Interview with Josh Lovelace of NEEDTOBREATHE and Young Folk

Hello! It is Adam. Welcome back to bringing it backwards. A podcast where both legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieve stardom. On this episode, we had a chance to hang out with Josh Lovelace of need to breathe and of his solo family band called young folk over zoom video. Josh was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, and he talks about how he got into music. Came from a very musical household. Mom played piano. Dad was a trumpet player. His grandparents played music and he started performing and playing music at a very early age. She talks about being four or five years old, putting on concerts, setting up his album covers. 3 (1m 54s): He played in the school band in middle school. He talks about the bands he formed in high school, leaving for tour, right? When he graduated high school, when that band kind of ended, he joined another band that had already been kind of established. That was touring. So he played with those guys for a handful of years, ended up joining me to breathe in 2011 and has been playing with need to breathe. Ever since he talks about the first need to breathe tour, he went on where they were opening up for Taylor swift and how insane that was. He always had a love for children's songs and children's music. He just grew up on that and it meant a lot to him growing up. So when he had kids, that's when he decided to start writing more family-friendly songs, it actually started as a way for his first born son to hear his voice every night, when he was going to sleep, he would record different covers and original songs. 3 (2m 47s): So when he was on the road, his son would be able to hear his voice and doing this. He eventually put together and put out his first record as young folk in 2017. We talk about that album, the record growing up and how the touring plans for the album kind of got put on pause. Obviously, due to the pandemic, he was supposed to play some festivals, stages and different things with young folk, but that ended up not happening. We hear about where he was when COVID hit, actually recording a record with need to breathe. So he talks about that album and then the album they recorded during quarantine and all about his brand new young folk record, which is called Moonwalking and check out our interview. 3 (3m 31s): The video version of this interview up now on our YouTube channel and Facebook page at bringing it backwards to be rad. If you subscribe to our channel like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TOK at bringing back pod. And if you are listening to this on Spotify, apple music, Google podcasts, it would be incredible if you follow us there as well, and hook us up with a five star review. 4 (3m 54s): We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcasts, wherever you listen to podcasts, 3 (3m 60s): We're bringing it backwards with Josh Lovelace. Hey Josh, how are 5 (4m 4s): You? I'm good, man. How are you? 3 (4m 6s): I'm doing well. I'm doing well. I appreciate you doing this. 5 (4m 9s): And of course, go ahead and do it. 3 (4m 11s): Awesome. Awesome. My name's Adam, and this is about you and your journey in music. And we'll talk about the new record you have coming out. 5 (4m 19s): Awesome, man. Looking forward to it. 3 (4m 21s): Cool. I had a chance to hear it. I love it, man. I love what you're doing 5 (4m 25s): Because 3 (4m 26s): Yeah. It's like the, you know, the children, I've got two kids, so the children's songs is rad, but then it's just like so much more in depth than what you typically hear. As I think as a kid saw, 5 (4m 39s): I appreciate that, man. I try, I try my best to do that. So if you're a parent or a grandparent or an aunt or an uncle and you're in the car and you're listening to it, it doesn't drive. You hopefully not be too crazy. 3 (4m 50s): Exactly. I was thinking when I was listening to the record, I was like, wow, this is definitely something I'll play in the car. And my kids will get a CA or my younger son at least will get a kick out of it. And I won't be like, oh my gosh, I cannot, 5 (5m 6s): As a parent myself, I know any, any kind of like parenting hats that you can have, whether it's putting something on that you enjoy, you're gonna have to put it on more than once. Probably so might as well enjoy it a little bit yourself. 3 (5m 20s): Sure. I mean, there's even songs that you have on, on the records that you've put out that are songs that don't necessarily, you can put them out as not a kid song, for instance, you know what I mean? 5 (5m 33s): Yeah. That's definitely, that's always been a goal of mine. I, I, I, I like a lot of different kinds of music and I'm in my grown-up band need to breathe. We've always, which is so funny. I'll only want to talk about children's music. Do I have to say my grownup fan, but, but it's fun. You know, we enjoy a lot of different music, different styles, and I've kind of taken that from what we do. I, you know, try to, yeah. Just try to at my goal is just to hopefully make music that I enjoy and, and, and that my kids enjoy it. And then if other people enjoy too, then that that's kind of icing on the cake. So 3 (6m 10s): For sure, for sure. Yeah. Like one of the last songs from the record, the new one, I believe in you, like I heard that song. I was like, whoa, like this is going to be a song that it could be on any record and you wouldn't know that was like, it wasn't on geared like as a kids, as a kids release. 