In the past, I have interviewed many veterans who got into music full-time after they left the service. But I have never featured an active-duty military member.
Meet Bree Jaxson, which is a stage name, currently deployed overseas as a Captain for Cyberspace Operations in the U.S. Air National Guard. She is also an accomplished country music singer and songwriter.
Growing up in Baltimore, Jaxson’s circumstances were not ideal. No one in her family was musical, but music became her outlet. Her inspirations include Maren Morris, Lauren Alaina, Adele, and Lindsey Ell.
“I would write about how I was feeling, or I would listen to music to make it through some of the harder times. I learned that instead of being more destructive, I could use my words and my talent to make music that I could relate to and other people could relate to. And it got me through a lot of tough times,” she recalled.
Jaxson ended up going to a high school for the performing arts, where she was active in musical theater. But because she left her difficult home life at age 16, she could not support herself as a struggling musician.
“There was no way to make [music] a full-time lifestyle. So I knew if I wanted to make it anywhere at that point in my life, the military is where I needed to be,” she shared.
For the first nine years of her military career, Jaxson, an Afghanistan combat war veteran, put music on the back burner. But because being a singer/songwriter was her first passion, she eventually found a way back to it.
As any rising performer knows, you need a lot of money to create music demos with producers, promotions, and the whole ball of wax that comprises the entertainment industry. Therefore, Jaxson decided to remain in the Air National Guard and pursue music between deployments.
“Without the military, without a full-time career, I wouldn’t even be able to do music,” she said.
While deployed, she uses her downtime to write songs and work on her music career. “You can ask my husband. It’ll be midnight, and I’m on my laptop sending out emails, doing PR, and writing my producer. I learned that if I want to continue my dreams, then I don’t care if I don’t sleep that night. But I try not to interfere with my kids or family time,” she stated.
One of Jaxson’s first songs, “Giving In,” was released in 2021. The song is about chasing your dreams and going for them regardless of the outcome. It says, “If you want to do this, if this is your dream, go into it full throttle.”
Another early song is a rocking banger, “Country Heart City Roots.” The energetic anthem is one of my favorites of Jaxson’s. It is a song about letting loose, reminding us all that “being country” is a matter of the heart, not location.
One of the most exquisite songs Jaxson has ever written, “With You,” was released in 2022. She wrote the song after her daughter begged her to come home while she was on deployment near the Mexican border. After nearly a year away, she reminded her 7-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son that she was always with them even when she couldn’t physically be there. The heartfelt tribute earned her a placement in People magazine.
Because of songs like “Make Me Hate You,” “Way Back,” “Strangers Again,” and, most recently, “Won Now,” I initially thought that Jaxson was a single mom. But that isn’t the case. She is married, and her husband supports her dual careers. Like other artists, she has learned that Breaking Up and Getting Over You songs are more relatable to her fans.
Her husband asked her, “Can you please write a love song at some point?” She replied, “They’re not as interesting.”
However, the song she is most proud of is her recent single, “Tough Girl” which features her daughter, Addison.
Jaxson admitted she is fed up with everyone telling her how women are supposed to act when dealing with these struggles. The world tells women that to be a “tough girl,” you have to “put on your best disguise / and put your fears away, roll up those sleeves / and pretend it’s alright,” but that is just not the case.
She wants to remind her children and others not to shy away from being human because it is seen as something you aren’t “supposed” to do. This single serves as the validation that we all need to hear sometimes.
“I hope that every woman and man out there recognizes that being a tough girl is a blessing in everyone’s life,” Jaxson said.
Her daughter sings at the end of the song, and she knows that her daughter also wants to be a performer. “I want her to know, especially nowadays in society, like she can be anything she wants to be,” the singer/songwriter confessed.
Jaxson is one of the most gifted lyricists I have encountered in a while. With her background in musical theater, she blends jazz, pop, and rock influences to create her unique country sound. Because of her unique professional career, the military captain has met many people from different cultures and backgrounds, and she tries to express that in her music.
Her experiences throughout life have taught her that music can help you get through anything, and she hopes her fans will experience the same with her newest musical releases.
You can follow Jaxson on her website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and all streaming platforms.
– – –
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Facebook, Instagram, and X.
