The 5 Coolest Highlights from Jameson Distilled Sounds 2025 With Anderson .Paak

Jameson Distilled Sounds returned to Cavan Town, Ireland, this August, for a second session led by Jameson’s Music Distiller, Anderson .Paak. This year’s event was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Charged by collaboration, connection, and cultural exchange, the energy floating throughout the whiskey brand’s woodland Irish campus was beyond electric. From August 13-15, the Grammy-winning AP and Jameson’s creative family brought together a number of artists from around the world for an experience like no other.

From Nigerian soul to Kazakh synth pop, the 2025 lineup featured 20+ artists from across the globe, reflecting the rise of non-English hits and cross-genre experimentation. “This year’s class of artists were very unique,” AP told Complex. “I was really impressed with their music.” Over three days, AP, alongside a carefully curated group of speakers, came together to share ideas and imagine new worlds, using workshops, Q&As, performances, and collaborative challenges as a way to uncover the sounds of tomorrow, resulting in some impressive collaborations.

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“I love collaborating,” explained R&B singer Monica Karina, the first Indonesian artist to be selected as part of Jameson Distilled Sounds. “This experience has been very affirming. You can put together all these people from different parts of the world, and some of us don’t even speak the same language, yet we find that little golden window and just make music.”

For AP, collaborating with others, regardless of their level of fame, teaches him a lot about himself. “I like the conversations that are had between artists and humans, and I like laughing and going through the journey of working with someone,” he explained. “I love sharing. I think it strengthens your superpowers when you’re willing to give it out.”

Blending music, visuals, style, identity, and community, the spontaneity of 2025’s Jameson Distilled Sounds program is what impressed AP the most. “This year’s experience has been great,” he said. “I tried a few newer things that I didn’t do last year, which was cool because all the artists went with it.” He liked it so much that he’s already thinking about returning for a third year. “I would love to come back next year.”

Joining AP in Ireland for this year’s Jameson Distilled Sounds, here, Complex breaks down the highlights of the 2025 program.

ANDERSON .PAAK BREAKS DOWN “COME HOME” DURING THE ‘SLEEVE NOTES’ WORKSHOP

Anderson .Paak is seated on stage, speaking into a microphone at a workshop titled

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In this engaging workshop, AP pulled back the curtain on the creative process behind “Come Home,” his 2019 Grammy-winning collaboration with André 3000. Alongside his engineer Jhair Lazo, AP delivered an intimate audio/visual breakdown that felt like a high-end blend of Dissect and Song Exploder. Giving the music nerds in the room a look at the song’s stems, he even played some early demo versions, including an unexpected experimental trap adaptation. The session also revealed an exciting tidbit: Anderson Paak has at least three albums of unreleased material on a hard drive somewhere. Will any of it ever see the light of day? “Only time will tell,” he said.

ARTISTS SHOW AND PROVE FOR ‘ANDERSON .PAAK’S REMIX CHALLENGE’

Three people sitting on a couch, holding microphones, and engaging with an audience. They are casually dressed, with a green neon sign in the background.

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Intentionally throwing a “curveball” on day two, AP issued a remix challenge with a twist. Splitting the artists into small groups and arming them with the stems for “Come Home,” he gave them an hour to reimagine the song using a different genre. From trap and punk to country and folk, creativity and collaboration reigned supreme. With no rules, the artists were given the creative freedom and expression to produce the new tracks using their own equipment from the comfort of their cabins. After completing the task, everyone gathered at the Jameson bar to listen to the remixes, some just clips, others a full chorus, and a few even playing the whole song. “I didn’t know what to expect,” AP said. “But when they all came back, I was blown away.”

JAMESON’S SPRAWLING WOODLAND CAMPUS INSPIRES ENDLESS CREATIVITY

A shelf with a vintage radio, red siphon bottle, wooden speaker, and green illuminated

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Nestled away in the serene backwoods of Ireland’s Cavan Town, Jameson’s custom-built Cabu campus provided the perfect backdrop for a week of one-of-a-kind collaborations. Beyond the vibrant recording studio, multiple rehearsal rooms, and transformative performance spaces, the extensive campus also features a bar, a shop, and for those in need of a cleanse, a series of hot tubs and relaxation rooms. The impressive space is also home to several rustic cabins, which is where this year’s Jameson Distilled Sounds class boarded. With a commitment to nurturing creativity, Cabu also provided the artists with some outdoor inspiration, whether walking the numerous trails or peacefully unwinding by the boathouse lake. Truly stunning stuff.

STYLE EXPERTS EXPLORE HOW FASHION AND MUSIC SYNC

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Fashion and music have always been synonymous with one another, and so it was no surprise to see them explored in an insightful roundtable discussion. Hosted by Lea Ogunlami, who moderated each of the week’s workshops, the panel featured Complex editor-in-chief Aria Hughes, GM of AP’s creative house APESHIT Inc. Krystal Miles, and fashion designer Robyn Lynch. “I’ve always loved fashion, so this was super cool to sit in on,” Malaysian artist Saint Kylo told Complex, before praising the diverse range of topics the panelists brought up. “I liked how they were talking about big brand styling as well as streetwear.” The 90-minute session proved to be a goldmine of valuable insights.

ANDERSON .PAAK GETS CREATIVE WITH A SURPRISE PERFORMANCE

A performer wearing sunglasses and a beret sings into a microphone, while a person in the crowd records with a phone.

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Bringing an incredible week of connection and collaboration to a thrilling close, AP surprised this year’s Jameson Distilled Sounds class with a dynamic mini-concert. The intimate set, at times playing like a DJ Green Lantern blend tape, proved to be a masterclass in creativity. Reworking songs like “Come Down,” taken from his breakthrough 2016 album Malibu, and Silk Sonic’s “Fly Like Me” into surprising mash-ups, blending classics like Kool & the Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging” and Mystikal’s “Shake Ya Ass” into his own tracks, he also got the crowd hyped with a killer drum solo and even switched up lyrics to give a shout-out to Jameson. And in the spirit of collaboration, he brought out trumpeter Maurice “MOBETTA” Brown, adding even more flavor to an already unforgettable night.