Josh McKelvie Talks of Himself, the Music He Creates and the Plans Ahead for Him!
Solo artist JOSH MCKELVIE spans multiple types of genres, but would likely resolve around pop punk! Since being fairly new, he has released two singles, with a third on the way out this summer! A couple of shows have been done, with much more planned for the future. The man himself goes into talks with us about himself, his music, and more below!
1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?
Well, there is no band name, it's just my name, so I guess you could say my parents came up with it haha.
2. Why did you want to play this genre?
My solo project spans multiple genres, but I would classify the music primarily as pop-punk. Pop-punk was the first genre I ever fell in love with and it set me on the path to the person I am today. So no matter how much I experiment and genre-bend, it's always my north star.
3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?
I am solo artist.
4. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
I live in Central Massachusetts. My local scene is in nearby Worcester, MA and I also gig a lot in Boston. The local scene is great, full of supportive and friendly bands lifting each other up, and we've been very lucky in being able to retain many of our small venues. I would strongly encourage readers to check out my friends in Day Glow Foxes, Indoor Friends, Another One Down!, Never Gonna Make It, Craiwell, PWRUP, and of course my brother Jake McKelvie.
5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?
My songs largely just tend to come to me. Oftentimes I'm not even sure what I'm writing about until I've written a few lines and gotten a sense of what I'm trying to say. More than anything, I'm inspired when I hear a great piece of music and feel driven to create something of my own.
6. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
The topic I tend to cover most often is the frustration and discouragement I've experienced during my 20+ year music career. The music industry is tough and unforgiving, and I've experienced a great deal of failure and disappointment, which makes for a rich well of songwriting material. I'm also inspired a lot by the current state of society and our world and my feeling that things are rapidly deteriorating.
7. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)
Yes, I write everything I release under my own name. All my songs start with me and an acoustic guitar, sometimes a line or two I've written to get me started. I hash out a "sketch" of the song, just acoustic guitar and vocals. Once I am happy with the outline, I book time with my producer Marcus, and we spend a day together doing pre-production and translating my sketch into a full-fledged demo with all the instruments. When we are happy with it, we record it all for real.
8. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
At the time of writing, I have two singles, the latest one is called (I Think I Lost It!).
9. Do you have any new music in the works?
Yes! I'm always writing, unfortunately must faster than I can record. I have a third single recorded and ready for release sometime this summer, and an entire set's worth of additional material that I hope to record as time and budget allows.
10. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
I played my first show as a solo artist in Boston just a couple weeks ago, and I am slated to return to the same venue in June. Nothing else has been confirmed as of now, but I am always hustling and networking trying to book more shows. I expect that my calendar for late summer and fall will begin filling out soon. Touring is probably still a bit down the line, but I have every intention of doing so asap.
11. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
Anything and everything! The plan, in essence, is to take it as far as I can. Keep writing and releasing music, gig as often as possible, and market, market, market. I'm just getting started.
12. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Everywhere! My music is available on every streaming service, as well as YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@joshmckelvie, Bandcamp - https://joshmckelvie.bandcamp.com/track/drop-of-water, and Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/josh-mckelvie-521422880. I don't currently have any merch available, but that's something I intend to do as my profile rises.