Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Cheryl Waters, host of the Midday Show on KEXP, is "pawnshop" by Kara Jackson, from the 2023 album Why Does The Earth Give People To Love? from September Recordings.
As the 2019 National Youth Poet Laureate, Chicago-based singer/songwriter Kara Jackson has a demonstrated command of words, showcased on her debut full-length album, Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love?. “There’s so many words on this project," Kara says via a press statement, "it’s important for me that people know I can write things, maybe in ways they aren’t used to seeing.”
Jackson wrote and recorded the demos for her first LP in her childhood bedroom during the pandemic, reaching out to NNAMDÏ, Kaina, and Sen Morimoto to help record and produce.
Today's Song of the Day sets her thoughts against slide guitar in this country-tinged track. She says the song is “about uncovering how worth is subjective,” adding, “It’s taking ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ and reveling in that sentiment, taking pride in the fact that even if people can’t understand your value, only you know how priceless you are.”
