Josh Heneghan is a Bedroom Pop artist from the North East. He also happens to be a lovely guy and a self-proclaimed recovered Tory. Today, He chatted about IDLES, Record labels and his new single, the OLD drummer BOY.
Your new single the OLD drummer BOY is out today! Are you nervous?
“No, absolutely not. I don’t make music for other people. I know it’s weird for someone to say ‘I don’t care about people’s reactions but I never have. I never make music for other people to enjoy. This is all music I enjoy and in the end, I think that’s all that really matters.”
You said on Instagram that you’ve got some stories about the song. Are there any you want to tell?
“The main influence is a band called Bleachers. At their performance at NPR, they stripped back one of my favourite songs and I just completely fell in love with it. That completely influenced the sound of the song. I just love the raw sound of it.”
What’s the concept behind your latest EP C?
“Aha… oh god, I haven’t talked about this in ages. I got told that my girlfriend at the time was moving to Canada. I just kinda vented through music. I completely improvised… I had lyrics in my head but the first four tracks were completely improvised. The last track was a poem I had lying around for a good year or two. It’s alright… life will be what life will be, you know.”
Why did you call it Call it C?
“I couldn’t come up with a creative name, to be honest. Like, a lot of people will sit down and be like ‘Ah, I’ve got to put a lot of thought into the name’ whereas me… I just thought ‘Canada, C… sorted.’ It just made sense not to put that much thought into the name.”
What does Time is Losing its Touch mean?
“Growing up… I have twelve songs on the upcoming album but this one was just with me for about a year and a half. I wrote it just as I was going into sixth form and I was worried, like everybody else was about growing up. That song is just about that really… spending time with your family and being scared to move away.”
Your new album is called Kids with Masks. Where did that title come from?
“Ironically before Corona virus. Originally, I just created to the first single from the album and realised it was completely different to anything I’d done before. There were more synths and it was very Lo-Fi. I was like ‘I don’t know whether to release this as Josh Heneghan or something new.’ I remember talking to someone saying that if I were to start a new project, I would call it Kids with Masks. It’s about kids putting on a brave face as a mask. Then my friend was like ‘Nah…Just make an EP.’ I’d been wanting to do an album for a while, so I just decided to go with it.”
What made you decide now was the time to release your first LP?
“I have been wanting to do an LP for ages now… It was my new year’s resolution. Last year I recorded 5 EP’s and this year I released C… I just thought that I need to work towards something bigger. I spent a lot of time just delving into my music, thinking about what I could come up with. Originally, it was going to have some big story about the apocalypse but then I realised I wasn’t enjoying it at all. So, I decided to scrap it. That sort of Lo-Fi, Indie sound just came out when I restarted writing and now we have an album coming out… 20th November. It’s just a load of songs I really enjoyed writing.”
Your song Wuhammi really interested me, what’s the story behind it?
“This the song that people always ask us about… (Laughs). Wuhammi is a word I saw whilst scrolling through YouTube. I opened a new tab and then never found the word again. I just had the word stuck in my head and I just needed to write it down. There’s a lot of concepts behind it… love and being locked in. Apparently it’s Zulu and it means ‘do not wander’. I don’t know, it’s weird… the explanation of the song changes every single time.”
You’re mainly a bedroom pop artist. Are there any other genre’s your considering exploring?
“This album incorporates a lot more than bedroom pop. I really delved into experimental and stuff like that. The first song on the album is instrumental with heavy, distorted guitars… kind of like the start of C. It’s like experimental sounds influenced by Black Midi and Animal Hospital. I know the response to it probably won’t be very positive because people don’t like experimental but I absolutely love it. Listening back to a track like that, I still notice new things every single time.”
A lot of your lyrics are very honest. Have you ever been scared of people’s reactions to some of the darker stuff?
“Nah. I am very much an open person: I say a lot about how I’m feeling. Sometimes people say ‘You’re a lad so you shouldn’t.’ Sometimes I think I’m a person who doesn’t cry because ‘I’m a lad and I shouldn’t’… Bit of toxic masculinity for you. I enjoy talking about feelings because people respond greatly. A couple of weeks ago I put on my story something about being 7 months clean (of self-harm) and the response to that was absolutely brilliant. People are saying “Wow, you really touched us” and if my music can touch people, that’s a bonus.”
How do you create your songs?
“I bought my audio interface right before I posted my first song. I just remember plugging it in and recording. That’s pretty much how I do it. Just put it into Ableton and see what happens.”
Do you have a target audience for your music?
“Nah, not really. Anybody can enjoy music… there shouldn’t be a target audience. That’s what I hate about record labels. If a 60 year old man wants to listen to Justin Bieber, let him. If a 3 year old wants to listen to Slayer, let them! Music is meant to be this thing that unifies people and that’s what the labels forget. It’s heart-breaking to see musicians go out of their genre because of that.”
If Island Records offered you a deal, would you turn them away?
“I don’t know. I fucking hate record labels but I want to make this career. My fear of record labels is that they wouldn’t let me have any creative freedom.”
Do you have a favourite album of 2020?
“I can give you my 2019 one but maybe not 2020. 2019 would be Schlagenheim by Black Midi. 2020’s been a weird year. You’ve had Car Seat Headrest and that was a good album. Then you’ve got Declan McKenna’s new one coming up and then IDLES as well. Those are the two I’m waiting on.”
Did you get tickets to see IDLES?
“Ah mate, don’t even get me started. Had a look at half 10 this morning and they were all sold out. I’m keeping an eye on the Facebook page to see if they announce anymore dates. I’ve got tickets for Declan McKenna though.”
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
“Probably my mates band Car boot Casino. Here in Newcastle we love to be rough but I usually stand at the back so I can watch everybody else be rough.”
Which bands do you hate?
“Pop. Just hate it. Just all pop in general. I used to be really into pop and now I just think it all sounds the same. I’m not a big fan of Justin Bieber. I respect Billie Eilish but I don’t actively listen to her. I appreciate what she and her brother have done… how they made a living from an £100 microphone and a laptop. (Looks at Phone)… I’ve got tickets for IDLES! I really hope there’s a lot of jumping into the crowd.”
Do you wish to bring politics into your music?
“I don’t write politically, I just hope people stop dying because of the colour of their skin or who they are... just don’t be a cock, simple. That’s coming from someone who is a recovered Tory, because I was a Tory in the last election. I didn’t like labours free university policy. So I call myself a recovered Tory.”
Who would be your dream collaboration?
“Jack Antonoff. He’s just worked with so many artists. He worked on Royals with Lorde which just completely changed the shape of music… He’s worked with Bleachers, fun., Red hearse. Just one of my favourite music maker and I would love to work with him.”
Interview by Aidan McGuire
Listen to Josh Heneghan on Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Q45yFVFUltCTxfYqoGrj1?si=zRMSEFzPTkSypIdZTy91KQ
Follow Josh on Instagram -https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Q45yFVFUltCTxfYqoGrj1?si=zRMSEFzPTkSypIdZTy91KQ
Aidan McGuire Insta - https://www.instagram.com/aidan._mcg/
Aidan McGuire Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/1atUaV3lMEAUaKxCyHCsql?si=ckuNo7zHQu6PFAx-8_cBcw
Comments