Following his graduation from Wesleyan in 2023, Nethercutt moved to Salt Lake City for a yearlong internship at the University of Utah. After completing the experience, he returned to North Carolina and began a new chapter as an elementary school music teacher near Wilmington in 2024. While the transition brought exciting opportunities, it also came with significant personal and professional adjustments.

鈥�These Illustrations tells the story of how a relationship formed and blossomed from a friendship to a romance,鈥� said Nethercutt. 鈥淚t became an irreplicable interconnectedness created by shared hardship.鈥�

Nethercutt shared that the first half of the song reflects his internal conflict about allowing love into his life during a time when he already felt emotionally overwhelmed. As the song progresses, it shifts toward the peace and warmth he found through the relationship, ultimately capturing the exhilaration of falling in love while navigating a difficult season of life.

In addition to its personal meaning, Nethercutt noted that the song was also his most challenging production project to date. With its extended length and complex structure, including key and time signature changes, the recording process required significant time and attention to detail. Nethercutt wrote, performed, recorded, and produced the track entirely on his own from his apartment studio.

鈥淚 did a lot of experimenting with things like unique vocal harmonies, layering eight different acoustic guitar parts in the chorus, and having two bass lines going back and forth at each other in the hook,鈥� he explained.

Nethercutt credits his experience in NCWU鈥檚 Music Production (MUP) program for preparing him to independently produce music at a professional level. He also expressed gratitude to Tony Sawyer, Assistant Professor of Music Production and Director of 301 North Records, who helped him develop key recording and mixing skills, as well as songwriting abilities through courses such as Music Theory and History of Popular Music.

鈥�I gained a lot of skill and experience in the MUP program at Wesleyan that allows me to be able to do it all myself instead of having to pay someone else to do it for me,鈥� said Nethercutt.

鈥淭hese Illustrations鈥� is Nethercutt鈥檚 second release under his stage name Kneethercute, a nickname stemming from a mispronunciation of his last name that has followed him since high school. He has also released music collaboratively under the name Camp Runaway.

Looking ahead, Nethercutt is currently working on his next musical project, expected later this summer, as well as a new YouTube channel titled 鈥淎 Human Adventure,鈥� which will document his life and music in an authentic and personal way.

Fans can follow Nethercutt on social media to stay updated on future releases.

NCWU congratulates Jackson Nethercutt on this exciting new release and proudly celebrates the continued achievements of its alumni in the music and production industries.

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The project, produced under 301 North Records, features an impressive lineup of former members of NCWU鈥檚 performance ensemble Spectrum, including:

• Joshua Strausser 鈥�20
• Will Plyler 鈥�21
• Justin Long 鈥�21
• Madison Barbour 鈥�21
• Jackson Nethercutt 鈥�23
• Colby Whaley 鈥�23

The single was officially released on Friday, November 28th, and is now streaming on all major digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.

Tony Sawyer, Assistant Professor of Music Production and Director of 301 North Records, shared his excitement about the project: 鈥淚t was wonderful to work in collaboration with our alumni on this musical project. It is my hope that we can have more such alumni collaborations in the near future.鈥�

NCWU continues to celebrate the success of its graduates and the growth of its innovative Music Production program. This release showcases not only the skill and creativity fostered at Wesleyan, but also the lasting connections formed through its close-knit artistic community.

For more information about the Music Production program or 301 North Records, visit here.

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