Sept 13 Feature – Josh Blackburn

Defying the Naysayers

The music scene has seen plenty of changes in the last ten years, though not all of them have made the industry any better. Songs are sounding repetitive, and pop music is (mainly) still ruling the music world. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not afraid to admit I still love listening to old school Britney Spears or newer artists like Selena Gomez, but sometimes I don’t want to hear the same party song about raising my glass up. For now, though, I’ll get off my high horse and really get down to business; by focusing on the countless talented musicians out there in every state that are popping out of the wood work and making musical waves (excuse that saying). Musical superheroes are usually what I refer to them as.

One of those very musicians lives right here in Denver, and he’s making sure people know exactly who he is. Josh Blackburn made the move from Florida (after a few detours along the way) to Colorado almost nine years ago, and ever since he’s been making a name for himself in the music circuit. According the Blackburn, he believes that “music should have meaning, and should tell a story. Everything should fall into place after that. The lyrics need to stand for something.” He couldn’t be more right, and I was glad to hear him say it. When he said it, it didn’t sound forced and I understood exactly where he was coming from.

Working as a solo act most of the time, Blackburn has a busy schedule that keeps his musical pipes in check. As a musician, he has to keep on top of all of his bookings, because he likes to be in control of the shows that he plans. “I use Google Calendars. They’ve definitely saved my life and it’s easy to access and it lets me stay hands on.” Josh also explained that he likes to only use booking agents every once and awhile, but doesn’t rely too much on other people so he can take care of everything else. His music is a little bit of everything rolled into one, but if he had to define it he would say it’s closer to adult contemporary rock. He also has a goal of “bringing back a Floyd like sound. That’s what I really want to accomplish.”

However, Blackburn almost abandoned music completely for a short period in his life. After he went away from his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, he made the move to Nashville, but surprisingly didn’t take to the stage in the traditional sense of the word while he was there. He worked odd jobs, particularly one with Comcast that really made a negative impact in his life. To balance how much he disliked his job at the company he would go to music stores, trying to pick up his love for music, though he didn’t find the motivation to fully commit at the time.

“One day finally, I was approached by someone who heard me playing in one of the music stores and asked if I wanted to work for Disney. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it at first, but then it hit me that I had to. They were going to pay more than what I was making at my (then) current job, so I jumped on the opportunity.” And taking that chance really brought a lot of things into motion. He stayed on with Disney, traveling on their cruise ship and playing one show a night for most of the week. “This was the point in my life that really brought me back to music.” And his determination is still in full force today.

Blackburn now plays shows almost every night of the week, and does it simply for the pure pleasure of playing gigs so he can build a big fan base. Even though he’s played in Denver for years, he knows his name isn’t necessarily the one people talk about, but it doesn’t stop him. He also puts his efforts into making sure he books enough shows to help his wife get through school, so she can focus her attention on getting a degree; something that Josh truly wants her to do. In the meantime, Blackburn isn’t taking his act out on the road, or at least not until he feels he’s developed a better fan base in Colorado altogether.

The big push he has been waiting for, however, might just come after playing the Higher Ground Music Festival, which will be on September 14, 2013. Changing it up just a bit, Blackburn will be playing with a full band, instead of his solo gig. “I think that this could definitely be my breakout moment. My solo shows have done very well but adding the band element is going to take the music to a much higher level of complexity. And on top of that, it is my Flipside album which was the first album that I recorded in Colorado. It is going to be a really special experience for me and hopefully for everyone there to see it.”

Blackburn also is a master of using a looping technique in his shows, something that creates a different and unique flow to his sound. “I like to play the lead, and not as much the rhythm. I noticed how the looping made a big difference in my music.” He also mentioned how overall it brought a lot of diversity and more opportunities for his sound. I told him how I had seen shows in which the musician used quite a bit of looping and how it really does make that person stand out from the crowd. Josh is hoping for some great changes to happen, and Higher Ground is just the beginning. The possibilities are going to start opening up, and I’m pretty excited to see where he’ll be heading. One thing is for sure: after taking a second and hanging out with Josh (who by the way is a pretty nice guy), I believe that he is definitely someone to watch out for the next time that you’re out looking for a local show.

by Wendy Villalobos