De'Wayne Jackson doesn't run from the memories of a past relationship in his new video for "Truth Is." He soulfully croons about the ups and downs of his first love while a part of him still longs for that connection. As he reminisces on the past with emotional honesty and lingering questions, the visual illustrates his words through captivating scenes. Under gradient skies and starry backyard lights, the closeness between him and his ex unravels before they go their separate ways.
"I wrote "Truth Is" after a visiting home [Houston, TX] for the first time since moving to L.A.," Jackson told The FADER over email. "It was a little over a year since I had been back. During my visit, I spent some time catching up with my ex and I noticed how far apart we had grown from each other. She was my first love, we met in seventh grade and she was the only person I had ever been with."
"Being raised in a traditional Baptist family, we always thought marriage was the next step after high school. We even had names picked out for our kids. I even got her name tattooed on my chest when I was 17. It was that type of love, young love. Looking back it feels a little silly but at the time it was very real to the both of us," he continued.
"In the song, I reflect on that relationship, the good and the bad with the understanding that the better days of the relationship were in the past. Once I took the chance to leave home and chase my dreams in a real way, I got a new perspective on the entire situation. The truth is I was deeply in love but I wanted more. I chose to create my own path in life but I was and still am sometimes haunted by the ghost of that relationship."
His forthcoming Don't Be Afraid EP debuts May 26.