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Interviews

Josh Kroehn chats his amazing debut EP Something I’ve Found

Ever since we first laid ears on the new EP from Josh Kroehn, we’ve been hooked. The Adelaide-based musician crafts rich, textured rock tunes that stretch out far beyond any particular genre, and the new EP—titled Something I’ve Found—is a perfect showcase of this incredible penchant.

So, fresh off the new EP’s release, we caught up with the artist himself to chat all about it, musical influences, and what the future holds.

Hot off the release of his incredible debut EP Something I’ve Found, we caught up with Adelaide-based singer-songwriter Josh Kroehn for a chat.

HAPPY: Hey Josh, how’s it going? What are you up to at the moment?

JOSH: Things are going great thanks! I’m getting ready for my EP launch gig at The Jade here in Adelaide tonight (Friday October 11th, doors at 8pm), and just enjoying the fact that Something I’ve Found is out there. I am also recording my debut full-length album which will be coming next year, which I am very eager to put together.

HAPPY: Something I’ve Found is amazing! How’s it feel to put it out to the world?

JOSH: Thank you very much, what I’m feeling right now is a sense of relief that I’ve reached this stage, where I’ve taken the plunge and released my debut EP. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to backing myself and putting myself out there, so it feels good to have overcome the self-doubt I deal with quite frequently.

HAPPY: How does it feel playing these songs now that they are out?

JOSH: I’ve been playing them at gigs for awhile, but now that they are out its great to know that people who want to go away and listen to them can actually do that now after they’ve seen me live.

HAPPY: There is an innate power to your lyrics and music. Where does that come from?

JOSH: I think it comes from my exposure to so many different genres of music as a kid, I definitely owe a lot to my parents eclectic record collection that I was able to explore. Learning the guitar at an early age instilled a passion for music early on in my life, and gave me the skills necessary to pull-off the compositions I come up with.

HAPPY: Were there any particular artists you were listening to that inspired Something I’ve Found?

JOSH: There were definitely some artists who had an influence on my sound and direction with the EP. The first two tracks Processed Life and Here I Burn were written when I was heavily into folk acts like City and Colour and Bon Iver, but both songs still have the heavier music influence of my youth, growing up listening to metal and grunge. A big game changing album for me was Ben Howard’s I Forget Where We Were (2014), I had never heard a singer/songwriter record like it and was blown away by Ben’s guitar playing and his compositional approach, as well as just the raw emotions he put on display with that record. That record got me into experimenting with different guitar tunings, capo placements and effects which I had dabbled in before, being a Nick Drake and John Martyn fan growing up. I’ve also always been into more alternative genres of rock like Post-Rock and Prog-Rock, so I think there are glimmers of influence from bands like Talk Talk, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, King Crimson and Radiohead who are some of my favourite bands of all-time.

HAPPY: How does your song writing process come about?

JOSH: It always starts with a guitar riff that I come up with, usually sitting on the end of my bed. I’m the classic bedroom guitarist who just spends hours noodling. The lyrics will follow, as I like the instrumental to speak for itself. I tailor the lyrics to the emotive state that the instrumental puts me in, which is usually a state of reflection on an event or personal experience.

HAPPY: Why does rock music particularly appeal to you?

JOSH: I think it’s due to its sheer breadth as a genre. There are so many sub-genres and variations of rock music that it doesn’t seem to place as many boundaries on artists compared to other genres in my opinion. I think artists within some genres can have their creativity suppressed by the need to stay within conventions that come with their genre tag.

HAPPY: Who are your favourite poets?

JOSH: I really don’t read a lot of poetry to be brutally honest, and I’m not much of a reader at all in fact. I’m a music lover first and foremost and almost all of the poetry I consume are song lyrics. So if I reshape the question to be who are my favourite lyricists, I would have to include Julien Baker, she’s a bit of an old soul like me I think and her lyrics always hit me hard, particularly on her debut album Sprained Ankle (2015). Jeff Buckley and Mark Hollis of Talk Talk were both beautifully poetic with their lyrics, imagery and metaphors, I can only dream of coming up with some of the words they did.

HAPPY: Who is your ideal show if you could support any artist at any concert?

JOSH: This list could go on for some time, as I have so many artists that I’ve dreamt about supporting. But if I have to pick one its City and Colour, and the gig would be at the Sydney Opera House. The catalyst for me going all in on this singer/songwriter journey was attending Dallas Green’s solo show at the Sydney Opera House in 2014. He blew me away and I thought to myself, I want to play here one day just like Dallas.

HAPPY: What does the future look like for Josh Kroehn?

JOSH: Enjoying being an artist who has a release under their belt, and delivering the debut full-length album that I’m proud of next year.

Something I’ve Found is available now. Listen above.