Jacob Hackworth Talks New Single “You Ain’t,” Friendship With Tucker Wetmore, His Musical Journey And More

Growing up in West Plains, MO, what role did your small-town upbringing play in shaping your music?

There are probably more dirt roads than stop lights in West Plains, so needless to say, there wasn’t much to do for fun other than listen to music. I spent a lot of time listening to everything under the sun, which has shaped my music in a big way. I also write a lot of my experiences into my music and I lived a lot of life in West Plains so naturally it ends up in my songs.

Moving from a small town to Nashville in 2019 must have been a big leap. What would you say was the hardest part about that transition?

Leaving my family was definitely the hardest thing to overcome when I moved to Nashville. They’ve always been supportive of my music, but the fact that they were all so encouraging about the move definitely helped the transition. I’m grateful to have them in my corner.

You’ve worked some unique jobs such as bartending, DJing on a party boat and more while chasing your dream. Were there any standout moments during those jobs that maybe helped you in your career path as a singer/songwriter?

Because there were so many other songwriters trying to make it that also worked on the party boat, I’d say that was one of the jobs that helped the most on my path here in town. It was really cool to have that community of people, all working towards the same thing… and we had a lot of fun doing it. In fact, Heath Warren (who I co-wrote “Rock And A Hard Place” with) was one of my co-workers on the boat— he actually got me that job.

You’ve penned hits for artists like Bailey Zimmerman, Corey Kent, Kane Brown, Morgan Wallen and more. Can you talk about that feeling when you write a song and pitch it out and artists of this caliber want to cut a track you wrote, and then it goes on to become a massive hit?

As a songwriter, there is something satisfying about writing a song you love and then setting it free to watch it do its thing, and I am always grateful when an artist wants to put out a song I’ve written. There are so many great songwriters and songs in this town, and to be able to get a spot on an album is a big deal. I don’t really think that will ever go away for me, no matter how many cuts I have.  There are a lot of stages in the life of a song, and it can be an emotional rollercoaster, so when there are rumblings of a song going to a certain artist or has “single potential,” I try to block out the “what ifs” and just keep focused on writing.  That can be hard to do though… You hear one of the biggest names in the game might record your song, and you start to really hope it gets cut. Then they cut it, and you wonder if they’ll actually release it. Then it comes out, and you hope it becomes a hit and maybe even a single, and then you keep dreaming about just how high it will go. The hopes get bigger with each step and when all of those things start happening, it’s a wave of ‘wow this is actually happening.’ That is kind of how it was with ‘Rock And A Hard Place.’ It was really wild to watch the journey of that song and just how big that song ended up — especially because that was my first real cut.

You and Tucker Wetmore are good buddies, can you talk about how that friendship came together and how it led to you co-writing six tracks on his debut album, What Not To, including the song that launched him to stardom, “Wine Into Whiskey”?

I met Tucker at Losers like four years ago, kind of by accident. I had a buddy named Tucker and me and my buddies were calling to him from across the bar and then Tucker Wetmore asked us ‘why are y’all calling my name?’… we kind of hit it off from there and started hanging out all the time and making music together. For years neither of us had much happening in our careers, but eventually we wrote “Wine Into Whiskey,” he teased it on TikTok and next thing we know, he’s blowing up. He started writing for his debut album pretty quickly after that so we wrote more and partied less and ended up with a handful of songs that made the final cut. I really love how his record turned out, and I’m so stoked to see him crushing it.

You recently wrapped a tour with Tucker Wetmore and even played The Ryman Auditorium, where you earned a standing ovation. What was that experience like for you, and what was going through your mind at that moment?

Being out on tour with Tucker was such an incredible experience. Getting to travel the country with one of my best buddies was awesome, but being able to connect with fans and see their reactions was top tier. I remember the first night we played in New Mexico, I went to the merch booth after my set and I bet I took 100 pictures with fans who had stories of how my songs impacted their life. It was really a good reminder why I love doing this.  It was just me and my guitar for most of the tour, so what was going through my mind during the set was usually ‘don’t mess this up!’ That moment at the Ryman was something else though, being on such a hallowed stage in Nashville, I definitely felt the pressure, so seeing the crowd give me a standing ovation meant so much to me. It was a moment I’ll never forget.

How do you balance writing for other artists versus songs you write to keep for yourself to sing?

Sometimes we go into the writer’s room with the intent of writing for a particular artist — which makes the decision of who should cut it pretty easy. Other times we’ll write what inspires us in that moment and when that happens, it’s really a gut decision. I think the key to finding the balance is just to write as much as possible so you’re constantly sharpening your skills and have a wealth of material to choose from.

How does it feel to step from behind the scenes as a songwriter to the spotlight as a performer?

I moved to Nashville because I wanted to take being an artist to the next level, and have always felt songwriting is crucial to that journey. When I first started working with my team, we all had the same vision of really locking in on songwriting as a way to build a community here, learn from some of the best in the business, find my sound and get more experience. I love performing, being on tour and connecting with fans, so I am so excited to get back out there, and I feel ready and am extremely proud of the body of work we have put together.

Who are some of your biggest musical inspirations?

I listen to a little bit of everything but hearing Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Luke Combs and Florida Georgia Line were formative experiences. Justin Bieber is also a huge influence, but the way that Post Malone blends genres and can do pretty much anything he wants is peak.

Can you talk about your debut single, “When I Don’t,” and what inspired that track?

I had the idea “When I Don’t” on my way to the write that day, and I knew I was with the perfect crew to write it. When we were trying to decide on the first single, this one just kept coming up and the more and more we talked about it, it started to be clear it was the first one to go with.

Now to follow up that song, you’ve just released your new song, “You Ain’t,” can you tell us about this track?

I wrote ‘You Ain’t’ in Denver during time off on the Waves On A Sunset Tour. We rented out a studio in Denver for three days and just wrote from sun up ’til sun down. This was actually the very last song of that run—we were wrapping up and Gabe started this riff on the guitar, and we knew we had to run with it. After we wrote it, I just kept playing it over and over so I felt like it had to be the next song. I also wanted the follow up to “When I Don’t” to showcase another side of my music— and this one felt like it did that— it is so ruthless, it almost makes me feel like I’m playing a character when I sing it.

The single release party was held at Barstool Nashville on July 24. How’d it go?

It was FUN. The place was packed, and the crowd went truly insane when Tucker (Wetmore) surprised them and sang ‘Wine Into Whiskey’ with me. It meant a lot for the ol’ boy to come through and celebrate “You Ain’t” with me, especially since it was written while on tour with him. It was a great night of celebrating — I had my friends, family, team, co-writers and what felt like half of Nashville there. I’m grateful.

Will these songs appear on a larger project to come in the near future? 

Most definitely. I have a lot of songs I am ready to put out. Some of them are finished and some of them we are in the middle of cutting. But the answer is yes, plenty of more music to come. I’m extra stoked for the next song we’re going to put out, we played it at the “You Ain’t” release show and I have a feeling it’s going to be a fan favorite.

What other plans do you have coming up for the rest of 2025 and beyond?

We have a couple shows that will be announced coming together, but more than anything I will be heavily working towards putting together a project to release and will keep on writing songs.