Interview with Folk Artist Josh Robins
By Mick Michaels
Cosmick View: Hello, Josh! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.
Josh Robins: Thanks very much and thanks for having me.
CV: What's your definition of punk to folk? Tell us a bit about the journey.
JR: Folk music was always around, my father was very much part of that community when i was growing up, but every teenager needs their own thing I guess, that’s just what was happening at the time, I never held any strong allegiance to punk or anything like that, I just notice looking back that that my haircut and the stuff I was listening to suits the label. Folk was always in the background, and as I got older and more interested in literature and history, folk became a better way to scratch that itch.
CV: Folk music has always been associated, to some degree, with the beatnik movement and the hippie generation....a kind of anti-establishment outlook. Do you worry or even bother considering that there may be those who would feel coming from a punk background that you lack the "street cred" to play real folk music?
JR: Haha, well this is the first time I’ve heard any suggestion that the punk scene is pro- establishment… punk music and folk music are similar in plenty of ways, they are simple chorded, socially charged and designed to represent the voice of working people. As for the ‘street cred’ question, I might argue that I add a little of it to the folk scene. There’s many a soft handed middle class, village green, little Englander out there playing songs written by beggars, gypsies, boxers and soldiers from a hundred years ago, the types of people they’d cross the street to avoid.
CV: Tell us a little about the new EP, "Blessed with a Mess." Does the title hold a significant meaning that fans should be aware?
JR: There’s a track in there called Blessed With a Mess, which is about some Hippies I met on the beach and decided to hang out with for a few days, and about their outlook on life, Mostly I just like how it sounds.
CV: The EP's first single, "All Kinds of Shoes," tells a story of love. Are there any autobiographical aspects to the theme of the song? What was the inspiration?
JR: I wanted to write a folk ballad, but with a modern twist, I’ve been studying the old folk ballads for a while now, and loved the modern folk tale in Richards Thompsons- ‘Vincent Black Lighting 1952’. That song has brought me joy for years. This was a literary exercise, totally made up. The great thing about writing a story is it can mean so many things, that you aren't in charge of once you’ve finished the work, there’s plenty in there for readers (listeners) to find that I would never have thought of.
CV: As a singer, as an artist...as a songwriter, has music helped you better express yourself to those around you?
JR: No, I'm still terrible at that, I haven't yet managed to write any introspective songs, or songs about how I feel, I'm just not that interested in myself. I prefer to look outside than inside. Besides, there's plenty of that kind of stuff going round we don't need my input.
CV: What's been the greatest lesson you learned being in an artist?
JR: Hard work and patience, the idea that when you’re spending the day pulling your hair out over finishing a song, that in two, three, even four years time, it's going to become this whole other thing, that you can play with a band or hear on a record, that going to make you and hopefully people around you happy. And you can keep doing that over and over. It's magic.
CV: In addition to the new EP, what more can fans expect to see coming from you in the remainder 2023?
JR: I have a tour of the UK and Ireland! Starting August the 24th, and finishing September 20th. Then back into the studio in November for the next one.
CV: Thanks again, Josh, for taking the time to share with our readers. We wish you all the best and continued success.
JR: Thanks very much guys, appreciate it.
Check out Josh at:
https://www.facebook.com/joshrobinsmusic/
https://www.instagram.com/josh.robins.music/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1DZthSaIbN4yzb8QxyswpD
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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
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