Global Music Star Celebrates NZ Homecoming

The award-winning singer-songwriter has traded in the bright lights of Nashville, Tennessee, for the mountains of Wānaka and kicks off her highly anticipated “Back to the Roots” homecoming tour in September.

Gore-born Bristow returned to NZ in 2019 for her Blue Moon Rising national tour and to visit family but ended up staying on as the world closed its doors due to Covid-19. She used this time to put the finishing touches on her fifth studio album Outsider – which was mostly recorded in Nashville – and prepared for a wonderfully intimate Aotearoa tour.

“The Back to the Roots tour is absolutely serendipitous for me,” Bristow says. “Like many people, my life was turned upside down by Covid – instead of being on tour in Europe and the USA, I was in lockdown in my sister’s cottage in Waikaia.

“But while waiting to see what was happening with the world, a beautiful new life opened up in NZ for me. I’ve been working on new music and rehearsing for this intimate, engaging tour that I can’t wait to share with NZ.”

Bristow has delivered many chart-climbing country-pop hits – including Shot of Gold and Blue Moon Rising – as well as four critically acclaimed albums, and has large fan followings across the USA and Europe. Most recently she has been living and recording in the world’s music mecca Nashville, where she’s been lauded for “crafting some of the most beautiful, compelling Americana today” by American Songwriter magazine.

Bristow’s incredible voice and songwriting prowess have led to her sharing stages with an impressive resumé of apex artists, from Bonnie Raitt and Boz Scaggs to Chris Isaak and Foreigner.

Her 14-show Back to the Roots tour begins in Auckland on September 10 and ends in Queenstown on October 22, performing at a collection of boutique venues throughout the country where audiences can witness the global star up close and personal.

Although worlds away from Nashville, Jackie says being home has proved both inspiring and creatively productive. She’ll also be unveiling her new single Without You as part of the Back to the Roots tour.

Without You is an endearing earworm of a track Bristow produced with Nashville music boss Rick Price and an all-star muso cast. The single is a testament to modern technology and the creative collaboration that ensued while international borders closed.

“Being in Wānaka is a completely different lifestyle and experience to Nashville. This past year I feel I have stepped into someone else’s body,” she says. “But I am loving being close to my family after being away for so many years, it’s been a really special time.

“I do miss my Nashville music family and the opportunity to play on the international stage, however I can’t wait to catch up with my Kiwi followers on the Back to the Roots tour. It’s going to be a blast.”

Jackie Bristow Back to the Roots tour:
September 10: Anthology Lounge – Auckland
September 11: Leigh Sawmill – Leigh 
September 16: The Jam Factory – Tauranga
September 17: The Dome – Gisborne 
September 18: East End Cafe – Wairoa 
September 22: Small Hall Sessions – Hawke’s Bay 
September 23: Small Hall Sessions – Hawke’s Bay 
September 24: Small Hall Sessions – Hawke’s Bay 
September 25: Small Hall Sessions – Hawke’s Bay 
September 26: Small Hall Sessions – Hawke’s Bay 
September 29: Grater Goods – Christchurch 
October 1: Screaming Rooster – Dunedin 
October 14: Tuatara Cafe – Invercargill 
October 22: Sherwood – Queenstown 

Ticket purchasing
Under The Radar (all venues except the Jam Factory, Small Hall Sessions and Grater Goods) https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/tour/15323/Jackie-Bristow---Back-To-The-Roots-Tour.utr
The Jam Factory https://www.eventspronto.co.nz/jackiebristow
The Small Hall Sessions https://www.smallhallsessions.co.nz/
Grater Goods https://gratergoods.co.nz/collections/tickets/products/spaced-out-sessions?variant=39320155390063