5 (6m 25s): Okay. Thank you. And it's, it's fun. It's, it's, you know, it's, it's nice to be proud of it because, you know, I, I can't speak for all people to do music for kids or, or media for kids, you know, I'm sure there's, there's a part of that. They're proud of the process that they got it done. But for me, it's fun because I actually do enjoy it. I would listen to it and, you know, and making it wasn't that much different than making a, a grownup record in some ways I just, I still did the same kind of process. I just tried to imagine what a five-year-old or an eight year old would be thinking when they were listening to it, which is, it was just a fun place to create from 3 (7m 1s): For sure. For sure. It's interesting because I've interviewed a handful of artists that are in the children's music world and hearing them talk is a lot of them, obviously don't set out to write kids songs. It just happens to kind of happen that way. And like, one of the funny things I've heard is just like the set times are like the best thing ever. It's like, we're playing a Saturday at noon instead of like Friday night at, you know, 11:00 PM or whatever. 5 (7m 28s): Oh, no, that's definitely like a different, I mean, like I said, our band just now finished the tour about two weeks ago and we, yeah, we were going on it. We were playing one, we were playing like three hour shows, starting at eight or something. Yeah. Doing it every day. And then we're about to actually go out, we're doing a tour with a one Republic in the summer and it's super fun and it's great to go out there. But like my kids, for example, came to our show. When we played here in my hometown, they made it about three songs and they're like, I'm ready to go home. It's too late for them. And you know, I try to keep, when I do, when I do and able to do kitchens, I try to keep it to about 30 minutes, 45 at the most. 3 (8m 14s): Yeah. 5 (8m 15s): Just like, I feel like you can try to cram as much evidence that, you know, to the, to the, to that time period to get them, get their attention and let them having a good time. And then, and then send them off with their parents to hopefully keep singing and doing things with them. You know, it's, that's, that's fun for me. I feel like once you get into that hour, you're like, this is, I don't know what Here's a bunch of candy. 3 (8m 40s): Oh, that's funny. Well, I'm curious. So you were born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. Is that what I read? 5 (8m 46s): Yeah. Born and raised and Knoxville and still live here. I'm actually here at my studio right now. My kids are funny enough. They have, they are a movie in the other room with popsicles and it's all do not make a noise, just go in there. And so, 3 (9m 3s): And they come in. It's all good. I mean, it happens. I have, like I said, I have two kids, so I mean, it just adds to the insanity of zoom and everything. 5 (9m 14s): Well, I've done enough of them where they've, they've made enough appearances where I think they're probably tired of it at this point, which is good. But yeah, we live, we live here in town and Knoxville and we love it. It's home for us. So 3 (9m 26s): That's so cool that you, you know, you were born there and now you're raising your family there. You must obviously like it a lot. What was it like growing up there? 5 (9m 34s): I mean, it's a great, it's a great town. It's growing a lot in the last decade or so, but you know, growing up kind of in the mountains, we had a lot of great music ground where 20 minutes from like Dollywood. And so I remember going to Dollywood and hearing all the music and there's just a really, it's, it's just a cold, it's like a big, big city, but it's a small town vibe, which I really enjoy. I'm doing a lot of work in Nashville and I'm love Nashville. Every time I go there, I'm like, well, this is just overwhelming and a little too big. So it's nice to come home where, you know, you may not know everybody. It's not like a small, small town where you know everybody, but it's definitely small enough where you recognize some people out there like, oh, Hey, you know, we're at the it's, it's small enough, which is, I really love it a lot. 3 (10m 21s): That's cool. Yeah. I'm from San Diego originally and my family and I, we moved to Nashville a little over a year ago. I know there's all EV all of California's apparently moving to middle Tennessee. I've been finding out, 5 (10m 37s): You know, it's funny, like a lot of our guys have the band guys live in Nashville and, and, and not, and I mean, I'm here in Knoxville. We've got a guy in Asheville and it's so crazy. Cause we've all been a lot of us have been in this area for a long time. And we're like, man, where are all these people coming from everywhere? I mean, we had some friends from California that had moved and they, and they really do love it. And that's just a different speed. And now it's not the sea mountains and trees and all that stuff too. 3 (11m 5s): And it's beautiful. We absolutely love it here. Like before we moved, it was like one of those things where I was like, kind of having a panic attack because I was only raised in California. My wife's only from California. We both grew up in San Diego. I've spent a little bit of time in San Francisco when I was doing radio. And then we're like, okay, we're going to move to middle Tennessee. And I'm like, kind of having like a panic attack. I'm like, no, one's near us. Our families are there and we're going to a place. We don't know anything about like, is this the worst decision of our lives? But it turned out to be the best thing we've ever done. And we love it here. I mean, we're south of Nashville, we're in the burbs, but this is where I love it, man. I mean, it's got that small town vibe, like you said, but I can drive 35 minutes north and be in downtown Nashville. 