BY MEGHAN BRIANNA
PHOTO BY TANISHA BASSAN
Toronto native Joshua Perez has been quietly building a name for himself in the music industry. With no press support, Perez has already accumulated over 115,000 streams on Spotify alone. Classified as a Pop/R&B artist, heartbreak seems to be a prevalent theme amongst his music. With three singles already released just three months into 2020, there is definitely so much more to come from this rising artist. We had the chance to sit and talk with Joshua regarding his newest single, “Broken,” as well as his plans for the remainder of the year, and what’s to come.
For our readers who aren’t familiar with you or your music, can you share how your musical journey began?
Joshua: “I’ve been passionate about music [for] as long as I can remember, but I truly began investing in my own talent after joining a musical high school [in] downtown Toronto. It’s where I was first exposed to singing live, going on tours, and honing in on my musical skills. That changed my life, I was singing opera all around the world and collaborating with my classmates to grow as vocal musicians. Music helped change me as a person and I want to continue pursuing it to hopefully help do the same for other people.“
How would you describe and classify your sound if you could fit it into a category?
J: “I like to create pop-sounding music that is heavy with my raw emotions. My music is inspired by Lewis Capaldi. I pour my soul into my lyrics and make it relatable for anyone to listen to by having a more pop-sounding focus.”
What is your writing process? What usually comes first when creating something new? A melody? A lyric?
J: “I listen to tons of tracks and see what I vibe with, see which sounds capture my attention. Once I find a track I’ve fallen in love with, I start creating a melody to the beat. After the melody, I write lyrics which fit the music and that’s pretty much it. After, I get straight to singing and refining the song.”
You have a brand new single, titled “Broken.” Can you explain the creative process behind the song as well as the meaning behind it?
J: “I wrote the lyrics when I was really sad. My emotions were overpowering me and I found my outlet through music. I am lucky that I can use music to understand myself and my emotions. Not everyone has that [luxury] so I wanted my song to depict the terrible emotions we all feel and help people get more in tune with their true inner selves. I think regardless of what walk of life we come from, we all feel hurt and pain, feelings of worthlessness, loneliness, and unhappiness. No one can escape these emotions because that’s what makes us human. I want my song to be for everyone who has felt sad and to understand that they aren’t alone, my song is a reflection of the pain that I and so many others go through. As you’re listening to my song, I hope you find comfort with yourself and can feel okay with feeling sad because that’s the first step towards getting happier.”
We’re three months through 2020, what have you finished already, and what are you looking to get done for the remainder of the year?
J: “2020 has been a crazy year, the world is going through so many changes and I am evolving into a better musician with it. I’ve already released 2 songs and I have so many more I’m excited to get out this year. I want 2020 to be the year of exponential growth for me as an artist and only grow more from here onwards.”
Can you share some of your upcoming projects?
J: “I have a collaboration coming out next month called ‘Fall In Love’ and what the song is about is pretty obvious, falling in love for the first time. Some other songs coming out after are ‘Goodbye’ and ‘Perfect.’ I will give more details closer to when they are released, so stay tuned.”
What song would you want new listeners to listen to first to get the best grasp of your sound?
J: “‘Hold My Hand’ would be the first song I want my listeners to be exposed to so they understand my music. It grasps that melodramatic tone in my voice sung on a pop music track. It’s also dense with my raw emotions which is common amongst all my songs. Listeners can choose to hold my hand and follow my music as I improve and create better and better music for them.”
What is one lyric/line you’ve written that resonates the most with you, either from a released song, or something unreleased?
J: “The lyric is from ‘Broken.’ It’s, ‘I’m broken, I’m sorry, but I’m hurting. I hope you never feel the pain that I feel.’ I love these lyrics because I know I’m being completely bare with my feelings, expressing my darker emotions and talking about how these are my feelings and I wish my listeners don’t have to ever feel them. It’s so important for me to be completely open with my own emotions so that someone listening can know they aren’t alone and can better deal with their own problems. These lyrics encompass this theme perfectly and so it resonates deeply with me.”
Where do you see yourself musically in 5 years from now?
J: “I want to be signed to a major record label, touring with major artists and getting to meet my fans personally all over the world.”
Do you have a message to your fans? Do you have any words for people who have yet to discover you and your work as a musician?
J: “My fans are amazing, I wouldn’t have gotten [as far as I have] without them motivating me to continue releasing music. I create songs for my fans and I’m so grateful to have people who enjoy them because I’ve at least started impacting some people through my music and that fills me with joy. For people yet to discover me, I hope my music reaches your ears and strikes a deep chord within you, enough to impact you in a positive way and to begin following my art.”