“When I turned 21, around the time of the Breonna Taylor protests, I actually organized a large protest in my hometown,” the singer continued, referring to the 26-year-old Black woman who was shot and killed by police in her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment on March 13, 2020. “I was able to use my platform to bring those people together through the music and also in the real world. That was an incredible privilege. About six months after that I released my album, ‘Indigo,’ just to talk about how we needed joy, how we needed peace and pride in who we are.”
Global connectivity
“Indigo” was released in February 2021, just months before they graduated from the University of Memphis with a bachelor’s degree in music business. Now, Jordan Occasionally’s music and message is resonating with a wider audience through streaming platforms and social media.
“Once I took over TikTok I was able to create this worldwide fanbase that I’m really grateful for now,” they said. “TikTok had maybe been around for just a year and Lil Nas had blown up on there and Doja Cat. People were like, ‘Why don’t independent artists give it a try?’ So, I spent a year trying to figure out what to do when it came to marketing my music. I ended up garnering a large following from my TikTok fan base. By the end of 2021 I had about 50,000 followers and now I have 99,000.
“That came from persistence with talking about myself as a disco soul artist and activist,” they continued. “I was connecting with people and showing them that side of the music industry. They’ve always said it’s a taboo thing to be an artist who is also political, that you shouldn’t do that, but that’s such a fallacy. I’ve been able to create my entire career based on outspokenness and my pride and encouraging people to use whatever they can to make the world a better place.”
Watch Jordan Occasionally perform the single “If You Want My Love”:
Musical milestone
Friday’s Levitt performance is the first Midwest show for Jordan Occasionally.
“I’m looking forward to the Ohio show and taking such an amazing stage,” they said. “I’m looking forward to seeing Dayton, Ohio for the first time. I’ve actually performed at the Levitt down here in Memphis through Music Export Memphis, which is a local artist grant service. They host the Memphis Tambourine Bash, which brings local artists together to collaborate and perform. It’s a chance to be on stage for the first time in your career.
“It really helps your resume, and I was able to collaborate with other local artists,” they continued. “We did two songs together. That was about a year ago and I feel like it definitely helped me along the way. Shout out to them for always supporting independent artists. This is my first time performing as my own solo artist, so the Levitt show in Dayton is a huge milestone in my career.”
During the Dayton trip, Jordan Occasionally will be speaking to attendees at the Levitt Summer Camp.
“I’ll be working with the kids that day just to help them understand what the music industry is like and what a career in the arts looks like,” they said. “I actually spoke a few times at Rhodes College, which is a private institute here in Memphis. I’ve talked to them about activism in the arts, which is really awesome. They really care about my mission as an activist and artist. I’m excited I get to come talk to people in Dayton and share my music too.
“What I love about Levitt Dayton is it gives people the ability to discover new music every single time you go there,” they continued. “I’ve never been to the Midwest but I’m grateful to have fans in that area and I’m hoping to also create new fans from the experience on stage as a disco soul artist. I really want to use my voice to take up all of that beautiful space and to encourage future generations to believe in themselves and believe in what they want to create in this world.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Inspiring community action
Hope, encouragement and action are messages Jordan Occasionally is happy to share.
“This is such a pivotal time, especially as a leader,” they said. “You see so many laws come up that have been actively targeting and discriminating against people in your community, whether that’s the LGBTQ community, the Black community or anything. I’m really looking forward to continuing to use my platform to be outspoken about the different bans I don’t support and about upcoming elections. I want to let people know how important it is to stay involved with local elections and things of that nature.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to keep my eye on the community,” they added. “I will continue using my platform to bring people to understand that life is bigger, and that music brings us together so we can make change. I will never underestimate the power of small communities to make big change so I’m super excited to be able to continue to carry that torch in Dayton.”
Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or donthrasher100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
Who: Jordan Occasionally
Where: Levitt Pavilion, 134 S. Main St., Dayton
When: 7 p.m. Friday, July 14
Cost: Free
More info: www.levittdayton.org
Artist info: jordanoccasionally.com
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