Check Out Peter Vaughn’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Vaughn.

Hi Peter, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always dreamed of sharing stories with the world. You could say I’ve had an overactive imagination from the start. I was humming songs and building worlds before my parents ever bought me my first guitar. In elementary school, I’d write stories during free time—usually inspired by anime and the fantasy or sci-fi movies I grew up watching—and then read them aloud to the class. Most of the time, I got blank stares. I guess they went a bit over the heads of fifth graders.

That passion for storytelling only grew as I got older. When I finally got my first electric guitar (after years of begging for a drum set), my love for music exploded. For a long time, storytelling took a backseat. Music became everything.

I formed my first “band” in sophomore year of high school—just me, another guitarist, and a friend singing over rap and nu-metal tracks. I took a short break from music to make sure I graduated, but by senior year, I had my first real band. We were inspired by bands like Chevelle and Crossfade, and thought we were going to be the next alt-metal sensation. Then halfway through the year—this was ’03–’04—the drummer and I discovered metalcore. Killswitch Engage. Unearth. That was a turning point, and the band’s sound evolved overnight.

After high school, I skipped college to chase the dream. Our band, Me Against Sunrise, played all over Denver and even did a couple of West Coast tours. But by the time I was 20, the band had fractured. Lineup changes, creative differences—I lost the will to keep going. Around that time, I went through a rough breakup and stopped playing music entirely. I struggled with addiction, hit rock bottom, and eventually found my way back to sobriety.

Getting clean gave me a second chance. I finally enrolled in college for video game design and graduated four years later. But during that time, I realized it wasn’t coding or design that lit me up—it was storytelling. I wanted to bring to life the worlds I’d been dreaming up since I was a kid.

After graduation, I needed a “real” job to start paying off student loans. A close friend and longtime musical collaborator helped me land a role at a major telecom company. It wasn’t the game industry, but I was grateful—and stable. I picked the guitar back up, started demoing metal tracks again, and kept building my sci-fi and fantasy worlds on the side.

Not long after, I reunited with the old vocalist from Me Against Sunrise to start a new project called True The Gray. We tried multiple times to form a full band but ultimately stayed a studio project. We released a string of singles and EPs. Around that same time, I fell in love with electronic music. I launched a side project called Tom Selica with another longtime collaborator, and that’s when I really began learning how to market my music, stay consistent, and build an audience.

Eventually, both projects fizzled out. I needed time to reflect, to figure out who I was again. That’s when I met my future wife, Samantha. In the process of putting my life back together for the umpteenth time, I started my solo project: jacket. That was in 2019–2020. I dropped my first demos just before the pandemic hit. Being stuck at home gave me the space to grow—not just musically, but personally. I made connections around the world, honed my craft, and became a better producer, artist, and person.

Samantha saved me in a lot of ways. She taught me how to love and respect not just others, but myself. Her belief in me reminded me to never give up on my dreams—whatever form they take.

Around the same time I started jacket., I began writing seriously again. That itch to tell stories had never gone away—it only got stronger. Now, nearly five years into releasing music as jacket., I’ve made so many amazing friends in the music community, seen my audience grow to places I never expected, and I’ve finished my first fantasy novel: The Esper and The Aurum.

I’m not sure what the road to publication will look like, but I know it’s just beginning. And whatever happens, I can’t wait to share another side of my creative mind with the world. It hasn’t always been easy, but I couldn’t be prouder of the journey so far. Now that I’m also a father, leaving a legacy for my daughter has never been more important, as well.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not. As I said before, I’ve struggled with addiction, and was diagnosed with major depressive disorder in my late twenties. I’ve often felt alone. I’ve often felt that there wasn’t any point in continuing to make music, or write stories. But over time, and through the support of my friends and loved ones, I’ve always come out the other side and kept going. Even if my music doesn’t reach the heights I always dreamed of, or if I never get a six-figure publishing deal from a Big 5 publisher, it doesn’t matter–I did these things. I completed them, I shared them, and I became better for it in the end.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m most known for my work with jacket., which is a nostalgia-inspired electronic project. It’s been my most successful project to date, and only continues to grow. I still have so much to learn as a producer, but comparing where I was when I started and where I am now is such a satisfying feeling. I’ve also done work producing for others, as well as mixing and mastering work for other producers.

I’m most proud of the growth that jacket. has seen over the last five years. It’s been incredible, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Also, finishing my first manuscript after almost three years of writing is amazing. No matter whether I self-publish or manage to find a literary agent that supports my vision, I can’t wait to share it with the world.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
Oh wow. I’m closing in on 40 now, so does my late teenage years count as childhood? I’ll never forget going on tour with my old band, Me Against Sunrise. I’ll probably never tour again because of where I’m at in my life right now, but that was such a quintessential experience for me growing up.

Pricing:

• Producing a track: $200
• Mixing a track: $100
• Mastering a track: $50
• Buy my music from my Bandcamp!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jacketsynthwave.gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacket.synthwave
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jacket.3889
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjacket

Image Credits
Credits go to my wife, Storm Avalon, and Jason Sinn Photography.