3 (11m 49s): So, 5 (11m 52s): And I will say you, if you're going to live anywhere in California, San Diego is a pretty beautiful place to be so 3 (11m 59s): Nice spot. Yeah. 5 (12m 2s): It's different. It's apples and oranges. I mean, like for me, I really do love Tennessee and, and you know, as much as I've, you know, travel on a mall, I'm gone a lot. It's always it, you know, it never gets old to come home. Not just, I mean, of course my family being here is great and I got my, my parents and a lot of us, we've all kind of still live here, which is great, but just the area. Yeah. I just, I really do. I don't get tired of coming home to it. 3 (12m 27s): I mean, it says a lot that you've traveled the world and then decided to like lay your roots still in Knoxville. I think that's awesome. 5 (12m 34s): Yeah. We love it. 3 (12m 35s): That's cool. That's cool. So, first off, where did, how did you get into music or your, you come from a musical household at all? 5 (12m 41s): Yeah, so I, I kinda grew up on my parents were both pretty musical. My dad played trumpet and then my mom played piano and there was an appreciation for music. My grandparents also were very musical and I, I don't know, I just kind of grew up and pretty much from, from a really young age, kind of caught the bug and, and really never wanted to do anything else. I mean, from probably when I was four or five years old, I was putting on concerts for my family. And, and, and, you know, I remember even around, I mean, probably around that same time when like cassettes were all the, all the rage I remember, you know, I'd get an allowance and I'd get to go to a place in Knoxville called tape world and I'd go in and I'd, I'd have $10 to go pick out a tape or whatever it's on these dates. 5 (13m 31s): And then I get blank tapes and make mix tapes, karaoke machine. I do. I knew how to get all the spacing. Right. And that make covers. And like, so the whole thing was always like, there's nothing else I ever wanted to really, you know, to do and try to, you know, sports and stuff. And nothing really took that. I've always, always wanted to do music. And, and it feels like in some ways I feel like I've cheated the system because, you know, I get to do what I've always loved to do as my job. So I don't, you know, I'll always feel like I'm still kind of like doing it. I'm like living a hobby life in some ways, you know, I work, I work really hard at it, but it's like fun work because I just really am always done it. 5 (14m 16s): And I've always enjoyed it. And I'm not, haven't been burned out yet, which is, you know, it's, it can be hard, but it's always rewarding. So 3 (14m 24s): Sure. That's, that's amazing. You said four or five years old or you're putting on concerts. 5 (14m 28s): Yeah, I remember. I literally remember. And the time timestamp, the only reason I know that is just the houses that my family would live in. I remember being at my grandparents' house, but, you know, w when I was really young and they lived there and that was about that age. And I remember we put on concerts, I have pictures somewhere, and I need to find them of me setting up like a, a scene to do an album cover. 3 (14m 53s): That's awesome. 5 (14m 54s): I was like, okay. So, and I'm like, do you know cheese in? And I'm like, I'm going to print this and I'm going to cut it out, put it in the tape and like, do that. I mean, I've just always loved it. I don't know why. And, and it's funny, like, you know, my kids are kind of they're, they're, they're, they're not into it as much as, as me. I mean, they enjoy it, but like I was so like, obsessive about it. It was all, all I did or all I thought about. And so, but I do see it every now and then with my kid, I have an eight year old and a five-year-old and every now and then like, the spark will happen. And they're like, oh, this is actually, this is pretty cool. Well, you know, this whole thing. And so, yeah, it's, it's yeah. 5 (15m 35s): It's all I've ever known. 3 (15m 36s): That's amazing. And then you have them on the records and stuff right on the, 5 (15m 41s): Yeah. So they've been on, they've been on all my kids' records and actually my son was on the last need to breathe record. We have like a children's choir on there, which is pretty cool. Yeah. So he got to do that. And what was funny is for my kids' records, it's, it's, it's pretty much just me and I have my own like independent label. And I do all of them, you know, but our band we're on this major label and they had his name and they set, they were like, we have to get him to sign a release. I was like, he's seven. Like, what are we doing? So they did like sit in this cinema thing. He had to sign it. And it said like parent and guardian, like your permission to be on the record. I was like, buddy, you just signed a record deal. You're 3 (16m 19s): Crazy. 