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Josiah has turned a new leaf, as his musical journey continues, he has let go of his last name and found a new sound. No longer a pawn in the mainstream, he is looking within and making music out of pure passion. He has found his true self out on the road and now he is set to persevere with his third full-length album On Trial, set to drop this fall. GroundSounds recently caught up with Josiah to talk about his latest project, musical inspirations and more, check out the exclusive interview below.
Josiah! We are excited to catch up with you once again, for our readers just discovering your music, can you tell us a little bit about your journey?
Howdy! Not sure how to answer that exactly… I’ve survived 26 years on planet earth, and I’m still kickin’.
We are super stoked for your third full-length album On Trial, can you tell us about bringing this to fruition?
Feels kind of like giving birth (I’m guessing). Long labor. Lots of yelling. Post mature baby. Was a fight the whole way.
What made you decide on the album name On Trial?
I see this record as kind of a miracle baby. It was not planned and it came to me when I wasn’t sure if I was cut out for this. It’s a strange time to make music that isn’t geared toward the mainstream. In a mental sense, the definition of trial is to test the qualities of something. It’s a perseverance thing.
This forthcoming album definitely is a departure both sonically and mentally from the past, what has shaped this new sound?
I got turned on to townes van zandt, leonard cohen, some other things I hadn’t been exposed to. But all this was after I got real sick of piano. That’s probably the biggest reason for the change. That and all the mental grappling that comes along with getting from 22 to 26.
You have been on the road quite a bit over the years, where do you currently call home?!
Los Angeles is home, currently. But I’m gone a lot. I’m most comfortable in a hotel room.
How has Jack Kerouac and Henry Miller influenced your life, outlook and perspective?
It’s moreso an alignment of lifestyle, that’s why I took to those guys especially. When I left home I was pretty unread, but my life was on this path, and it really changed things for me when I realized I wasn’t the only one drawn to this sort of life. It made me feel not so alone, like a group of people I could relate with. That’s always been a hard thing for me to find.
Can you tell us about the inspiration for your track “Swing?”
Could have been a relationship, or could have been life beating me up a little, could have been I was watching a boxing match. I actually can’t remember. Boxing, I think.
On Trial is the first album that you will be releasing only under your first name. Can you tell us about this decision and transition from the usual Josiah Leming?
I remember finishing my last long tour in 2013, and feeling that there was something inside of me that had died. I remember feeling it coming on all throughout that tour. I didn’t have any songs I was working on, not good ones anyway. It was like all the tunnels and bridges that carried the ideas had collapsed. I spent two years rebuilding those. I’m not gonna denounce my early work, but I can’t relate so much with that person I was. It would be a disservice to just toss this record on a pile with the early stuff. There’s a different conduit through which the creative spirit is flowing. The record, the writing, my process – it’s more focused altogether, the dropping of the last name fell in line with that.
Could you share with us some wisdom that you have discovered or learned while on the road?
Not sure if it’s wisdom but I avoid traffic at all costs, and don’t let anything get in the way of long sleeps. I’d rather lose a leg than run on 4 hours of sleep.
After the album drops, what’s next for Josiah? What can fans look forward to?
Another, then another. Hopefully good ones and then that’ll earn me a bad one to get weird on.
Photos: Darren Ankenman
UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
