INTERVIEW: Joshua Jensen
Singer-songwriter, Joshua Jensen, kicked off his career with the release of his first single as a solo artist, “Hoping.” Having spent the last few years creating with other artists and honing his craft, Joshua is finally ready to bare his soul to anyone willing to listen. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Joshua and hear all about “Hoping,” his musical upbringing, and his hopes for the future.
Could you introduce yourself to Noisescape readers who may not be familiar with you?
Absolutely! My name is Joshua, I’m from Arizona, and I make music.
You just released your first single as a solo artist; how are you feeling about that? What has it been like for you so far?
I think it’s been a long time coming for me. I feel like the journey that has led me here has been filled with a lot of different characters and mentors guiding me along the way. I knew that “Hoping” had to be the first song that I put out when I wrote it. It’s been so exciting to see it connecting with people and having a real impact on their lives. I think you hold songs close for such a long time when you’re making them that you forget they’re supposed to be a gift for other people.
The songs kind of take on a new life when they’re released— when they’re unleashed into the wild. Seeing the way people have new interpretations of the lyrics is really exciting. It’s just been a beautiful process getting to premiere it for friends in their cars and parking lots; just sharing these moments with my family. I treat it with a lot of care, but there’s a certain point where you just let it run its course.
You’re no stranger to the music industry, having worked extensively with other artists both on the writing side and the performing side. What made you decide you were ready for a solo project?
I think it’s always been on its way. The timing wasn’t even my choice. Some things I went through this year made it evident to me that the wait was over and it was time to go full steam ahead. Now that the door has burst open, hopefully it’ll never close.
You have a background in multiple different music genres. Did you always know what kind of music you wanted to release under your name or was that something you figured out when you were doing it?
For a while, it was tempting to want to mask my music under some sort of band name or persona, but at the end of the day, I am who I am. I have made a lot of different kinds of music. I’ve made probably three or four albums worth of orchestral music, jazz, film scores, R&B, and hip-hop. I would love to continue to explore all of what makes the grand constellation of music come together. I think genre was just invented to market things. That being said, I think this project— and “Hoping”— brings together all my inspirations down to their primary source and I think it shows me at my most minimal and my most maximal.
Who are some of your musical influences?
It’s constantly evolving, but I’ve always loved film scores. I’ve always loved Aaron Copeland, Leonard Bernstein, John Williams, Max Richter. As for songwriters, Anais Mitchell has always been like a North Star for me; I think her pen is unmatched. James Taylor and Joni Mitchell have a way of bringing magic to the mundane. Beyond that, Stevie Wonder, Al Jarreau, and George Benson have their connectivity to groove, soul, vocal stamina, and expression. I’m bowing at their feet every day trying to learn from what they’ve given to humanity.
You grew up in a very big, musical family. How did that experience impact your musical journey?
I grew up thinking that singing in five part harmony with your family was normal. We would kind of use song as a form of prayer to try and ground ourselves amidst our many family struggles. We always found music to be something of a healing balm. My grandpa would pull out his guitar at the end of our family gatherings and we would sing together. In that moment, it didn’t matter what family drama happened that day, we would all sing together. I think that even if, in this physical plane, we were angry or annoyed by each other, there’s a kind of spiritual connectivity that music has. That sentiment has continued to guide me and brought me to piano, guitar, and poetry. Now, I’m just figuring out how to deliver all of that to you.
You moved from Arizona to New York not too long ago, which have very different music scenes. Was that a hard adjustment or did you just soak it all up?
Oh, it’s been the best time ever. I wouldn’t have it any other way. New York is so beautiful because there’s every type of musical cuisine you could want here and the longer I’m here, the more I realize how connected it all is. I went to Jazz school downtown at The New School for a few years and got to work with some incredible mentors, one being Reggie Workman, who’s an incredible bass player. Jazz taught me the deep, spiritual practice of creation that a lot of singer-songwriters aren’t as in touch with as I would hope they’d be. I wouldn’t call myself a jazz musician, but I love the tradition of complete improvisation and spiritual vocabulary that it taught me.
What do you hope people take away from your music?
I hope people see a reflection of themselves and their story. I hope they’re inspired to create something themselves. I made “Hoping” with one guitar, two microphones, and a sample of me throwing a log into a dumpster back in Arizona. In this day and age, people are really craving things that are handmade, where the humanity inside them is tangible, so I hope people surrender to that process. Whether you’re a musician or not, all of us have music inside of us.
