Alexander Joseph has spent his life juggling his two passions of music & sport. As a musician he cut his teeth performing on the open mic scene around the city of Bath, whilst touring the UK with a covers band. His commitment to sport stems from his time competing on the international tennis circuit & his more recent coaching roles within Paralympic sport. Joseph is also committed to channelling important & heartfelt messages through his music. 2020 has seen the release of Not Defeated - a song about overcoming adversity & persevering through the challenging times. You'll also be able to check out his EP ‘Broken But Beautiful' from 4th September, which draws inspiration from his experiences of fatherhood, mental health, faith, friendship, the loss of a loved one & the need for relentless determination when we pursue our aspirations.
What’s your songwriting process?
I usually start by choosing a theme I'm particularly passionate about or a story I'd like to tell, as having clear purpose behind the song hugely helps me with the lyrical content and overall direction. I then pick up an acoustic guitar or sit behind the piano for some play time & if I stumble across a decent chord sequence & vocal melody I hit record on voice memos! If I wake up the next day and still remember the melody, I get to work on the lyrics, which usually involves a thesaurus or RhymeZone to keep it interesting!
What music did you listen to growing up?
A huge variety but mainly Oasis! My dad introduced me to bands like Yes, Genesis & The Who, but I also loved listening to Radiohead, Nirvana (which we attempted to cover in a school band very badly!), The Kooks, Jet, Travis & Cast to name a few. I did have a fling with Garage music in my teens & even made an appearance behind the decks at my sixth form leavers ball! I also had a big appreciation for Eminem, DMX, Dre & Snoop...
What is your dream collaboration?
Coldplay
Do you play any instruments or do any production?
I learnt piano (& recorder ) as a kid and still enjoy the occasional tinkle, but my main instrument is acoustic guitar. I've picked up mixing & production over the last few years and use these skills to create demos but leave the final versions to my guys at Resound Media…
What's the best gig you've been to?
Ocean Color Scene live at Birmingham Academy back in 2006. They sounded absolutely incredible live & we were right at the front!
What are your plans for the rest of the year onwards?
I plan to give my EP 'Broken But Beautiful' a chance to make it's mark, but I do have a new song ready to record which celebrates Paralympic sport & reflects on the challenges the athletes face, especially as a result of this global pandemic. I'll be crowdfunding through my Rocketfuel page to help cover the production & music video costs ahead of the games in Tokyo next year, and the song will hopefully help to raise awareness and support of the incredible people preparing for this truly inspiring event (fingers crossed it's able to go ahead).
‘Broken But Beautiful’ by Alexander Joseph is available now for stream and download, listen HERE
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