Jackson Indie Music Week celebrates a decade of showcasing local talent
Jackson Indie Music Week, the city’s longest running independent music festival, is marking its 10th anniversary with a major change. It is shifting from its traditional January dates to a warmer spring season.
Founder and executive director Brad “Kamikaze” Franklin, a former musician himself, envisions the festival as a long term investment in Jackson’s burgeoning music scene. “When I go into things, I always go into things with the thought that they’re going to be long term and consistent,” Franklin said. This 10-year milestone marks the completion of a plan he and his team set in motion from the festival’s inception.
One of the most notable changes this year is the move to an outdoor format, taking advantage of the warmer spring weather. The festival, now set for March 30th through April 5th, will feature a mix of performances and events across the city, including the flagship indie showcase, which will take place outdoors for the first time.
Franklin said: “January in Jackson… it could be 20 degrees, or it could be 80. Moving it provides us the opportunity to do outside stuff and to get away from Christmas and the first of the year.”
Beyond the performances, Jackson Indie Music Week has always been about elevating independent artists and creating a sustainable platform for local talent. Franklin, who has performed at major festivals like South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and the A3C music festival in Atlanta, wanted to build something similar in his hometown to prevent artists from feeling they had to leave the state to succeed. “Mississippi is the birthplace of America’s music. So it’s only appropriate that we have a seven-day music festival in the birthplace of America’s music.”
A key highlight of this year’s festival is the Icon Awards, an event dedicated to honoring pioneers in Jackson’s music scene. Set for April 3rd at the 440 Club in Jackson, the awards will recognize individuals having played a pivotal role in shaping the city’s musical landscape. This year’s honorees include Tommy Marshall, a respected record promoter with Universal Records, and Henry Rose, a well known singer who has performed in Jackson for more than three decades. Also being honored are producer and engineer Ron Carbo, who once worked as a road manager for New Kids on the Block, and the late Thomas Chalmers Davis, a beloved local performer.
As Jackson Indie Music Week enters its second decade, Franklin is already thinking about the future. While he has led the festival from the start, he sees it as something that should outlive his involvement. “I created this for this to be something sustainable so that it could be anybody sitting in this seat moving forward.” He credits his dedicated team with keeping the festival growing. “I surround myself with a really good team of folks and I know it’s going to be in good hands when I pass it on.”
With a decade of success behind it and a new chapter ahead, Jackson Indie Music Week continues to shine a light on Mississippi’s deep musical roots while providing a platform for emerging talent. As Franklin and his team look forward to the next 10 years, the festival remains a testament to the strength and endurance of Jackson’s creative community.
For more information, visit https://jxnindiemusic.com.
