This week, Hamilton singer-songwriter Mark Joshua visited WYSO's studios for an interview with Music Director Juliet Fromholt following the June 20 release of his latest single, "Not Ready to Let You Go."
Now 27 years old, Joshua knew from a young age that he wanted to pursue a career in music. "I've always been musical, and I've always known that a normal desk job just wouldn't do for me," he told Fromholt. "I've been writing since I was 13, performing since I was 16… It's just the only thing that's ever made sense in this world for me." His dedication was apparent when he was teenager, even missing his homecoming prom to play a gig.
The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly opened new doors for Joshua's songwriting career. When in-person shows became impossible, he began live streaming on Kumu.Live, an app based in the Philippines, where he connected with other artists and industry professionals. Joshua explained, "On that app there were a bunch of artists that were doing the same thing I was doing, but also a lot of people in the music industry in the Philippines. So I would join their live streams and we ended up having a rapport and being able to talk to each other, and I would just message and be like, 'hey, let's write a song’… I started writing songs for other people and actually got some co-writes out there, which is cool.”
Joshua reflected on the challenges of writing for others. “It opened up a whole new door to my songwriting journey,” he said. "In the beginning I definitely had troubles with it because it's sort of like you're giving a diary entry to someone to read out." However, he came to realize that his personal touch would always come through in his work. "A piece of me is always going to find its way out, even if I try my best not to. The way I word something, a melody I use—it's just naturally going to be me."
His latest single, "Not Ready to Let You Go," was recorded with Hamilton producer Michael Smith. Joshua described it as "probably the heaviest song I've written," adding, "It's dedicated to everyone we've lost and everyone we haven't yet." On working with Smith, Joshua noted, "It was a very personal song, but we had worked [together] enough to know how to approach it in a sincere and authentic way without over-producing."
"Not Ready to Let You Go" is available on all major streaming platforms. For more information about Mark Joshua, including links to his work, visit his Linktree.
Text by Peter Day based on an interview recorded by Juliet Fromholt on July 10, 2024.
