Having already established himself as one of the more innovative names doing the rounds right now, teenage prodigy JOSIAHDAVIS. is back once again to deliver his vibrant new album 'IN TRANSIT.'
Featuring the previously shared gems 'EXSTACY.', 'DO WHAT I CAN.' and 'NOT FOR LONG.', this new twelve-track collection makes for an incredibly rich and shimmering listen. With his powerful vocal presence soaring across a progressive production throughout, 'IN TRANSIT.' sees him return to the fold in fine form throughout.
So with the new album available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The first instrument I ever truly fell in love with was my computer. My computer is what I learned all the basics about how to make music on. It’s still my most reliable tool when it comes to making my art.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
When I was younger, I really loved super lyrical hip-hop. My favourite artist when I was like 9 was NF, so that was a big inspiration when it came to my writing at that time. As I got older though, I started to experiment more when it came to what I listened to and my taste is a lot more open now.
What was the first album you remember owning?
The first album I remember owning physically was Watching Movies with The Sound Off by Mac Miller on vinyl. Mac is such an amazing artist, definitely a huge comfort artist for me with albums like Circles and Swimming.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
The one song that I wish I could have written myself is Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst by Kendrick Lamar. One of the best written songs of all time on one of the best overall hip-hop albums of all time in my opinion.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
When I make music, one thing I like to do is have some sort of background noise, not sure why I just find it helps me focus. I like to have a TV show in the background just to provide noise and sometimes it even helps me get inspired to write stuff. I like to watch Breaking Bad while I record, or some random YouTube documentary about music. My friend also put me onto watching Off-White and other brand’s fashion shows in the background while I record, because the music that plays in them is really dope and it’s also super visually appealing.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
My favorite artists at the moment are more alternative artists like Glaive, Perry Maysun, 2Hollis, Che, and Mk.Gee. Glaive is definitely on top though, I saw him live in Seattle. He’s such an amazing artist with such a diverse style and he’s definitely been a huge inspiration to me especially with the art I’ve been making recently. I like tapping into more “underground” sections of hip-hop and alternative music, that’s where I find the best artists lie.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
If I could open a show for anybody in the world at this point in time, it would be either Glaive or Frank Ocean. 2 of my favorite artists of all time and both amazing performers in their own right.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
The most rewarding part about making my art is the fact that I’m able to impact people in a positive emotional way with my art, because in my opinion that is the beauty of music. Music is able to make you feel things in a way that most other forms of art don’t always do. It’s been super cool to see when I go to shows, especially how much people relate to the things that I say in my music and how much it emotionally impacts them. Also, to be honest, one of the best parts is feeling like I’m actually good at something. For the longest time before I started taking music seriously, I never felt like I was good at anything or that I had anything that set me apart from any of my peers. But with music, I was able to acquire that feeling, and that’s just really cool to me.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The most challenging part of being an artist in my opinion is yourself. Your own thoughts and insecurities. Your insecurities can make it very hard to create properly, because you always see something wrong with something you’re making, at least that’s how my mind works. Getting over those hurdles and those insecurities is super important in evolving as an artist because it really frees you and allows you to truly create in the way you want to.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
The best piece of advice I ever received was to always be yourself in your art. My dad told me “You got this far by just being your authentic self, why stop now?”. And I really live by that. Be yourself. Be authentic in what you do and enjoy it.
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JOSIAHDAVIS.' new album 'IN TRANSIT.' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.