The Sit Down with Josh Ross
After first venturing over to the British Isles last year to join Bailey Zimmerman on his dates on this side of the Atlantic, Josh Ross’ career has continued to go from strength to strength. His first trip across the pond also saw him perform at The Royal Albert Hall as part of Highways festival and in the eighteen months since, he picked up five awards at the CCMA Awards in his native Canada, including Entertainer of the Year and Single of the Year for his Billboard Country Airplay chart topper “Single Again”. In September, the Ontario native released his debut album “Later Tonight” and last week headed back to London to give fans here their first chance to hear it live at two very special shows at The Camden Assembly, where Jamie caught up with Josh before he went on stage for night two.
Good to see you, man, it’s great that you're back.
“Yeah, I'm excited.”
We’re back in Camden.
“Camden, yeah and it’s two nights, which is really cool. It’s a little different when they’re your own shows versus the stuff with Bailey when we were here last time. It’s always cool to open for somebody but now that it’s my own thing, it’s special.”
Yeah last time it was down the other end of the road at KOKO but now we’re up in Pete Doherty and The Libertines territory at the old Barfly.
“I’ve enjoyed it. I feel like this trip, I’ve got to explore a lot more. Last time, you know, it was so in and out that I didn't have time to walk around and it's been great.”
It must be quite nice as well, whereas as much as you're sort of working with playing the two shows but they're back to back and you get to explore London a little bit more.
“Yeah, like we got to walk around and kind of go to different areas, little shops, pubs and I got to go to first my musical, which was cool, too.”
What did you go and see?
“The Lion King.”
Oh, amazing, at The Lyceum in Covent Garden.
“Yeah, it was great. I think I went to one when I was a little kid, but not like understanding really what was going on and yes it was really cool.”
I went for the first time earlier this year. One of my friends is from South Africa and she'd come back over to visit so I took my African princess to see the show about an African prince. It’s so cool though with all the puppets, the cool costumes and like the elephant going down the aisle.
“Yeah, it’s so cool and there was so much going on.”
Moving on, it's been eighteen months since you were last here and we’ve got a full album out. Obviously, you've been working a long time for it, you’ve been in Nashville for seven years now and a debut record is essentially your life's work so far. What do you hope people take away as the message from “Later Tonight”?
“I think that there's just a lot of dynamic and range to who I am as an artist, as a songwriter and even as a consumer of music, you know, I listen to so many different genres and types of music. Obviously, you choose your favourite, but it's nice for me to be able to explore that sonically through my own album. I feel like people get to really know me through the record.”
You recorded the album with Matt Geroux, who did the EP as well, what is it about working with him that you feel makes it the right fit as a producer for you?
“I feel like Matt and I just really understand each other. You know, we kind of have our own lingo that we work in and I just know what he's looking for. He pushes me to be better, whether it's a singer or a songwriter, and he's one of those people when we sing songs in the studio, it's not an easy day. It's a workout and that's the kind of mentality that I grew up through sports so it's a great fit and honestly he’s just one of my best friends.”
Good to see you, man, it’s great that you're back.
“Yeah, I'm excited.”
We’re back in Camden.
“Camden, yeah and it’s two nights, which is really cool. It’s a little different when they’re your own shows versus the stuff with Bailey when we were here last time. It’s always cool to open for somebody but now that it’s my own thing, it’s special.”
Yeah last time it was down the other end of the road at KOKO but now we’re up in Pete Doherty and The Libertines territory at the old Barfly.
“I’ve enjoyed it. I feel like this trip, I’ve got to explore a lot more. Last time, you know, it was so in and out that I didn't have time to walk around and it's been great.”
It must be quite nice as well, whereas as much as you're sort of working with playing the two shows but they're back to back and you get to explore London a little bit more.
“Yeah, like we got to walk around and kind of go to different areas, little shops, pubs and I got to go to first my musical, which was cool, too.”
What did you go and see?
“The Lion King.”
Oh, amazing, at The Lyceum in Covent Garden.
“Yeah, it was great. I think I went to one when I was a little kid, but not like understanding really what was going on and yes it was really cool.”
I went for the first time earlier this year. One of my friends is from South Africa and she'd come back over to visit so I took my African princess to see the show about an African prince. It’s so cool though with all the puppets, the cool costumes and like the elephant going down the aisle.
“Yeah, it’s so cool and there was so much going on.”
Moving on, it's been eighteen months since you were last here and we’ve got a full album out. Obviously, you've been working a long time for it, you’ve been in Nashville for seven years now and a debut record is essentially your life's work so far. What do you hope people take away as the message from “Later Tonight”?
“I think that there's just a lot of dynamic and range to who I am as an artist, as a songwriter and even as a consumer of music, you know, I listen to so many different genres and types of music. Obviously, you choose your favourite, but it's nice for me to be able to explore that sonically through my own album. I feel like people get to really know me through the record.”