5 (16m 21s): And so I was, you know, I don't know, 20 something that he's yeah. He's been doing it for a while, I guess now 3 (16m 26s): That's so funny. That's amazing. Yeah. I have a 14 year old and a six year old. He just turned six. So my six year olds into music, me, we got him a drum kit, like an electric kit during COVID because he just had so much energy and I'm like, goes smack this thing for a handful of hours. And now he's got a, we finally have a drum teacher out here in Nashville and it's been an he's like really into it. He's starting to start become interested in the piano. So now I want to like really embrace that and be like, that's great. Go. Yeah. I don't want to like him to kind of steer away from it. Cause that's one of my biggest regrets is my sister. My dad can kill it on piano and I just never had interest. I did, but I was like, ah, I don't feel like learning. It was like, I wish it had just came to me. 5 (17m 7s): Yeah. Well, it's funny. Like, cause I saw I have actually this, so this is not studio. I don't know if you can see it. So I've got like, this is just like a real drum set and all that stuff set up. So I'll come here and work. It's away from our house and they'll come with me in there. So it's, it's like a, it's a, it's like a hands-on kind of museum for them. I kind of let them, I mean, I have some things I'm like, don't touch that. Those things. I'm like, yo, play the drums, go bang on the pianos. And so if nothing else, even if they don't want to do it, you know, as a career or whatever, I think that, you know, and I, in some ways I might discourage them from it in some way, you know, just hard, you know, it's our work, but I think they'll definitely appreciate it, which is, which is, which is pretty cool. 3 (17m 50s): That is so cool. And then having them on the albums and stuff, I'm sure it helps a lot, like getting to hear themselves and see the process of it all kind of happen. Like I think that's so awesome. What was the first instrument you learned? Was it piano? 5 (18m 3s): It was piano. So I started kind of banging on the piano when I was young. My grandparents had one at their house and I played by ear. I took lessons for like for a second. And then I, I started, you know, kind of, kind of do my own thing and playing by ear and, and I picked up guitar and, and it kinda turned into a thing where actually my musical mentor of mine told me one time. He said, if you want to make it in the music industry, you want a good shot at it. Just try to learn as many instruments as you can and kind of be okay at a bunch of them. So I did that when I was a kid, I kind of learned drums and bass and played saxophone for a little while. Just kind of like, I wanted to be the guy that if, if they call and they're like, Hey, I know you probably can't play banjo, but we have this thing that can you come do? 5 (18m 50s): And I'm like, well, I can play a little bit and then get the gig. And maybe that lead to another thing where I was a little bit better at another instrument or something. And it actually, I will say it kind of worked in some ways. I feel like I'm able to, I'm not great at any instrument, but I'm good enough. I can, I can, like on my, on, on my kids' records, I played most of the stuff on it and I'm able to kind of, yeah, just kind of do my own thing and I enjoy, like, I really do love, I love the recording process. I like tracking, you know, drums and different things and doing all that stuff. So yeah, it's, it's fun. But yeah, piano was the first one and it's what I do in our band too. So I finally, after all these years I got the gig with, on the instrument that I'm actually decent at. 3 (19m 36s): Okay. That's so awesome with, with that. Like, did you have bands in high school or were you in like the orchestra or band? 5 (19m 45s): Yeah, I was in, I was in a band in middle school, actually played trumpet and French horn and then I was in, yeah, I was in kind of, I started my own bands, you know, around that age, me and my friends, my first man, I think there were four of us and we all played acoustic guitar, which is hilarious. I'm sure it sounds absolutely terrible. Like one guy can take the tape off and put it on like the 12th fret and play really high and one guy would open to it. It was not good. I'm sure. But did that for a while then? Yeah. Played in bands and, and, and started touring actually right out of high school. I started playing in bands and hit the road and I've been in NEEDTOBREATHE for about 11 years now, which is crazy. 5 (20m 31s): Yeah. It's, it's all kind of all I've ever known 3 (20m 34s): When you like, right. When you graduated high school was the band that you toured with a band that was already established. Did you like trial for a band or was it the band that you had formed in high school or the one that you were like really going for it with? 5 (20m 45s): Yeah, there was the band that was in, in high school. We did, we did about four or five years of touring and we'd play kind of all over. And it was like, we would play kind of anything. So I was like, if you want us to play your birthday party or your school's functioning or your church, whatever it was, we would do that. And then after that, through that, I kind of got a job with another band that was established and they're a rock band from Virginia and I did that for about six years and that kind of led me to, to need to breathe. So yeah, I've been, yeah, it's been, it's been fun. I mean, I can kind of like look back on my life and, and, and kind of figure out where I was in life by the bands I was in, which is kinda of, yeah. 3 (21m 29s): When you said you signed your first record deal, when you were in your twenties, was that with that second band that was already established, like when, like what was that like getting your first record deal? 5 (21m 39s): Yeah, so the band that I was in before that they had already signed a record deal and I played for them, but we were under a label. And so we knew we had all the, you know, we knew what to do with, you know, the label and we had, you know, it kind of was my introduction to what it, what it is, you know, to, to, to sign a deal and to, to, to work that deal and, and, and go travel the world, playing music. So that was, that was fun. And then, and, and, you know, now with NEEDTOBREATHE, you know, we we've, I guess we're on our eighth or ninth record, so it's just, it's been insane to think about, about how many, you know, records and, you know, relationships and all that stuff that's