Tell me I can't and I will; Josh Huie
October 12th, 2020
Background
This past Sunday, I got the opportunity to travel through the gorgeous state of Tennessee, and meet an up and coming Chattanooga musician, Josh Huie. Despite the heavy rain and three to four tornado warnings, the trip was incredibly scenic, with fog rolling over the Blue Ridge Mountains, and crisp mountain air comforting me along the bends and bridges of my ninety-nine mile trip. But the scenic backdrop along the Tennessee River you see pictured above is only a small part of the story.
The reasoning behind, and highlight of my day-trip was my interview with the artist, Josh Huie, who only three days ago at the time of writing this, released his newest single, "Hell and Back" on Spotify, which features a Post Malone style track with some incredible vocals to boot, all done by the incredibly talented, Josh Huie. What I learned during my interview with Josh, is that this distinctive pop sound is likely what we'll be seeing in the future from his music, but this isn't what drew me into Josh's music at all. One night when I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, I saw a suggested account pop up, "joshhuiemusic", and I decided to check out his most recent post. On September 25th, Josh posted on his Instagram an incredible rendition of, "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac as a tribute to his father, who passed away six years ago.
This song, and the entire Rumors album had always had a similar effect on me, reminding me of who my father was and his distinctive 80's tastes in muscle cars and Harley-Davidson's. Josh did the song an honor with his voice, and made an excellent first impression on me. When I first discovered this song, it was the night of September 27th, the same night Josh mentioned that he was looking to promote his latest track in the following weeks, and our relationship went on from there. I got to hear an early version of this latest release, and from there I knew I wanted to contribute to sharing his outstanding style of music. But as someone who likes to explore new things, there was a lot more I wanted to know. So we scheduled an interview, wrote out a few good questions, and the rest is clear to see in our video interview. Oh yeah, probably should have showed that TDLR a bit sooner:
The reasoning behind, and highlight of my day-trip was my interview with the artist, Josh Huie, who only three days ago at the time of writing this, released his newest single, "Hell and Back" on Spotify, which features a Post Malone style track with some incredible vocals to boot, all done by the incredibly talented, Josh Huie. What I learned during my interview with Josh, is that this distinctive pop sound is likely what we'll be seeing in the future from his music, but this isn't what drew me into Josh's music at all. One night when I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, I saw a suggested account pop up, "joshhuiemusic", and I decided to check out his most recent post. On September 25th, Josh posted on his Instagram an incredible rendition of, "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac as a tribute to his father, who passed away six years ago.
This song, and the entire Rumors album had always had a similar effect on me, reminding me of who my father was and his distinctive 80's tastes in muscle cars and Harley-Davidson's. Josh did the song an honor with his voice, and made an excellent first impression on me. When I first discovered this song, it was the night of September 27th, the same night Josh mentioned that he was looking to promote his latest track in the following weeks, and our relationship went on from there. I got to hear an early version of this latest release, and from there I knew I wanted to contribute to sharing his outstanding style of music. But as someone who likes to explore new things, there was a lot more I wanted to know. So we scheduled an interview, wrote out a few good questions, and the rest is clear to see in our video interview. Oh yeah, probably should have showed that TDLR a bit sooner:
Authenticity
In terms of music and personality Josh is as good as it gets. Having only spent an hour or so with the guy, it was clear to me that he was driven, authentic, and the most admirable kind of vindictive when it comes to his limitations. As he mentioned in the video above, what drives Josh is what he's told he can't do, this has been true in his ten year marriage, which he started at just 18, his three children, and his two successful companies, which he created to support his family and his dreams. Josh is someone who practices what he preaches, and works to get what he wants.
When I'd learned all I needed to about Josh's character, I was heavily interested into what shaped him this way, and what notable experiences have stuck with him. Josh mentioned his personal struggles with insecurity and uncertainty, at a time in his life where he felt tugged in a lot of directions and wasn't in control. He described the same fears with his former music, where those around him were convinced he could only make it as a starving artist, stuck somewhere between the sound and style of Fleetwood Foxes and Mumford and Sons, but that isn't the future he wanted for himself. So what did Josh do when confronted with this unwanted future?
He changed it. He decided for himself that he would break out of this box, and he did, taking down all of his folk music from before and reinventing himself with the modern-pop style he loved.
When I pressed Josh on this topic, he said to me, "It's important that you as a content creator like the content you make, and when I was making that folk style music, I obviously liked it to some extent but I couldn't enjoy it the same. It didn't feel like me.". When Josh made the decision to take a leap of faith in himself and the aspects of music he wanted to pursue, he immediately saw a correspondent and positive change in the traction his music was getting. By staying true to his nature and sticking to his guns, his confidence grew, his audience grew, and his future became all that more his own.
Taking from his own experiences in life and converting them into music is something Josh excels at, and it's inspiring to hear his narrative conveyed through each song. As Josh mentioned during his video interview, his goal in his music is to take the definitive and punchy style of modern pop and give it a narrative that counts. His music tells a story with substance, and it comes from a place of authenticity.
When I'd learned all I needed to about Josh's character, I was heavily interested into what shaped him this way, and what notable experiences have stuck with him. Josh mentioned his personal struggles with insecurity and uncertainty, at a time in his life where he felt tugged in a lot of directions and wasn't in control. He described the same fears with his former music, where those around him were convinced he could only make it as a starving artist, stuck somewhere between the sound and style of Fleetwood Foxes and Mumford and Sons, but that isn't the future he wanted for himself. So what did Josh do when confronted with this unwanted future?
He changed it. He decided for himself that he would break out of this box, and he did, taking down all of his folk music from before and reinventing himself with the modern-pop style he loved.
When I pressed Josh on this topic, he said to me, "It's important that you as a content creator like the content you make, and when I was making that folk style music, I obviously liked it to some extent but I couldn't enjoy it the same. It didn't feel like me.". When Josh made the decision to take a leap of faith in himself and the aspects of music he wanted to pursue, he immediately saw a correspondent and positive change in the traction his music was getting. By staying true to his nature and sticking to his guns, his confidence grew, his audience grew, and his future became all that more his own.
Taking from his own experiences in life and converting them into music is something Josh excels at, and it's inspiring to hear his narrative conveyed through each song. As Josh mentioned during his video interview, his goal in his music is to take the definitive and punchy style of modern pop and give it a narrative that counts. His music tells a story with substance, and it comes from a place of authenticity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Josh Huie's music creates a more meaningful experience with modern pop for each listener. Just like the artist himself, it doesn't focus on drugs, grudges, or living the high life. Instead, it's a continuous narrative centered on the experiences and lessons Josh has gone through in his own life, and a soulful addition to your playlist.
Check Him Out!
You can find all Josh's music and social media below:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1u3olbYMYQvaPkjrlLr9D7
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshhuiemusic/?hl=en
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/josh-huie
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1u3olbYMYQvaPkjrlLr9D7
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshhuiemusic/?hl=en
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/josh-huie