Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A) I grew up partly in Edmonton, Canada and partly between Oxford and Birmingham in the UK. I always found growing up that music was something I was good at. I was never great at school, no matter how hard I tried, but music was always something I was well above average at. For most of my life, I just saw it as nothing more than a hobby. My parents didn’t approve of it being anything more than that either. But as I neared the end of my university degree (in Psychology), I started realizing that maybe music was what I wanted to make a career out of. After graduating Uni, I worked in my field of study for 2 years while simultaneously releasing music. My music endeavors started accelerating to the point where I was getting booked so often that I was taking too much time off of my “real job”. I eventually decided to go all in, and I haven’t looked back since 2020.
Q: Can you describe the musical style of Josh Sahunta in three words?
A) Guitar-driven pop.
Q: How do you stay connected with your fans, and what role do they play in shaping your musical journey?
A) I stay connected mostly via social media. I try to make my content as engaging as possible, in ways that allow for real conversation as opposed to just “likes” and “comments”. I try to reply to every single comment that is ever left on any of my posts. My fans shape my musical journey simply by listening and reacting to whatever it is that I’m releasing. I can tell quite quickly what works well and what maybe doesn’t as well. They’re very honest with me, and it helps me to grow and keep giving them more of what they love to hear.
Q: You were recently nominated for a JUNO Award for Adult Contemporary Album of the Year for To Be Loved, Vol. 1. Can you walk us through the creative process of the album and describe the story behind it?
A) I wrote this entire album for and about my wife, Jacqueline. It originally was just going to be pitched around for use on wedding videos, romantic tv shows, etc. and not actually released on streaming platforms. The best thing I’ve ever done in my career so far though was releasing the album on streaming platforms. These songs have been used everywhere from Netflix shows, to Logan Paul’s engagement video. To now have the project nominated for a JUNO Award is unbelievable to me, but also incredibly fulfilling. This project was done completely independently, with no label support, or fancy collaborations. It was done in a basement home studio by myself, with the help of a couple friends. I’m so proud of it, and I’m so glad that this was the album to be nominated.
Q: What is your favorite track from the album and why?
A) My favourite song from the album is “Someone Like You”. That song has not only made me more money than every song I’ve ever recorded combined, but it’s just the peak of my songwriting ability. Every now and then I write something that is just ‘different’ from the rest of my music, and “Someone Like You” is certainly that. There’s just something really special about it that doesn’t happen all the time.
Q: What has been the most memorable concert or performance for Josh Sahunta so far?
A) This would have to be my “Mellowdrama” album release concert back in 2021. It was
my first major concert after the pandemic restrictions had come to an end, and it was
my first time being back on the big stage after 2 years of not performing live at all. It
was definitely an emotional concert for me and one I’ll always be proud of doing.
Q: Reflecting on your body of work, each song holding its unique significance, could you share a particular track that stands out to you personally? What makes that specific tune special, and why does it hold a place of pride in your musical journey?
A) My song “Your Man” is particularly special to me because I wrote it for my wife to walk down the aisle to on our wedding day. I don’t even play that song live because of its significance to that one moment in my life. I can’t listen to it without tears welling up in my eyes because it just transports me back to that moment of seeing my bride-to-be coming down the aisle to me.
Q: Exploring the diverse creative processes within the music industry is always fascinating. Could you provide insight into Josh Sahunta’s unique approach to crafting music From the initial spark of an idea to the finished song, how do you navigate the creative journey and bring its musical concepts to life?
A) My musical ideas always originate from the music first. I don’t think I’ve ever written a
song (or at least not a good song) starting with the lyrics. I usually come up with
some instrumental idea, whether it be some guitar chords, or a soundscape I create
on my recording software. I then typically “let the music guide me” as to what the
lyrics should be about. I find it hard to sculpt a song into exactly what I want it to be
about, because it doesn’t feel authentic to the music. I always let the chords and the
melodies tell me what the song should be about and I go from there. Every now and
then, I have moments of complete brilliance (I personally call these my “God songs”),
where I have an entire song “transplanted” into my brain, almost in its entirety. These
songs almost write themselves, and they pour out of me as if I were transcribing
something already written (they’re definitely not already written though I should add).
I call these my “God songs” because it’s almost as if God gifted it to me, because I
don’t think I could have written it myself. “Someone Like You” is definitely one of
these songs. I don’t write songs that good very often.
Q: As we wrap up our conversation, looking ahead, what aspirations or dreams do you have for Josh Sahunta, and what message would you like to share with your fans as they continue to accompany you on this musical journey?
A) Honestly, my dream is to continue making a good living doing music full-time. I’ve pretty much decided that there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing during my working career here on this earth, and so I hope to keep it going for a long while. A message I’d share with my fans is that I’m never going to try and be someone I’m not just to be “popular”. Everything you will hear from me going forward will be an authentic representation of who I am and what I’ve been through. I hope that through being honest, I’ll attract the type of fans who also feel encouraged and championed to also be themselves.
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