A kooky jester tangled between butterfly and piggy-clown dancers under the big top for ‘Bad Feeling (Oompa Loompa),’ then flashing a Joker’s grin for ‘Happy Face’—Jagwar Twin wears many hats. (Literally, too; he rocked a zebra-print beanie in the former.) Beyond his delightfully offbeat music videos, he spent last year jet-setting across Europe, opening for Thirty Seconds to Mars and delivering a spellbinding reprise with them of ‘The Kill.’ Safe to say, he’s putting his own spin on music—but don’t just take our word for it. We caught up with him to chat about his New Year’s adventures, the themes he’s diving into for his docuseries The Mirror Sessions (we’re seriously considering hiking lessons just to join his latest D&M session in nature), and more.
‘The Watchers’
We’re coming off your latest hit, ‘The Watchers,’ where you’re often seen holding a crystal ball in its visualizer. It perfectly compliments the theme of someone peering into your life, as the occult object symbolizes glimpsing into the future. What would you most like to see if you could project a future career moment into that crystal ball?
Stadiums and chainmail.
There’s a brilliant blend of influencers in ‘The Watchers’—a touch of Eminem’s spicy production intertwined with an interpolation of Rockwell’s ‘Somebody’s Watching Me.’ It feels like a thoughtful homage to those who inspire you. Are there any artists or styles that you’re excited to explore next?
The way I create music is the same way I listen to music. Every genre, every style, all at once, it’s about the feeling I get. Maybe it’s the Gemini in me. Genres have never made sense to me, so I like blending things together and exploring beyond the borders. We’re entering a renaissance, so a lot of that energy is coming into what I’m creating.
You’ve made an interesting point about ‘The Watchers,’ saying it’s about “not knowing whether you’re living your life or performing it.” Many of us reach a point where we’re just going through the motions of daily life. So, outside of music, what else gives you that freeing feeling of truly living life on your own terms?
It’s moment-by-moment micro-decisions. Agreements I make with myself. One of those is that I have everything I need in myself. No one can take that away. A lot of my time as an artist has been to remove fear. Fear of what other people think, fear of having to make a living, fear of failure, and fear of success—it’s all a block. The game is love. I know I am always taken care of if I am living in truth, under love.
Touring
You had an incredible past year touring Europe with your heroes, frontman Jared Leto’s Thirty Seconds to Mars. Your announcement post touched on their ‘Hurricane’ music video and how you attended its premiere as a fan. What do you think was the pivotal moment that took you from being in the audience at an event like that to sharing the stage with them as peers?
It took me time to really believe in myself. To know myself. On the one hand, I always felt like I was born for this, like some destiny was calling to me, but on the other hand, I struggled to really believe I could do the things I felt in my heart. My head got in the way. And it was all really a reflection of the way I saw myself and treated myself. Others treat you how you treat yourself. We’re all mirrors.
Is there anything you’ve learned from them since then that you’d like to incorporate into your own headlining shows—because it feels inevitable that it’s only a matter of time?
I picked up a lot of good things from Jared. He really pays attention to the details. One of the things I am most excited about in my life is building my headliner show. Really taking people through a story and into the depths of what it is to be human.
While on tour, you made it a point to visit places that align with your love of magic—dragon caves and castles—and it’s like you were just one broomstick away from stepping into the world of Harry Potter. Is there a magical destination still on your bucket list that you’d like to explore next year?
I do try to hit magical places wherever I go. I visited where Nostradamus lived in Turin, an old alchemy lab in Prague, and my favorite was going to the Knights Templar initiation well in Portugal. I still haven’t been inside the Great Pyramid in Egypt, so that’s up top.
2025
We’re obsessed with the dynamic chaos of the ‘Bad Feeling (Oompa Loompa)’ music video—from its bold pops of red to that unforgettable balloon dress. Honestly, we’re a little jealous we didn’t get a glimpse at your mood board for it. So, without giving too much away, what kind of visuals are inspiring you as you work on new music?
Magic, knights, medieval times, and the galactic future.
Given how busy you were touring, we totally get that you only had time for one episode of The Mirror Sessions this year with Briana Cuoco from Dead Boy Detective. During your walk, you dove into your interest in astrology. So, we couldn’t resist looking it up—what’s the most spot-on astrology meme for your sign, Gemini, that really fits you?
I’m a Gemini, but I identify as a Libra. There are so many aspects of our chart that make up who we are. The Gemini in me loves to think, and my mind can fly a million miles a minute, so I have a giant sword, but the trick is how to use it and for what end. (Jagwar dropped a Gemini meme featuring Cinderella looking like she just discovered calculus, captioned: “Overthinking things that are actually simple”).
These The Mirror Sessions often delve into introspective topics. Taking your 2024 into account, what themes do you feel the most eager to dive into for future episodes?
I want to dive into love. There’s so much depth there.
Lastly, we have to know—do you have any New Year’s Eve traditions? You definitely don’t strike us as someone who’s asleep by eight p.m.!
I love going to bed early and waking up early. I just picked the wrong career for that. People are having weddings on NYE now. Josh Dun and Debby Ryan had theirs a few years ago, and this year, my friends Brian Dales and Briana Cuoco got married, so love is a good way to start. But my favorite is probably being alone, meditating, giving thanks, and just being still. I really love my alone time when I can get it.
That’s how Jagwar kicked off the year, and now we’re on the edge of our seats to see how he wraps it up! Do you have any predictions that ‘The Watchers’ crystal ball might’ve missed? Hit us up on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook—who knows, you might just manifest them into reality!
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