Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Gray.
Josh, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I was 16, I was gifted a guitar by my parents for Christmas. I never really had an interest in taking lessons. Part of that was my stubbornness, and part of it was not wanting to make music feel like school. I’m not someone who naturally seeks a lot of attention. Guitar was just fun for me; I honestly had no real goal of ever playing live.
I fiddled around on the guitar and didn’t end up playing live for the next 15 years. A couple of things happened: I felt my guitar playing and lyric writing had gotten to an acceptable level, and my friend dared me to play a local open mic. We used to go weekly to this open mic at the Frederick Coffee Company in Frederick, MD. It’s kind of funny because I went there for a year and just enjoyed the music. I was friends with everyone there, and they knew me as a regular who came to listen.
After my friend dared me, I posted my first YouTube video the night before. I was nervous about playing live, and I figured if a bunch of people could see me online, then I could play to a room of 40 people. I approached Todd, the open mic host, toward the end of the night and asked if I could play. He, along with everyone else, was rightfully surprised that I even played, let alone wrote music.
From there on, I became a regular in the scene and recorded my first album just a couple of blocks away. Two years later, I moved down to Nashville. I knew nobody, but I knew I wanted to challenge myself and get better. Since then, I’ve recorded a couple of albums in Nashville and have toured some in the U.S. and Europe.
I’m happy with how it’s all turned out. I get to express myself through my music, and that has always been the goal for me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think the biggest struggle for most independent artists is money. You have to make a choice as to whether or not you want to do music on the side or make it your main gig. I go back and forth with this because I don’t like looking at music as a job. The other thing is, it would be tough touring constantly and being away from my daughter.
Right now, I’m content to put out albums and pay my bills with a job. I have friends who are way more well-known than me, and they work on the side as well. Some define success as working constantly; I define it as getting to express myself. I’m grateful for my dedicated fans who not only come out to shows but have helped me fund my last two albums.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
With the help of my guitar, I’m a storyteller. I’d say what I do is somewhere between poetry by the campfire and a protest march. To describe it in a more boring way, I’m often classified as Americana. Americana is a weird word; it’s so vague that it means nothing while simultaneously giving people an idea of what instruments to expect.
My music is a mixture of folk, country, blues, and rock. I’d like to think I’m known for poetic lyrics, albums where every song sounds different, being outspoken in the face of injustice, and always trying new things.
I think what I’m most proud of is staying true to myself. If I feel it, it goes on the album. I’m constantly changing because I’m constantly learning. No matter how successful an album is, I’m not interested in slipping into some comfortable roadmap. I have zero concern for what a label will think or if this one might ruffle a few feathers at the radio station. You won’t hear me trying to fit in by putting out a whiskey song.
If you like and support my music, I really appreciate you. My music isn’t for everyone, but those who enjoy it seem to really connect with it. I think that’s what sets me apart from others: I’m more interested in being true to myself and the craft of songwriting than winning every listener over.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to me is expressing myself. In that regard, I’m already a success. I’m kind of lucky in that I never had the goal of becoming famous or playing huge venues. Now, don’t get me wrong, bigger venues and more money would be great. Not having to struggle is preferable.
At the same time, every struggle is a learning experience. If you start out having to do everything for yourself, you learn the work involved. You learn what a fair price is when you eventually hire someone else to take those things over. You also learn when someone is attempting to take advantage of you. These are valuable lessons.
I’m always working to become a better songwriter and to challenge myself on albums. I’m satisfied with growing a fan base over time. After all, I’m in it for the long haul.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joshgraymusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshgraymusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshgraymusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/joshgraymusic
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@joshgraymusic1
