-and-comer. Someone who cares deeply for their craft and transmutes that care into the very movements of their life.
Please welcome producer, artist, musician, and moonwalker…Jadan Locklear!
MBM: Jadan, welcome! Of course, a standard first question…when do you feel like music moved you beyond simply being an interest?
JL: I started writing raps when I was in middle school and I think that was when I had that moment of “Yea, I want to be a musician when I grow up” type of thing. I had a small group of friends and we would write a Hook on a piece of paper and then add our verses to the page and share it like a note. I was in a magnet program at my middle school so essentially I spent a lot of time on the bus to go to school across town. I spent a lot of that time listening to albums on my phone that I would pirate/torrent download for free on the computer at home, and I began to teach myself to play guitar in the 7th grade. Don’t let that fool you though, I’m no Guitar Hero.
MBM: Do you have any memorable music moments from your childhood?
JL: Michael Jackson: Moonwalker.
Like most families back in the day we had a movie rack with a variety of VHS Tapes and DVDs. Michael Jackson Moonwalker always stood out to me, I had no idea who Michael Jackson was, and my mom always told me not to watch it. Probably because of the controversy and she had likely never seen it herself. However, that only made me more curious. So one day sometime around 2nd or 3rd grade, I popped it in the VCR, and it was so awesome to me. It essentially tied together music videos from Jackson's “Bad” album with a story where the bad guy's motive is to have children hooked on drugs and at the end Michael turns into a car. Weird to say the least, but I would watch it frequently on repeat, copying his dance moves and singing along to his songs. In the 5th grade I placed runner up at my Elementary School Talent Show for dancing to Thriller with two of my friends. It can be found on youtube, but I will reveal no hints to finding it.
MBM: From producing to bass slappin’…tell us more about your recent movements in the music realm!
JL: Man, my most recent move has been moving less and learning more. Which feels like a starting over moment, or a new chapter. I've learned that people can be really busy and doing a lot of nothing. I might be guilty of that at times. I've felt in a transitional period very recently and I'm trying to make a conscious effort to put my energy in the right places so that I'm leveling up effectively if that makes sense. I'm very grateful to be recently involved with Brett Ensley and Brett Ensley Studios and the team there. My relationship there is very fresh, I'm still getting to know everyone and I’m so hungry to be better, learn more, and overall super excited for what's to come from my involvement. I want to be as involved as possible, because you are what you surround yourself with, and they’re genuinely brilliant, awesome people. Mostly though, I'm focused on learning and growing relationships right now so that my next moves are very intentional.
MBM: Outside of anything music related, do you have any additional hobbies, interests, talents?
JL: Immaturely, I believe, for years i’ve been hard on myself when it comes to certain types of leisure. It's Hustle Culture; kinda like the principle of having ice cream before dinner. Can't reward myself with wasting time when I want to make a million dollars by yesterday. To emphasize my statement before, I try to really apply the principle of “you are what you surround yourself with” so if i’m surrounded by things that will advance my career or skills then I cannot fail. However, sometimes that is false. Again, people can be very busy and doing nothing. Leisure is important though, you've got to step away from the tunnel vision on chasing goals. With that being said, I've been getting into Golf. I told Scotty K recently that “I'm just trying to get good at golf, because rich people golf, and I want to be good at golf once I'm rich. I've been preparing to be rich my whole life.” I'm also a big movie buff. Huge Marvel fan. My favorite superhero is Dr. Strange and my current binge has been trying to consume the Star Wars series. It's a lot, and I'm behind (I know, I know), but I'm here for it.
MBM: Any fellow producers, artists, or designers you would enjoy collaborating with?
JL: There's a lot of options. Outside of the guys I've already worked with and continue to look forward to working with, there are a handful of artists in the Upstate that have some cool content and talent that I'd love to collaborate with. Vonte Write is dope, we’ve been in the studio once or twice together. Holliday is making a lot of noise, I admire his branding as a whole. Atticus Thatcher makes really cool music also. RelloXP! don't miss either, can't go wrong with the timeless flow. As well as a handful of other musicians and artists in the Upstate, as well as local producers. That's just a few. Now, if we're talking Billboard mainstream artists we could go on and on about that for a while, but those are some of the [local] guys catching my attention lately.
MBM: Where do you envision your movements in music going from here?
JL: 10,000 Hours. 2023 has been a year of dialing in for me, focusing on my strengths and weaknesses. This period of my life feels like a coming of age in general, so I anticipate my career to potentially experience some growing pains. Definitely expect to see me on stage alongside Scotty K and the crew doing the bass thing. Sharpening my skills as a producer, executing my ideas as an artist, and collaborating with other artists to help execute their visions. It takes 10,000 hours to master something. Talent is not God-given, nor is it something you are born with. Talent requires hard work and dedication.
If that last sentence didn’t sting you in the keister to kickstart taking yourself more seriously as an artist, I’m not sure what else will! I’m not sure what else to say myself, other than… Jadan gets it.
She understands that you can’t create something out of nothing.
Producing anything…a song, a poem, a video, sculptures, canvas on oil, a blog post…it all takes dedication and precise curation. I believe the biggest takeaway I received from weaving this piece is: structure.
Build yourself up first, because whatever blows or winds you face amid actualizing your dreams thereafter are only part of those aforementioned growing pains. Others aren’t in charge of where you go from here, you are.
Follow Jadan on Instagram and check out her website for further info and links to her other socials. Until next time, y’all… Stay moved!
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