happened over the years, how it's kind of led us to, to here it's it's wild. 3 (22m 23s): Sure. Wow. And you joined need to breathe. He said, what? 2011 ish. 5 (22m 28s): 2011. Yeah. 3 (22m 30s): Was that something that you knew the guys and they needed a keyboard player and you kind of jumped in there or like, how did that relationship form? 5 (22m 37s): Yeah, it was kind of like that. So I actually had known them for a little while in passing. We had the van I was in before played some shows with them. And then I knew I knew their actually their old keyboard player. And they were actually about to head on tour in 2011. I played on their record before that played a couple songs. And then they were about to head out on tour. Well, we were doing 90 shows opening for Taylor swift. That was my first, my first tour with the band was wow. We were with her all year of 2011. So yeah. And then I got married that year too. So it was, that was just, yeah, it was pretty insane. 5 (23m 20s): Insane gear and welcome to the, to this, this band. 3 (23m 25s): Oh my gosh. Wow. To open up for Taylor show. That's insane. 5 (23m 29s): Yeah, it was nuts. I mean, I think it was the speak now or so that would have been like, she was still, she was on her way up. She was still massive. We were playing, we played stadiums. I mean, 3 (23m 42s): I was going to say when she I'm a huge Taylor swift fan, when she played San Diego on that tour, she was, he played the sports arena, which is where the out of their minor league hockey team plays, soccer, his play and stuff. 5 (23m 55s): Yeah. I'll leave it there. Yeah. We, I mean, it was, it was such a, it was a fun, it was a really fun tour and, and she's such a professional and great business person and was really welcoming to us and, you know, but it was my first, but it was such a crazy thing. Cause I mean, the bands I was in before, where we were scraping by, in some ways we were in a van and we were doing the thing and then, and then, you know, and, and in a lot of ways need to breathe was still kind of on their way up, you know, still kind of working. I mean, we, we still work really hard, but at the time we were still trying to figure it out and to go out there and play for 50,000 people and play two nights in Madison square garden and four nights at the staples center. 5 (24m 35s): And we were just like, what, what is happening right now? So it was, it was fun. I mean, it was super, super fun and, you know, yeah. It was one of the wildest touring experiences I've ever had. 3 (24m 46s): Yeah. Talk about getting like, kind of thrown into it, like, okay, now we're going to be opening up for jailers. 5 (24m 52s): It was insane. It was absolutely. 3 (24m 55s): Yeah. So when did you start doing the young folk project? I mean, do you put a record out in 2017, but was like, where have you always kind of, you know, I guess like where did the, the idea to play children's music come from? 5 (25m 10s): Yeah, so I, the girl and then growing up, I definitely, you know, listen to children's music. There was a great, there was a great movement out of Canada and they, you know, 3 (25m 19s): With 5 (25m 19s): A lot of great children's artists and, you know, Sharon Molson, Bram, and Rafi, all kinds of artists. And I really was inspired by that. And I just remember how rich my life was because of music that was created for me and for my family. And, you know, and so when I started having kids, I started like writing songs. And, and then initially the idea was, I'm going to write some songs, I'm going to record it at my house. So that my son who was just born at the them could hear my voice while was that while I was on tour. Oh, 3 (25m 53s): Wow. 5 (25m 54s): Yeah. And it ended up, and that was, that was really the earliest young folk records were that it was just me and a guitar, me and a piano, just singing songs. Some of them were original. Some of them were covers. And I just wanted to make sure that if I'm going to be gone for eight weeks or something that, you know, every night before he goes to bed, he's going to hear my voice. So, yeah. So that's how it started. And then it kind of became this thing where it was like a passion project where, you know, I wanted to do something for other families to my kids, you know, or I guess my son at the time really was, Hey, he liked the music. It was like, he wanted to play all the time. And I was like, maybe we should just, you know, finish these songs out and put them out and see if anybody else would enjoy them too. 5 (26m 40s): And so my first record in 2017, I finished that had some friends on it, had been rector on it. And 3 (26m 49s): Actually 5 (26m 53s): This band called spirit family reunion from Brooklyn, moron and Ellie Holcomb. So it was just like a, it was such a fun project because a lot of them either had kids or same music for kids or were familiar with folk music. And it was just a really inspiring project to kind of put it into the world. And, and it kind of created this, this, I dunno what it is, just this thing where I feel like their responsibility to keep doing it. And I just really, I really love it. I love when we get to play concerts for kids, it's just totally different than playing for grownups. And they're just so fun and I really do love it. And, and yeah, put out another record in 2019 growing up. 5 (27m 38s): And, and, and that the same as they may, it's funny, like I put that out and then the next summer was going to be like, I'm going to go and play a bunch of festivals. Like they do like kids festivals or like grownup festivals have kids stages I fall. And of course COVID shut all that down, which, which was a bummer, but, and kind