Ahead of her Latitude set, jasmine.4.t talks channelling rage into empowered songs and why live shows are all about feelings.

Manchester’s jasmine.4.t doesn’t do things by half. Even the song titles on her debut album You Are The Morning – think ‘Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation’ – promise an inventive, razor-sharp lyrical lens. But beyond the playful wit lies music forged in real upheaval: written in the immediate aftermath of coming out as trans, the end of her marriage, and a period of homelessness, You Are The Morning sounds like exactly what its title promises: a hard-won dawn, irrepressibly bright, liberated and full of life.

 

Released on Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records (with Phoebe herself alongside her Boygenius bandmates Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker producing), the record marks the emergence of an artist unafraid to channel vulnerability, anger, and joy all at once. For Jasmine, music has always been a deeply personal space from learning guitar as a child to using her growing platform for socio-political causes today.

 

Touring Europe and preparing for a Latitude set that promises both the cathartic beauty of the album and some newer, heavier material, jasmine.4.t is determined to make every show a space for messy, genuine feeling. There’s no pretence: it’s about being with her band, all fellow trans people, sharing the stage with friends, and offering the audience connection, catharsis through her honest creations.

 

We caught up with Jasmine ahead of Latitude to talk formative festival memories, the power of queer solidarity, and what audiences can expect from her fiercely uncompromising set.

Do you remember the moment you fell in love with music?

I think probably when I got my first guitar when I was around 7 and slowly learning to play the intro to ‘Hey Joe’ by Jimi Hendrix.

Tell us about your most recent project, where do you feel like this is leading you to next?

My debut album You Are The Morning came out in January, which was produced by Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. I wrote these songs in the immediate aftermath of coming out as trans, while my marriage was ending and I was homeless. I’m currently touring, but we have been in the studio between tours. We are working on something heavier.

Outside of music, where do you draw influence from?

My friends, queer solidarity, and my anger at various cunts, in particular Wes Streeting who is killing trans kids, and “Israel” who are genociding Palestine and locking up dissenting protesters around the world, including the Filton 18, which includes my best friend and roadie and chosen daughter Yulia Trot. She is doing 2 years in prison without trial for an alleged connection with people smashing up Israel’s genocide drones at the Elbit headquarters in Bristol. I’m channelling a lot of my anger into my music at the moment.

How has the festival season been for you so far?

Good, though it’s tough without Yulia’s support. Good to be on the road with my girls, though. We are all trans in the band and sometimes we get to just be us and forget about the world beyond our transsexual bubble.

What’s your earliest festival memory?

I went to WOMAD with my family as a kid and I remember seeing Youssou N’Dour and he was incredible.

What can people expect from your Latitude set?

I think we will play a bunch of the album but also a lot of the newer heavy stuff. My friend Maeve Westall has just joined the band on drums, she’s an incredible drummer and a great energy on stage.

Who are your inspirations when it comes to live performance?

Not just for live performance but Big Thief and Adrianne Lenker’s electric guitar playing. We listened to their song ‘not a lot, just forever’ while recording recently, I love that guitar solo. I “borrow” a lot from Adrianne.

Who are you most excited to see at Latitude this year and what song are you looking forward to them performing?

Jacob Alon, all the songs. The whole set.

What’s your ideal festival experience?

Seeing my favourite bands with my friends while staying hydrated (but with no queues for the very clean toilets) and not getting overwhelmed by sticky sunscreen/overlapping soundsystems/crowds and also having a little sip of my bassist’s cigarette occasionally.

What do you hope the audience takes away from your festival set?

Feelings 🥺

What’s next for you?

This whole year is a whole dang tour. I’m currently on a European tour opening with Lucy Dacus (specifically I’m currently on a flight from Oslo to Amsterdam) but we will be working on the new stuff in the background. It’s so exciting, everything is happening and it’s happening so fast. I’m just having a great time hanging with my girls on the road.

Get tickets to Latitude here now and listen to You Are The Morning below.