Named after a wild dog, you could say his sound reflects just that. The wild bass drops and distinctive high pitch electric beats will have you bouncing off the walls or bench pressing an extra 50 kilos when played at high volume. It’s his third time back in the country, his fan base getting wilder with every visit. Playing a string of shows across Australia and New Zealand, PEARL’s Jess Taylor had a chat to Mikey Pennington, aka Jackal.
JT: Let’s jumps straight into it, talk us through how you landed with the name Jackal?
J: I wanted to be some kind of animal that was always a thing. My music is quite animalistic I thought it would be cool to have some kind of animal name. My mate back in England suggested it at first and I said it sucked. When I went to release some music I couldn’t think of anything else so it stuck. (laughs)
JT: I read online that your music taste used to be quite different to what it is now? How did you get into the Trap genre?
J: Yeah I did, as a teenager I was really into heavy death metal and breakdowns and stuff and this translated when I heard dubstep and drum and bass. It was the super heavy production always got my attention. I remember hearing TNGHT and Baauer and I remember being in my room and thinking wow, this is the future. From there I’ve always gone to make the biggest and craziest shit I could.
JT: How did you get into producing?
J: At the time none of my friends were really into electronic music, they were all kind of metal heads really. One of my friends showed me some software that he knew and then I got obsessed.
JT: How are you enjoying the tour so far? I heard you had a special celebration a few nights ago?
J: I played Melbourne and Perth so far, it was my birthday in Perth which was really fun. I was feeling a little bit ill that day which kind of sucked but it was a good night anyway. Melbourne was really sick, I loved the crowd there. I’m just so stocked that was only 2 shows, I still have the rest of the tour. It’s my first time in New Zealand so I’m excited to see what’s out there. I’m looking out the window right now and it’s so green!
JT: What have the crowds been like so far?
J: The people over here are really chilled out but the crowds are equally as crazy at the same time like they are in America. It’s always a good crowd. I love playing here. I’ve had a few fans message me saying they have seen me walking around. I think I have more online followers in America compared to here but I’m working on building up my online presence here like on Instagram and shit.
JT: You have a pretty big year ahead; you’re on the Lollapalooza line up. I read on twitter that you have wanted to play at that festival since you saw it on the Simpsons years ago?
J: Fuck yeah, my agent told me I might be playing and I was like no way that’s insane that’s not real. When it got confirmed me and my managers were jumping up and down like holy shit this is real.
JT: How do festivals like Coachella compare to other shows you have done, do you prefer the big crowds?
J: Nothing beats a big crowd at a big festival. That is actually the best feeling of all time. I actually got 20 minutes on stage at Escape festival once in California and that was 20,000 people in front of me. That was the best moment of my life for sure. There’s a picture of me somewhere I’m like screaming at the camera, it’s real adrenaline. (we found it on Jackals Instagram pictured below!)
JT: Talk us through your new track ‘Netflix and Kill’ and working with Dr Fresch?
J: He hit me up on Twitter and was like I wanna make a track with Jackal. I was so down, he has a completely different sound production wise to me and that is obviously interesting. I wanted to make something super crazy that neither of us would make on our own. So I went around to his house, we put some ideas together, some Jackal drums and some of the weirdest shit we could. We went as hard as we could, straight for a club, trying to make the biggest banger we could in 2016.
JT: How have the fans reacted to it? It’s a huge track.
J: It’s been great, it’s had a bunch of plays on Soundcloud. I remember playing it at a few festivals last year, testing it out and the crowds go nuts for it, it’s one of my favourite drops for sure.
JT: What’s getting you inspired right now?
J: I’ll listen to something like a bit of hip hop, something you wouldn’t really think of and then try and like see what it would be like with my sound, that really gets me excited to make something new and original. Taking different influences and putting them together, it’s really fun.
JT: Have you got some more tracks coming out this year?
J: Yeah I’ve got so much stuff coming out I’m just not sure when it’s coming out, but I’m trying to get it out as fast as I can. It’s all my best music for sure, I’m taking my time and it’s there are some really cool vocal features too.
JT: Who else would you like to work with in the future?
J: Kayne West would be really good , one day (laughs) Producer wise, Skrillex, I dunno I’m really into making my own music right now and what im doing.
JT: All the best with your shows, we look forward to hearing the new tracks this year.
J: Thank you
Twitter: @jackalproducer
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jackalproducer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackalproducer/
Instagram: @jackalproducer