of, honestly, it took a little bit of my, the wind out of my sails out for it a little bit. I was like, man, I don't know. I don't know what I'm even doing. And yeah, just started writing more songs. And that's what this next Disney record is. It's just a lot of songs that kind of were burst out last couple of years with my family. And I kind of in my head, I thought I'm just going to write songs that make my kids smile and laugh and, and not worry about the rest of it and ended up being it's. 5 (28m 25s): It's really one of my favorite projects out of the three it's it's. I think it's a really fun record that I can't wait for families to get to here. 3 (28m 34s): Yeah. It's a, it's an awesome album. I will say. I'm curious, like you said, that you grew up with Sharon Lois and Bram, and then you had them on it. How did that, did you reach out to them, like, or did you feel them prior? Like how did that happen? 5 (28m 46s): So funny enough to, for a little bit of a callback, we, when we played on the Taylor tour, Tyler stuff to work, we played in Toronto, which is where they're from. And I just thought I'm just going to reach out to them. I mean, I didn't know. I hadn't really seen them. I've seen him in concert when I was a kid and stuff, but I reached out to their manager and I was like, Hey, just wanna let you know, like your Al's music and Sharon Lowe's brand music inspired me a lot. And we're playing in Toronto. I don't know if they're grandkids or anybody is a big Taylor swift fan, but I'd love to give you all tickets to come to the show and hang out and do that. And so ended up getting together with Sharon and got coffee and sat and talked about their career and traveling and kids' music and just everything. 5 (29m 34s): It was just so inspiring. And we ended up kind of becoming almost like pen pals through email. We email almost every week, just like, Hey, how you doing? What's what's going on? If we played like, like Jimmy Fallon or something, I'd always send a message like, Hey, we're going to be on TV tonight. She just turned out, turned into like a grandmother figure. In some ways my grandmother passed away when I was really young when I was 10 and she was really instrumental in music and just, I think who I am as a person, I think she really had a lot to do with that. And so she kind of, in some ways kind of filled that role in some ways and had friends with all of them. We got, we, we would get together every time we go, we got to, to Toronto and my kids have gone there and now they're kind of like grandparents to them and Lowe's best couple of years ago, But was able to be close to pair two. 5 (30m 25s): It's just, it's, it's such a unique friendship in some ways, because there's a lot of people, definitely my age around my age, that when I mentioned that, yeah, I'm friends with, you know, Sharon most and brands. They, they lose their minds. It's like, as if I said, it's, like I said, yeah. You know, I went over and hung out with Elvis last night, like right to them. They're like, wait, you, you hung out with Sharon Lowe at like the elephant show, like the skin Marie that like blows their mind. And they're just, they're, they're, they're real people. And they're so sweet. And it's one of the most unique and rewarding friendships that I have, you know, in my life, which is so fun. 3 (31m 7s): That's so cool. Yeah. I was a fan of them growing up as a kid as 12. And then I had a chance to interview Sharon and her daughter, Randy, they re put out a record or like with a book and everything I think came with like a book and stuff. Yeah. It was really cool. And what else? Another, just a quick side bar thing. It was crazy. So we moved here to Nashville area and I neighbors across the street from us. They're from Illinois and the, the wife, her cousin is Lois. Like, it was just like the weirdest thing, this whole thing tied in. I was like, what? She's like, oh yeah. Like my cousin was in a band and like, she kinda just did it. Like, I would have no idea who they were. I'm like, wait, what? 5 (31m 47s): Yeah. That's so well, I knew she was friends. I knew she was from Chicago originally. So that's, that's so funny. Yeah. It's, it's such a, it's such a sweet thing, man. And, and like, for me, like doing children's music now, like, you know, I, I mean, what I do with our band is, is one thing. And it'll always be kind of a part of, you know, my story and like who I am, but like what I get to do with children, if I could just have an ounce of the impact that they've had on people like us and just, and there are people that they're still, you know, they're still, you know, impacting people with just, which is pretty, pretty amazing and special. 3 (32m 26s): It's so cool. It's so cool. So you, you have the new record coming out. I know you're doing, you just announced what, like half an hour ago or so we were playing a show in Washington, DC. That, that is, is it like, do you just kind of juggle the young folk stuff around what you're doing with NEEDTOBREATHE? 