You recorded the album with Matt Geroux, who did the EP as well, what is it about working with him that you feel makes it the right fit as a producer for you?
“I feel like Matt and I just really understand each other. You know, we kind of have our own lingo that we work in and I just know what he's looking for. He pushes me to be better, whether it's a singer or a songwriter, and he's one of those people when we sing songs in the studio, it's not an easy day. It's a workout and that's the kind of mentality that I grew up through sports so it's a great fit and honestly he’s just one of my best friends.”
Looking at songs on the album, you had the collaboration with Akon where looking at the title and knowing the original, there’s a part of you that wonders like, was that from a day where you all walked into the writing room without any ideas so were like should we just get drunk right now, and that came out of it? Haha, but how did it happen and then how did Akon end up getting in on it?
“It was kind of like that. I remember being hungover a little bit and I've always wanted to rewrite one of his songs, I already kind of had the chorus and it was like so easy, we’ve just got to get the right versus in together and it work out awesome. We wrote a song, recorded the demo and we were just going to put it out on my own but then had the opportunity to send it to his team and he said yes. That was awesome and now I have a song with Akon which is like a full circle moment for me as I grew up listening to a lot of Akon and we got to do the music video together which was special.”
Talking about other music you listened to, you put out your Ozzy cover, how much influence were Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne growing up?
“That’s from my dad, my dad is very much rock and roll you know, whether it was Sabbath, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Cinderella and all those kinds of bands were what my dad listened to. I already had the idea before he had passed, which was obviously very sad with the timing of all of it, but at the same time, I felt the respect for Ozzy and for his impact on my music.”
Another song that you have been on and is another different style of music is “Lay It On Me” where you were working with Frank Walker. How did that collab come about?
“That was a song where the idea was pitched to me to do and I've always loved EDM music and I was a big Avicii fan and I still am. I've always someone that wants to try things and see what happens, so there was an opportunity for me to sing a verse, be part of a really cool project and just see what happens with it. I’ve just spent some time with him in Vegas, his whole team have been awesome and just opening up a world to me that I’ve never had before so I just get to explore it.”
We touched on it last time and we talked about being a Canadian man in country music that's making it in the States, and we don't see it very often and generally a lot of the guys just stick to what they do up there but in terms of creatively and also the mechanics, is there a big difference between the Nashville way of working and the way things are kind of back at home?
“You know, it's just different, I mean, they're so similar, but also the atmospheres are different and sonically, the songs sound different. I always relate Canada to Texas, like, in the sense that, Texas has its own country music market. Some of those artists never play the rest of the United States, they just stay in Texas and Canada's the same where some artists just stay in Canada where they do really, really great. I just have always wanted to travel and explore the world, come to places like this and for me, that was moving to Nashville and developing a sound that felt more organic to me. It felt more organic for me to be in Nashville then in Canada.”
“It was kind of like that. I remember being hungover a little bit and I've always wanted to rewrite one of his songs, I already kind of had the chorus and it was like so easy, we’ve just got to get the right versus in together and it work out awesome. We wrote a song, recorded the demo and we were just going to put it out on my own but then had the opportunity to send it to his team and he said yes. That was awesome and now I have a song with Akon which is like a full circle moment for me as I grew up listening to a lot of Akon and we got to do the music video together which was special.”
Talking about other music you listened to, you put out your Ozzy cover, how much influence were Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne growing up?
“That’s from my dad, my dad is very much rock and roll you know, whether it was Sabbath, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Cinderella and all those kinds of bands were what my dad listened to. I already had the idea before he had passed, which was obviously very sad with the timing of all of it, but at the same time, I felt the respect for Ozzy and for his impact on my music.”
Another song that you have been on and is another different style of music is “Lay It On Me” where you were working with Frank Walker. How did that collab come about?
“That was a song where the idea was pitched to me to do and I've always loved EDM music and I was a big Avicii fan and I still am. I've always someone that wants to try things and see what happens, so there was an opportunity for me to sing a verse, be part of a really cool project and just see what happens with it. I’ve just spent some time with him in Vegas, his whole team have been awesome and just opening up a world to me that I’ve never had before so I just get to explore it.”
We touched on it last time and we talked about being a Canadian man in country music that's making it in the States, and we don't see it very often and generally a lot of the guys just stick to what they do up there but in terms of creatively and also the mechanics, is there a big difference between the Nashville way of working and the way things are kind of back at home?
“You know, it's just different, I mean, they're so similar, but also the atmospheres are different and sonically, the songs sound different. I always relate Canada to Texas, like, in the sense that, Texas has its own country music market. Some of those artists never play the rest of the United States, they just stay in Texas and Canada's the same where some artists just stay in Canada where they do really, really great. I just have always wanted to travel and explore the world, come to places like this and for me, that was moving to Nashville and developing a sound that felt more organic to me. It felt more organic for me to be in Nashville then in Canada.”
