Life & Work with Joshua Lubben of Gallatin, TN

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Lubben

Hi Joshua, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We grew up on a goat farm in Iowa, surrounded by a wide variety of amazing folk artists from the British Isles and beyond. Our parents were music enthusiasts and encouraged my triplet brothers [Michael, Tom] and I [Joshua] to start classical studies; so while we began playing folk instruments by ear and jamming with friends, we also studied classical violin, viola, cello, and piano. By the time we were 15, we began performing professionally as both a classical trio and folk band, though we didn’t begin touring seriously until after earning our music composition degrees from Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida (though Tom broke the mold and double-majored in English).

Gradually, our folk band and original music grew in demand to the point where our performance schedule took us all over the country, including collaborations with choirs, orchestras, and theatre companies. In Summer 2024, we made the move to the Nashville area and immediately felt more at home. We’re basically settled in now: our in-house studio space is in constant use thanks to an unlimited string of original songs, musicals, and Michael’s music production degree from Berklee 😉 Besides recording, we’re touring steadily, and are especially excited to hear the world premiere of our folk-musical “The Luck” at the Gordon Theatre in Pensacola, FL this November. In the meantime, you can expect a steady stream of original music releasing to all digital platforms, including “This Morning” which released on February 19.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Maybe it’s a smooth road for some bands, but it’s been a wild ride for us so far. some of the greatest struggles have been curating and maintaining an engaged audience online (streaming platforms and socials). While we’ve had steady success at live shows, we’ve had a harder time getting those numbers to translate into streams, followers, etc. Thankfully, we’ve seen steady growth over the last couple years though it’s always accompanied by dedicated hard work.

When it comes to live shows, there’s always the struggle of “butts in seats”: convincing a venue we’re worth a try even if we can’t guarantee a huge draw. Unfortunately, not everyone sees the amount of time and energy that goes into running your own company, so we’re always grateful when a venue pays us what we’re worth!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Our unique genre of music is a good reflection of our childhood in Iowa: a blend of Irish, Americana, Classical, Gospel, and beyond. While some bands blend a number of folk genres, we have the added benefit of playing over 2 dozen instruments collectively, including banjo (5 string and tenor), guitar, bass, fiddle, cello, mandolin, accordion, harmonicas, hammer dulcimer, tin whistle, piano, and more. Our songwriting follows in the folksinger tradition, often telling stories and addressing large thematic topics. We also write full-length musicals, and can’t wait to hear the premiere of “The Luck” in November: a folk-musical set at the tail-end of the gold rush.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Never compromise your style: focus on your unique skills and talents, and avoid replicating others in your field. Along with this, faithfully create without worrying how others are succeeding in your genre or field, and eventually your diligence will pay off.

Pricing:

• Concert Pricing: $1k-10k
• Buy our brand new vinyl for $30 on our website!
• Stream our music for free on Spotify!
• T-shirts, hats, CDs, and more for sale in our store: https://www.thelubbenbrothers.com/store

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thelubbenbrothers.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelubbenbrothers/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelubbenbrothers
• Twitter: @thelubbenbrothers
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcduWonkMb-7YFl3lYuU0Dw
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gnNCWbEGCR01Mukir6K3Z?si=gxAW_8hsQw6VaBpmo8Fvmw