At the 30A Songwriters Festival, host Jason English sits down with Jack Barksdale, a 17-year-old phenom from the Fort Worth music scene who carries the poise of a seasoned road warrior. Barksdale, who recently signed to the Truly Handmade label associated with the estate of the legendary Guy Clark, is preparing to release a new album produced by Mike Meadows. While often labeled a prodigy, Barksdale remains remarkably grounded, focusing more on the intersection of sound and meaning than the novelty of his age.

Barksdale credits his development to the supportive community in Fort Worth, particularly his relationship with songwriter Guthrie Kennard. After meeting at the Greenwood Saloon, Barksdale spent years playing lead guitar for Kennard, absorbing lessons on authenticity. He recalls a pivotal piece of advice Kennard shared from an old blues player: "You shouldn’t be trying to play my blues. You should be trying to play your blues". This philosophy of self-expression has become a guiding principle for Barksdale's own songwriting.

Despite the constant focus on his youth in interviews, Barksdale approaches the subject with a mature indifference. He views his age as simply the current context of his work rather than a limitation or a gimmick. When writing, he avoids pretending to have wisdom he hasn't earned, stating, "I just try not to be something that I'm not and try to pretend that I know everything... I just try not to fake anything".

Barksdale’s curiosity currently leans toward physics and philosophy, subjects he weaves into his latest batch of songs. He finds comfort in the objective lens of scientific thinking, noting that "sometimes 'I don’t know' is the answer". This inquisitiveness informs his goal to create music where lyrics and melody elevate one another, citing artists like Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits as inspirations for their resilience and commitment to their unique artistic visions.