Written by Sophie Wyatt
Cornwall raised, London based musician Joe T. Johnson embarked on the start of his musical journey after finishing High School and heading to Bristol to pursue his love creating. And it wasn’t long before the young singer-songwriter was touring the country, developing his skills and putting out his debut EP ‘English Elegance’. Using Indie undertones to style his tracks, Joe’s music is reminiscent of the 90’s new wave era, while also giving us a brand new spin on sounds and techniques that is undeniably unique to Joe.
2022 saw Joe’s fan base sky rocket as he played Glastonbury. Which in turn, led to a sell out show at The Waiting Room in Hackney. And since then, the singer has continued to grow and tend to his passion. Gigging around the country, being supported by institutes like the BBC and keeping up a good report with fans on socials, Joe is clearly on the up. And we were lucky enough to catch up with him to ask some questions around one of his most popular tracks ‘Twist‘, and where his music is headed.
What are your first memories of music from growing up?
“When I was very young, I remember hearing Chaz and Dave playing through an old Duke box in Manchester, I remember hearing the lyric “You’ve got more rabbit than Sainsbury’s” and thinking what does that mean? It made me laugh. I also remember the first album I fell in love with properly was ‘Nevermind‘ by Nirvana, I loved it.”
At what point did you realize you wanted to start making music?
“I used to play football for my local team back home however when I started playing the guitar I found myself spending most of my time trying to perfect my guitar playing and develop my skills as a songwriter. I remember at school I liked to sit at the back of the classroom hiding from the teacher so I was able to focus on my lyric writing. Come lunch break, I would run to the music department, pick up a guitar, and put a melody to the lyrics I just wrote in class. This passion for songwriting always stayed with me, and it’s also been a way for me to express my feelings positively.”
Obviously, you described your music as ‘Indie’, but how would you best describe the feeling it gives you and what you want the listeners to feel?
“I forever find myself leaning back to my family roots in Manchester for inspiration whether that be in fashion, food, culture, and most importantly music. After being introduced to bands like Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Joy Division, and the Smiths at a young age I developed a love for independently made music. I eventually began to create my unique style of music that complements my inspirations while creating my identity in the process. I want my listeners to feel independence and artistic freedom when listening to my music because it’s independent artists that first inspired me to start making music. I hope one day I could also inspire anyone wanting to creating art and music.”
You said your favorite single release so far was your track ‘Twist’, could you describe a bit more about the story behind it?
“When I’m writing a new song a few things must be done, great chords, melodies, and lyrics, but also the song should create some sort of reaction when released into the world. For me ‘Twist’ was an exciting song to work on, I enjoyed the writing process and the recording process. It was very enjoyable to make, I had no writer’s block and the recording sessions were great fun! Still to this day, it’s my highest streamed track and it was all recorded on a £20 microphone, no fancy studio. It also sounds different from my previous releases.”
What do you see your music doing next?
“I’m excited to release another single which is already finished. I’m looking to record a full-length debut album in 2024 along with playing a UK tour. I will continue to play more live shows around London with my band and collaborate with other artists!”
Head over to Joe T. Johnson’s Spotify page to hear more of his tracks.
