Jackson Colt Releases Grandiose Piano-Rock-Ballad ‘Fallen Angel’
Dale Schnettler of Prime Circle produced 'Fallen Angel,' which features The DrumJ Experience.
By Underground Press
Published Friday, 24 November 2023 08:10
South African rockers Jackson Colt are the essence of 80’s rock reimagined. Hot on the heels of their recent blistering singles ‘Echoes’, ‘Strangers’, and ‘Reckless Love’, the Johannesburg-based retro-rock quartet returns with a grandiose piano-based rock ballad called ‘Fallen Angel’ (that is not only produced by Dale Schnettler from iconic South African band Prime Circle but also features him on drums). Fans of artists like Guns N Roses, Aerosmith, Billy Joel, and Elton John, take note—this one is a sheer scorcher!
Vocalist and guitarist Jackson Colt shares that "Fallen Angel tells the story about a lady who is in a dark place in her life. She is represented by an angel who has fallen from heaven. She was pulled down by the people she trusted. They took her wings and halo, which trapped her with no way of getting back up to her home. The image of heaven is a metaphorical idea of happiness and peace. Those who are in heaven are happy. The storyteller is the only one who believes in her. He loves her, and throughout the song, he sees her pain, and he wants to save her. He can see past her scars and shadows to see the goodness and beauty in her soul. The song is linked with our previous song, Strangers, which mentions the fallen angel. It serves as almost a prequel to the character.
I feel like we have all felt lost and alone at some point in our lives. We all need someone to see our deeper light instead of the superficial darkness that haunts us. Someone who will help us fly Every living thing deserves to be part of "heaven," where we can be happy and free. I wrote the song in April 2022 on an acoustic guitar. Every lyric and note were written on the same night. I saved the song to work on it later, and I believe everything happens for a reason. At the start of 2023, I found myself playing a lot of piano, and the song fit far better on the piano.
Recording the song with producer Dale Schnettler (drummer for the iconic South African band 'Prime Circle', and also from 'The DrumJ Experience') was a lot of fun. It was interesting to record the piano parts, as I've never recorded my piano playing before. Dale's harmonies in the song also added a huge "choir of angels" feel, which was what we both wanted to create. I am very proud of the guitar solo and outro guitar solo I played. I really wanted to focus on the feel and the emotion behind the solo. Both the guitar solos act as a story within the song. The first solo is filled with bends and different-paced licks, which reflect the troubles and changes the lady is facing in her life. The more open outro solo was written to convey a flying or soaring feel to hint that she finally does get to 'fly again' and her journey ends with her being free from her pain. There is also a small hint before the last chorus, with a rising dive bomb. This foreshadows the idea of the angel flying again and returning to heaven with its rising sound."