A Different Thread on Connection
Photo by Chloe Noblit
We recently caught up with Alicia Best and Robert Jackson of A Different Thread to talk about unexpected influences, performing without a setlist, the moments that keep them making art, and why human connection still can’t be replicated by AI.
Q: What’s an influence people wouldn’t expect when listening to your work?
Robert Jackson:Meat Loaf. Both of our dads used to play his records when we were kids and his work has definitely played a role in our music.
Q: What are three works of art that permanently changed how you think?
Alicia Best: The Greek myth of the Twelve Olympian Gods and how the seasons came to be was a big influence on me as a kid. I got to play Athena in a playlist on streaming adaptation of it and I’ve carried that experience with me over the years.
Robert Jackson:Watchmen (the graphic novel).
Alicia Best and Robert Jackson:Woodstock (the documentary). To see so many artists that we look up to playing live, it’s transporting.
Q: How did A Different Thread form?
Robert Jackson: We met busking and singing on the streets of Galway in 2016. We travelled together as two separate acts at first, then entered the Shrewsbury Folk Festival band competition in 2017 and won. That pushed us to form officially as a duo.
Q: What does your creative process look like when it comes to performing live?
Alicia Best: We don’t write setlists. We read the room and choose songs in the moment based on the vibe and the people there. We like telling stories and choosing songs that speak to things that are hard to talk about.
Q: What keeps you making music when it stops feeling rewarding?
Robert Jackson: When people tell us our songs have helped them heal, or motivated them to make a positive change, or keep going. It’s hard to ignore that.
Q: What would you make if money, algorithms, and expectations disappeared?
Alicia Best: We’d probably make an art film in collaboration with our friends, featuring puppetry, music, and surrealism.
Q: What do you think AI can and can’t replicate in music?
Alicia Best: When you’re at a live show, you’re watching the art happen in real time.
Robert Jackson: With AI, the art never happens. It can imitate patterns and sounds, but it can’t recreate the human experience of making music together in a room or the connection between artist and listener.
Q: What’s coming next for you?
Robert Jackson: We’re working on a live album from recordings over the years. We’ve got two more albums worth of demos on Patreon, and an unexpected collaboration we’re hoping to finish for the holidays.
There’s a thread running through A Different Thread’s work that ties memory, movement, and meaning together. From busking in Galway to unfinished demos shared with listeners, their focus stays on presence over polish.
Whether on stage or in the studio, it’s connection that drives everything. And as they look toward new releases and collaborations, that remains the constant.