There's obviously like the visa and work permit type things but have you found any other barriers or challenges as a Canadian artist trying to make music in the States?
“I mean, for me, that was the hardest part, you know, financially, how do I live in a different country where I couldn’t go get a job at say Starbucks or whatever it was so I was figuring out how to pay for things. I had two great parents that were super supportive and I made a lot of friends early on that really helped me out, whether it was staying at their place, showering, hanging out or whatever it was, but yeah, definitely the biggest difficulty would be the financial side of it.”
You were over here with Bailey last year and you got to plat The Royal Abert Hall which is a really cool bucket list venue for a lot of people and kind of one of the most impressive rooms in the world. How was that whole experience looking back on it?
“The Bailey dates were great, I got to meet the fans for the first time, see the venues and look forward to the things that I get to look forward to coming back. Royal Alber Hall for the Highways Festival was really, really incredible, it’s a legendary venue and everybody always asks me what's one of my favourite venues that I've ever played and for me, that’s probably the one. Hopefully I get to go back there someday and do my own show.”
You’ve been very busy the last couple of months where the album came out in September and you've been out on the road with Dylan Scott as well. How's he as a tour mate and to be playing out with?
“Dylan's great, his whole team are awesome and his band's really great. I wish we would had more shows, we only had about six or seven with him so didn't get a ton of time to hang out, but he's really great, a great family man and I’m just very grateful for that opportunity on the road.”
Lastly as a Bills fan, are you concerned about the Patriots looking good again? Are you worried about Vrabel and Drake Maye starting a new dynasty and pushing you out again?
“I'm a Buffalo Bills guy, so we'll see what all happens. I wish I had more time to watch sport, I feel like with being so busy, people are like, did you see this trade or this is going on? I'm always trying to play catch up what's going on.”
Well, Sundays are going to be a travel day for you, I suppose, if you gig on a Saturday night.
“Yeah, they’re travel days and right now we've got the Blue Jays in the World Series right against the LA Dodgers, which is cool. I have a lot of family in Santa Monica in California and obviously, in Ontario so I get to watch my family right now fighting it out. I didn't grow up a huge baseball fan, I didn't play baseball, I appreciate the sport, you know, but I'm watching it because they're in the final. I'm not going to sit here and be like, I'm a super fan by any means but it's really cool to see two teams there that I grew up with being a part of with my family.”
“I mean, for me, that was the hardest part, you know, financially, how do I live in a different country where I couldn’t go get a job at say Starbucks or whatever it was so I was figuring out how to pay for things. I had two great parents that were super supportive and I made a lot of friends early on that really helped me out, whether it was staying at their place, showering, hanging out or whatever it was, but yeah, definitely the biggest difficulty would be the financial side of it.”
You were over here with Bailey last year and you got to plat The Royal Abert Hall which is a really cool bucket list venue for a lot of people and kind of one of the most impressive rooms in the world. How was that whole experience looking back on it?
“The Bailey dates were great, I got to meet the fans for the first time, see the venues and look forward to the things that I get to look forward to coming back. Royal Alber Hall for the Highways Festival was really, really incredible, it’s a legendary venue and everybody always asks me what's one of my favourite venues that I've ever played and for me, that’s probably the one. Hopefully I get to go back there someday and do my own show.”
You’ve been very busy the last couple of months where the album came out in September and you've been out on the road with Dylan Scott as well. How's he as a tour mate and to be playing out with?
“Dylan's great, his whole team are awesome and his band's really great. I wish we would had more shows, we only had about six or seven with him so didn't get a ton of time to hang out, but he's really great, a great family man and I’m just very grateful for that opportunity on the road.”
Lastly as a Bills fan, are you concerned about the Patriots looking good again? Are you worried about Vrabel and Drake Maye starting a new dynasty and pushing you out again?
“I'm a Buffalo Bills guy, so we'll see what all happens. I wish I had more time to watch sport, I feel like with being so busy, people are like, did you see this trade or this is going on? I'm always trying to play catch up what's going on.”
Well, Sundays are going to be a travel day for you, I suppose, if you gig on a Saturday night.
“Yeah, they’re travel days and right now we've got the Blue Jays in the World Series right against the LA Dodgers, which is cool. I have a lot of family in Santa Monica in California and obviously, in Ontario so I get to watch my family right now fighting it out. I didn't grow up a huge baseball fan, I didn't play baseball, I appreciate the sport, you know, but I'm watching it because they're in the final. I'm not going to sit here and be like, I'm a super fan by any means but it's really cool to see two teams there that I grew up with being a part of with my family.”
