Josh Stevens – Story of Summer

By starrymag | October 1, 2015

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) My sound is like an indie-pop. Coming from hip-hop and electro with my background, it kind of developed into driving, anthemic beat. Probably the best way to describe it is indie pop with a little bit of grit.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I was secretly a fan of hip-hop and West Coast rap and then equally liked 80’s music. I was a huge fan of Men At Work’s song “Down Under.” I loved that record and was a huge fan of Dr. Dre. I was equally a fan of all type of stuff. My mom used to play Barenaked Ladies, The Cranberries and The Who. If something is on, I’ll give it the respect and give it a listen. Then, there will be songs I go home and listen to on repeat. But I will always give artists respect by giving their work a listen.

Q) With your new single “Hill Top,” talk about the concept for song.

A) It’s kind of a euphoric love thing. It pretty much is that feeling when you are first in love and will do anything. You’ll stand on a hilltop and scream out how much you love each other. My girlfriend and I travel a lot so the song has kind of become an anthem back and forth to each other about how we feel about one another. It’s always a constant reminder of how much we care about each other.

Q) What kind of fan response have you gotten to the song?

A) The fan response has been pretty good. People have started doing these videos where they dedicate it to people so it is kind of like a pay-it-forward situation. A yoga class just did it and sent it to me! People are finding their own reasons for singing it and it’s a blessing. I’m super thankful when fans react like that. It’s a nice feeling. The concept is basically for them to pay-it-forward, create positivity and dedicate it to someone. It doesn’t have to be dedicated to me. I’d like to know it has a positive impact on the world and people are enjoying it. I like that people have a laugh with their loved ones about it or share it with their parents. That stuff is what it is all about for me.

Q) How does the concept for the video play into the song’s message?

A) The video was very much kind of like style-esque about what it is like to be young and in our generation. There is a lot of ups and downs and sometimes negative stuff in social media. This was just about letting go. With the video, we just wanted to let it go and say “have fun.” It was a lot of footage from touring. I think the car scene was us driving through downtown LA and it was just Matt [Mcjunkin] filming. It wasn’t for the video. None of that was us thinking, “We’re going to make this footage for the video.” It was more like, “This is all the footage we have and we should just put it together because it really reflects.”

Q) The song also features Spencer Ludwig. How did the two of you come to collaborate?

A) We are both from the LA area and we’re both on the music scene so we kind of knew about each other’s work. I was a fan of Capital Cities. We’re always liking each other’s pictures and interacting on social media. One day, I had this idea after finishing this track that I thought we still needed a little extra oomph. So, I thought I’d hit up Spencer and see what was up. He was receptive to the idea and did it. He sent it back and since then we’ve hopped into the studio and have written some records for his solo project that is supposed to be coming out soon. We talk fairly frequently now. He’s really nice. He’s a genuine, great musician and a good person. He’s one of the best musicians I’ve worked with.

Q) What is your process like for creating music? Do you need music before you can write lyrics or do beats come first?

A) It’s different each time. I don’t really have a formulaic style of writing. There is not one way or another way. Sometimes I sit at the piano and write off a feeling or a story I want to be represented. Sometimes it starts from a jam session. One of the records Spencer and I just wrote during a jam session. He said he had an idea and we just ended up writing a record. Sometimes we’ll make a beat and then write to it. It’s now more like let’s hop on the piano, write the entire song and then produce it. There is no real way. When I do house records or big EDM records, those kind of DJs make those sounds so big and good that it is just the song and they just write to the instrumentation. It’s just whatever is good in my opinion.

Q) What is the feel and vibe for your EP Story Of Summer?

A) It’s definitely storyteller, classic songwriting sound for a record. Each song has a point and takes you to the next record. It’s definitely upbeat pop anthem, but indie kind of vibe of music. A lot of people who like The Killers or One Republic seem to gravitate towards it a lot.

Q) What can fans expect from a live Josh Stevens show?

A) We try to bring a really cool show. I want to bring back very theatrical shows so I have done a lot of cool arrangements. It will definitely be a band when we can get it there. As much as I can bring a live band is great. Then, I have a whole video show, lightening and everything that goes with it. Some venues won’t be able to hold all of that, but when it is festivals we will bring all that stuff out. I like to be one-on-one with the audience and give them as much as they want. It’s an experience and that’s how I want the show to be.

Q) Who would your dream collaboration be?

A) There is a lot! I think Pharrell [Williams] would be pretty awesome and Bruno Mars. Pretty much anybody who is a real artist. I think music is definitely something where you have to be natural and don’t feel like you have to change yourself for the public to accept you and want to listen to your music. I think some of the best artists in the world are the ones who are like, “This is how I am naturally. This is how I’m built. This is what I naturally make.” The Bob Dylan’s of the world have done very well with that and I think that is the best kind of music – honest, straightforward.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) I think it is a huge part, but I think for music it can be very “gatekeeper.” Only certain people can get out through massive media and in today’s realm if you like an artist you can go online and directly connect with them. You didn’t used to be able to do that. So, it plays a huge part in that. People want to see what your day-to-day is like. Everyone wants to know what you are doing today and what you have got going on. It’s a very consistent connection to your fanbase, which is a great thing because they get to see who you are and what you are into. It’s definitely important today because that’s how people see who you are and consume entertainment. They definitely are on their phones and want to see everything. If fans have a question, they can ask me directly.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of your music?

A) I think the first thing should be thank you for taking the time. In our  world, there is so much stuff coming at you all day. There are advertisements and everything has something attached to it. For everybody to take a second – take three minutes out of their time, day or week to listen to the song is huge to me. It’s always a great thank you to who ever wants to do that because I really value their time. There are a lot of other things they could be doing with their time – raising their kids, going to school, doing homework or catching up on sleep. I just am super appreciative. Always thank you to the fans and their support is always appreciated. It never ceases to surprise me how many people will support me. I try to give the support right back. It’s really about them, how it affect their lives and giving me their time.