Q&A Today: Frank Joshua
Who is the human behind the artist Frank Joshua and how did you get into music?
Like most people I started singing because the friends at school I hung out with wanted to start a band and needed a singer and I didn’t really play an instrument. The song writing and guitar playing came a bit later but that first ‘wanting to belong’ thing is powerful and can take you places I’ve always found.
"Bluebell Wood" is an amazing piece of Pop and sounds fantastic, what was your inspiration?
Thank you! I love the fact that you called it Pop. I’m such a fan of the pop song. It’s the thing I’m drawn to whatever I’m listening to. The lyric comes from the uncertainty of new love and the anxiety of not knowing quite where the other person is at and the concern that what you feel might not be reciprocated.
Over 20 releases in 2 years, that’s an impressive number, what are your own Top 3 at the moment?
I hate this question! I can love and hate them all in equal measure, depending on my mood and which one I’ve just been struggling with. But I am pleased with how ‘Bluebell Wood’ has turned out, I still like ‘Hope Truth & Iodine’ and probably ‘Panic in the Kitchen’ but I already feel disloyal to the others.
The first two albums are brilliant, now you are working on album number three what can we expect from?
Thank you! ‘Bluebell Wood’ is a good hint at the direction of the next album. There will be more old-fashioned song writing paired with imaginative and excellent production if I say so myself. It’s such a privilege to be able to work on album number three. When we started, I never imagined we’d get this far and, if anything, I feel the next crop of songs are the strongest yet.
How do you decide that a song is ready for a release?
That’s the pleasure of working with a label like Numen Records. I have my say but they’re pretty good at saying what they think is ready and when it should go out. Which takes the pressure off to quite a large extent. It leaves me free to concentrate on the tracks themselves.
From ‘Panic in the Kitchen’ to your new release , how would you describe your songwriting evolution?
Funnily enough ‘Panic in the Kitchen’ was one of the later songs that I’ve written. It just happened to be the one Numen wanted to put out first. But I’d say overall that there’s an older head writing now.
There’s more in there about living within a long-established relationship, rather than the new love thing. And I like to think I’m less prone to the cliches. But then I’ll find another one that just fits so well! They’re called cliches for a reason.
How important are "socials" in your opinion for the indie music scene and for yourself?
They’re vital. Simple as. It’s just not possible to break anything without attention and the attention is all on socials. I worried at first about not using my face as part of the social media promotion but, if anything, it seems to have added to what people find interesting. It’s nice to find something that focusses on the music first rather than personality, I guess.
Photo credits:
Mari Conti