5 (32m 44s): Yeah, so, I mean, so our, our, you know, after we, we still tour quite a bit, you know, but we were able to kind of navigate it a little bit more because we only do about, you know, 50 to 60 shows a year out now, which is great. So, you know, I'll whenever we have a break or something, I'll be able to book some shows and kind of do records around that, which has been, which has been really, really good and able to do more than, you know, just the need to breathe thing or just the young folk thing. So I'll do some shows. Actually. I have a couple of shows around that time and then I'll probably do some more in the fall once we get off the road again. So 3 (33m 18s): That's awesome. And then you, you said you kind of started this project when COVID happened. You weren't able to I'm sorry. Go. No, you can tuck your head. It's not a big deal. 5 (33m 28s): Okay. Give me a, for a second real quick. Okay. Now she ran away. As soon as I said, come here. 3 (33m 33s): That's okay. I don't want you to feel like, yeah. I was just curious, like, so you, you said, you know, you're supposed to do some shows like bigger van or not bigger shows, but like the festival circuit with that last record you put out and then COVID hit and like what was going on with NEEDTOBREATHE and then how did that kind of lead into you being like, you know what, I'm just gonna write another young folk record. 5 (33m 56s): Yeah. Yeah. Oh, sorry. Hold on. Ask Henry to help you. I've got the ones with the real quick, okay. Go over there and help having helped you. Yes, yes. No, that's all good now. Yeah. So we actually was funny. We, when COVID like first came on the scene, I guess in early 20, 20, we were finishing up a record. We were in the studio and we were getting our phones were like pinging in like, Hey, this thing is Covance happening. Like, so we, we actually went home after that. 5 (34m 37s): And we were like, well, no, when we're gonna, we're gonna see each other again. And what the plan is going to be. And we were, we were home for a while, put the record out, but we weren't able to, to tour it. And so then we just like decided that if we can't tour, we're just going to go make another record. So we, we ended up quarantining the band for like three, three weeks and, and made another record. And then we ended up getting the tour of that in the fall. But that was kind of a thing where I had a lot of time at home to kind of figure out what the next step was. And I really did it, it really was a moment of trying to like reflecting on why I even made kids' music. 5 (35m 18s): I think at the beginning, like I said, it was for my kids and I wanted to continue to do that. But then I just, the thing that kinda kept me coming back to the, well, I guess, is, is our kids have gone through such a hard couple of years. I mean, we all have, but I was like, man, if I could just add to the enjoyment or like spread a little ha good, good things into the world, you know, that that's made it as, I don't want to just say it's just something that I felt like I wanted to do. I wanted to like put out a record that, you know, it was a little bit silly and as fun. And, you know, because I, I just, I, I know that I needed to laugh more than, you know, in this season than I probably ever had. 5 (36m 3s): And I can do that for other families. And, and just try to kind of like, you know, loosen the pressure a little bit for them. And, and, you know, it was just such a weird time in the world's hard, it's hard to be a kid. It's hard to be a grownup. It's hard for everybody. And so if I, you know, I can't change the world, but I can hopefully do, may play a small part in just making some silly kids songs that bring the family together to laugh and, and, and, you know, some they can listen to together. So 3 (36m 34s): I love it. Yeah. I know. It's hard to think about like, you know, with the kids and the home or the video school and all that stuff, and then trying to send your kid with a mask on his face at school. And they're just like, what, it's just, I, yeah. I feel so bad for these kids and especially the ones that were graduating high school and like all these milestones that they missed, just because they had a, you know, do it over the computer or graduated high school or computer college over the computer. It's just like, yeah, I feel so bad. Yeah. 5 (37m 2s): Yeah. I mean, it is tough, you know, and it's funny in that I remember I was actually talking to Sharon about this, you know, she said, you know, it's so crazy when you think about these kids, you know, a lot really lost a couple of years of their life in some ways. And she said that, you know, I also look at myself, she's like, I'm in my eighties. And like, I only have so much time left and I essentially lost a couple of years and she's just sitting at home and it's tough. It's tough for all of us. And, you know, it's, you know, who we, we can't, we can't predict the things that are going to happen. Can't control anything. And, you know, we do the best we can. And so I do feel like, you know, oh, I gotta look at my kids and I'm proud of them back. 5 (37m 45s): They've done a great, I've done as well, as good as they could have done in a situation like this. I didn't go through COVID when I was a kid. So I don't know how they are doing it, but, you know, I do know that they, you know, are doing their best and we all are. So, 3 (38m 0s): Yeah. I mean, yeah. Cause I was listening to the record and obviously look like wash your hands. I'm like, okay, this definitely had to become out of, you know, the 20, 20 quarantine days of writing. But the lyrics that you write are so they're, so they're really like, they're, I don't even know how to explain it. Like, you're very witty with them. Like it's really like intelligently written where it's not just like super cheesy, like kid songs. It's like, you like the, one of the lines is something about like, you don't need a PhD, just some SOP, like just like the quirky little things that I'm like, that's so brilliant. It was especially for like, for a kids song instead of it just being like very directed towards a child in like the simplest form. 3 (38m 43s): It's like there's depth to the lyrics, I guess is where I'm going with it. 5 (38m 47s): Okay. Gotcha. I definitely want to, I guess my goal was let's make a chorus that everybody can sing, but then let's put some stuff in the verses that the parents are like, I get what they're saying there. 