Jackie Bristow was born in New Zealand, where she got her start singing in a duo with her sister. The Bristow Sisters played country festivals all over the South Island, singing folk and country songs by the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson and The Judds. She spent time in Australia and in U.S. cities such as Austin and Los Angeles before she moved to Nashville in 2017.
“Blue Moon Rising” is based on a piece by New Zealand visual artist Ivan Clarke. “I became aware of Ivan Clarke though my mum, Liz Bristow, as she is an amazing artist herself,” Jackie says, as she explains the song’s creation. “Mum took me to Ivan’s gallery in Queenstown, and I was so drawn into the art, and I loved the story behind the paintings.
“Also, my dad absolutely loves the blues—and I have not written many blues songs. I wrote this song for fun when I was home visiting my parents in my hometown in Gore, New Zealand, inspired by Ivan’s art. I wrote it with a blues feel for my dad, and while I don’t normally write songs with an audience, Mum and Dad and my sister were enjoying so much I just went ahead and wrote the song in their living room. It was a spontaneous songwriting party.