Joshua Ingram from Fort Worth, Texas is a musical storyteller, guitar stunt man, and breath-taking vocalist. Brett Dillon from KHYI the Range in Dallas says "Joshua Ingram, flat ass bad ass, you blow me away dude!"
With a lifetime of creating music Ingram has relentlessly pursued the art of expression and the perfection of his craft. He started writing songs as a teen and has not stopped. In his own words "There is always something more to say, play and give to the audience."
Three full length albums and several singles into it, Ingram continues to stay flexible in the ever shifting paradigm of the music business. In fact, he's often remarked that he's not in the music business, but the people business. Ingram commits fully to his audiences both live and online. Grab all three of the albums and sign up on the email list, follow on social media, and make a plan to see the next show. You will be inspired, awakened, and blown away.
We recently sat down to chat with Joshua about his career, influences, odd fan-encounters and more.
Hi, Joshua! What are some of the exciting projects you are working on now?
I’m diligently working to produce new material. I have two new singles slated for
release, “Better With You” on August 19 and “RV” on September 2. In the meantime,
I’m also releasing some live recordings of some of my favorite cover songs like “You’re
My Home,” “Tennessee Whiskey,” “Cover Me Up,” “Something in the Orange,” and more
to come.
Who are some of your musical influences?
The big three songwriters are Paul Simon, Neil Diamond, and Billy Joel. That’s not to
say that Willie Nelson, Marc Cohn, and Dave Matthews shouldn’t be included. My
favorite bands are RUSH, Counting Crows, Maroon 5, and Train, but there are tons
more. There’s too much good music out there to be limited to just a few; they’ve all
influenced me.
Do you ever experience writer’s block? What do you do to overcome it?
Just write through it. Writer’s block happens and I’ve discovered that the act of writing
is how you break it. It doesn’t mean I’ll write something good when I’m blocked, but the
act of doing it can get me back going again.
What do you hope fans take away from your music?
I always hope they feel something. Whether it’s joy from a fun song or pain from a sad
one, I want them to feel to prove to themselves their alive. We can get numb from the
chaos of today’s world and music is a way to get back to being a human. It’s about
feeling something, and I hope I can be a catalyst for that.
Have you ever had a strange fan encounter? Can you tell us about it?
Well, yes, I have, but I feel this publication is not the best place for me to tell those
stories. People can get a little too comfortable after, or even during a show. Most of the
time, they mean no harm and are just trying to have a good time. I just always ask for
people to be respectful and decent. Sometimes they struggle with one or both of those
things. If you’re reading this and would like to know a story, shoot me a line and I’ll tell
you.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Charlie Robison told me to play everywhere I can all the time. I’ve been living into that,
but it’s exhausting. I wonder if that’s what he’s doing now.
What piece of advice would you give to young artists who are just starting out?
Make sure people know where to find you. The best way is to have a website but keep
it current. Outside of that, remember that no matter what it looks like, people don’t
magically become successful in music. It’s a long road so don’t waste time and don’t
lose heart when it takes longer than you think it should. If you can do another job and
be happy then do it; if you can’t, you’re a professional artist.
If you could go on tour with any other artist, who would you choose and why?
Counting Crows because I love listening to them and believe in what they say.
What question would you ask your future self?
What do you most regret?
What inspires you to write music?
I don’t know really, it’s just what I do. Some people exercise when they get upset or
celebrate when they are happy. I write songs. It’s like breathing for me.
What else can fans expect from you this year?
I’ll release dozens of new songs this year and push myself harder than before. Things
have been on a slow boil while I’ve been getting some personal stuff sorted out. It’s not
really all sorted out, but I’m not going to let that be a hinderance anymore. It’s time to
get going and my fans are going to see the best of me yet. See you soon!
Thanks, Music City Melodies, for the chance to share. If you’re reading this, I hope
you’re chasing your dreams, and if not, feel free to reach out to me and maybe I can
help. Take care!