3 (38m 60s): Exactly. That's it I'm like, oh, that's cool. Or like a, the cool dad in a minivan. I'm like, this is great. Like, this is such an, like, the chorus is singing, like yeah, like a sing along, but then you listened to it. You're like, oh, this is funny because this is just about some dad that has to cruise around in a minivan that he wasn't instead of a sports car. 5 (39m 24s): Can 3 (39m 25s): I love it. And I love the conversation. I'm sure it's with your daughter in the beginning of the S Margot mermaid. I think it's a song it's like, you're just talking with her. 5 (39m 34s): Who's in the room with me right now. Margo, actually, when we were, she was little and we would sit around at our house and I'd be writing songs, not just kind of like humming. And I said, like, I just found out my mom, he's a mermaid. And she got so upset with me. She's like, mommy's not a mermaid. She's not. And I was like, record, record and start grabbing. It says she was really young. I mean, this is probably, I mean, three years ago when I actually recorded. 3 (39m 60s): Wow. 5 (40m 1s): I mean, she's five now. And, and, and, and, and, but still it's like, even today in the car, both of the kids were like, let's listen to that part of the song of the record one more time. And they still think it's funny when she says mommy's not a murderer, but she's got a booty. I was like, I gotta, I gotta put that in there. Hopefully everybody's okay with that. 3 (40m 21s): Cool. That's so cool. That that's, from that time, it wasn't like some thing you had to re, tried to recreate. It was just like you had that moment on your phone. 5 (40m 29s): It was definitely a song like a demo songwriting demo. And I was just like, it's too perfect. Exactly how it is. I'm just going to put it in there and I'm glad, I'm glad it made it because it is super funny. 3 (40m 40s): That's awesome. It's really awesome. Well, Josh, thank you so much, man, for doing this. I really appreciate your time. Yeah. And I love your, I just noticed that you have a blockbuster hat on. That's awesome. 5 (40m 51s): Yeah, we were on tour. So I actually have a massive VHS tape collection. I enjoy, I don't know why it's really during COVID. I was just like, I got to find something to collect and nobody else wants. And luckily, VHS is something I can find. I could've found it. I found a lot out. So when we were on tour last fall, me and a couple of the other guys, we prayed, I can't remember the town off the top of my head, but we're the last block. There's Eugene, Oregon. 3 (41m 19s): I was gonna say, it's an Oregon. And we 5 (41m 21s): Went there. We went there and like walked around and I bought all the swag, all the merge and everything. And then yesterday we were at, we were going to, so we were going through a drive through or something. And somebody was like, where's the closest blockbuster from here. I don't think they have anymore. I was like, I don't have any more. It's like, oh, you got that auntie hat on. I was like, yeah, something like that. Yeah. 3 (41m 40s): That's what I thought you, it had to, like, you found it at like a thrift shop or something. 5 (41m 44s): This is actually new from the last, the last blockbuster on earth. So we've got a membership card and everything. 3 (41m 52s): I'm Amber shift car. Do they still rent out tapes or is it just like no way 5 (41m 60s): DVD's out. Yeah. It's, it's pretty, it's, it's a fun. I mean, like I used to go there when I was a kid. I mean, you walk in and it just like smells the same, the same carpet. I ended up staying in there for a couple of hours. Cause I was like, I just, I missed that. So yeah, it was, 3 (42m 17s): Yeah. They used to have the TVs up on the thing, telling you if there was, if which ones were like checked out completely 5 (42m 25s): And they actually, what's funny is it's still the same. Like you walk up to the front desk and they have all the, all the DVDs now, but like they had all the DVDs lined up, like where you can read the spine, the ones that just, oh, sweet tea. I grabbed that. And like, I remember totally waiting, waiting around for that one thing to come back in. So 3 (42m 45s): Do you still pull it from behind the thing? Like the DVD and you're like, okay, I'm going to pull it to left. 5 (42m 51s): I remember too back back in the day before that they had the, it was the hooks that had the little pull them off. I forgot 3 (42m 59s): About 5 (42m 59s): That. Yeah. So I love movies. I love, I actually super nostalgic. I'm not. So my kids are that, that they, they love watching. They're actually watching a VHS tape right now, which is so funny. 3 (43m 13s): Awesome. That is awesome. Well, again, thank you so much, Josh, for doing this. My last quick question for you is if you have any advice for aspiring artists. 5 (43m 21s): Yeah. I think, you know, honestly do it because you love it and it'll never feel like work. I think that that's the thing for me. Like I really do enjoy what I get to do and, and get to enjoy being, doing things with my kids is really fun. So for me, I think for, if you're a songwriter or you're a producer or you're, you want to be a music business do because you just really love it. And if you don't love it, it's probably not for a year because it's a hard, it's a hard job. And, but I do think that there's a lot of rewards to it when, when you stick with it and then, and then you can kind of look back and say, man, I really, not only did I work hard, but I enjoyed it. 5 (44m 2s): And I think that's, that's the goal. At least for me, it's been that way.