Jackie Bristow Releases Live Solo Performance, ‘Fallen Youth’ (Live on RNZ)
New Zealand born Nashville based singer‑songwriter Jackie Bristow has released a special live solo performance, Fallen Youth (Live on RNZ).
A haunting acoustic reflection on survival, grief, remembrance, and the cost of war – the quiet aftermath of one man’s death and another’s endurance. Timed for ANZAC Day, the song honours the ANZAC spirit and remembers soldiers past and present.
Critically acclaimed for her soulful songwriting and moving performances, Bristow unveils an intimate live recording captured in one take for the NZ Live spot during ‘Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan’.
Fallen Youth was inspired by a poem written by an unknown ANZAC soldier during World War I, discovered in Bristow’s hometown of Gore, New Zealand. The poem was carried for more than two decades by local soldier and childhood friend Aaron Horrell before he passed it on to Bristow to bring to life through music.
Also featured in the documentary Back to Timor, the song reflects the enduring ANZAC spirit, speaking to sacrifice, loss, and the innocence of youth shaped by war.
“When I play Fallen Youth live, people often tell me it brings them to tears,” says Bristow. “This version, recorded live on RNZ, really captures that rawness. Sharing an untold story through music is a special, and I feel the depth of this song every time I sing it.”
With family ties to service – her grandfather Patrick Scully (World War II) and great-grandfather Jimmy Bristow (World War I), who served in the Battle of Passchendaele and the Battle of the Somme – Bristow’s performance carries both historical weight and personal connection. After recently learning more about her great-grandfather’s experience at Passchendaele, where he survived the trenches under unimaginable circumstances.
With its haunting simplicity and historical roots, this live version offers a moving tribute that resonates across generations while honouring all those whose lives have been touched by conflict.
Fallen Youth (Live on RNZ) distributed through MGM is available now on all major digital platforms.
