TN—Music City is an outlaw town. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan & Willie Nelson, Josh Gray has begun planting his own roots in the heart of Americana-Nashville, TN. After three years in writing, Songs of the Highway is out now, setting the scene for progressive rebellion and lending a voice to the disenfranchised. On this 11-track LP, Josh Gray challenges the establishment and his listeners to act instead of acquiescing to circumstance.
Reminiscent of Music City’s pioneering revolutionaries, Songs of the Highway sheds light on modern social injustice and inequality in an increasingly self-absorbed society.
Experimental Americana complements the album’s roots-rock appeal. Contemporary narratives, metaphors and poetry pair with Gray’s voice in a hypnotic baritone of self-reflection and social discourse. Inspired by such luminaries as Leonard Cohen, Josh Gray invites the audience on a journey of contemplation. Questioning the world and himself along the way.
Over 30,000 miles of rubber to road in 2015 alone, Josh Gray found himself playing bars, dives and venues across the East Coast. Hours of solitude would lead to finding inspiration at the crossroads.
An old soul in a new age, Gray rallied fans in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign generated by the power of social media; raising almost $9,000 to help complete the project. Recorded at the renowned Bomb Shelter in Nashville, TN Josh Gray called on the assistance of an all-star cast to bring Songs of the Highway to life.
Produced by Drew Carroll (Promised Land Sound, The Deslondes) and mastered by John Baldwin (Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson). With additional production and mixing provided by Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Margo Price). Larissa Maestro (Deer Tick, Eminem) lends her talents to shape a signature string arrangement for the standout protest anthem, Darkest Before the Dawn.
It can be a lonely road to for a desperado but, Nashville’s newest outlaw has something to say about that, too. Check out Songs of the Highway below!
We managed to catch up with Josh as he talked about his latest album and more!
So how has the release of Songs of the Highway gone down so far?
The release has been really great! The love we’re getting from fans, reviewers and DJ’s has been really encouraging. With my first album I didn’t do nearly as much promotion. It’s been a lot of work but it’s a labor of love. It’s awesome to me to see a lot of people all over the US and Europe embracing the album!
What is your favourite track on this album?
I don’t know that I can say I have a favorite because they’re all my babies. From a songwriting standpoint I think “All Out War” is one of the strongest songs I’ve written. Honestly I’m happy with the entire album. I wrote eleven songs, ten made it onto the album and I don’t feel that there’s any filler.
Can you tell us something about the album no one else knows?
There’s a reference to one of my favorite French films somewhere in the album.
What was your favourite moment making this album?
There are a couple favorite moments for me. First would be the months of practices with my band (Tucker McKee, Kenzie Miracle, Julio Matos and Jason Munday). We gave ever song the time it deserved to really arrange it properly. Nothing was off the table, anyone could come with an idea and we’d try it out. We became tighter as a band and as friends, just a great time.
Second would be recording in Bomb Shelter Studios with the band. Listening back to takes and for the first time hearing everything come together. We’d spent months listening back to crappy cell phone recordings.
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
I think it would be cool to work with the Pixies. They’ve been a pretty big influence on me.
What’s the music scene like in Nashville at the moment?
There is no singular music scene in Nashville really. There are pockets, even within the same genre. You can go to a venue any night and see a local you’d never previously heard of. And I’m not talking someone starting out and playing a round. There are so many artists here who have made music a career and it’s great. Mainly it’s just friend groups who came up together or met when they moved to the city.
To answer the question properly though. You have those who make music purely for money and those who do it because they love it. Those two scenes are separate but sometimes get lumped together by people outside of Nashville looking in. There is so much good music being made here in every genre.
Will you be touring at all this year?
I did a short tour and headed up East with my friend Jason Erie in April. Next year I’ll be touring a lot more. The plan this year is to play a show in Nashville every few months. I’ll also be playing shows in surrounding states and trying to bring the band with me. I’ve got a cool show coming up in Asheville in July.
What’s next for you?
What’s next is to keep pushing to get the album heard. Those who hear it enjoy it, we’ve gotten a lot of love. I want to take the band on the road more. Just basically the next thing is to always keep moving forward. I’m making moves every single day.
Thanks so much for the interview, great talking.
