LA-based singer/songwriter Josephine became a performer because of her love of the 90s fashion and pop culture that she grew up with. As a child, she never shied away from attention and performing, she started her musical journey at 6 years old when she wrote her first song, “Driving Me Crazy” while in a car when her father wouldn’t buy her a toy.
Josephine grew up listening to not only 90s music but also Middle Eastern music, world music, hip-hop, and blues. She was influenced by the melodies of Middle Eastern music and fused them with American styles. Josephine was also influenced by and connected to legendary artists Etta James and Janis Joplin for being their purest selves, full of emotion. Eminem’s influence was his unapologetic attitude and raw honesty.
Self-love and self-empowerment are behind Josephine’s signature motto, “Stay Weird”. She’ll be spreading that message to inspire high school students and beyond using the funds from her recent successful Kickstarter campaign. Josephine plans to talk to young people around the country about staying true to themselves, to stay authentic, to “stay weird”.
In addition to her new single, “Okay,” Josephine is working on her sophomore EP, ‘Chasing High’ to be released this summer. There are more projects in the works as well. You can catch her at the Viper Room on May 29th and Street Food Cinema on July 28th, with more shows to be announced.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Josephine on her upcoming single, sophomore EP, Kickstarter campaign, 90s pop culture, and much more.
Congratulations on your forthcoming single, “Okay”. What is the concept or theme of the song? How did you come up with it?
It’s a satire on people telling me what to do. It’s really a fuck you to listening to what people say and just doing me. Like I’m done trying to change the way people think or perceive me.
I was never good at being told what to do but somewhere along the line I pretended to be something I’m not and changed myself to appease others and this song is about not doing that. It’s stay weird explained. Tell me what you want, say what you will, I know who I am – I’m “okay” and my answer will remain the same – “Okay”.
You have a Kickstarter campaign for your sophomore EP, “Chasing High” to be released this summer. Explain how it will be reminiscent of the 90s pop culture.
Chasing High satirically idealizes the stereotypical and impulsive behavior high school encapsulates. As a 90s baby, I was inspired by classic 90s movies like Clueless, She’s All That, etc. I’ve always loved 90s fashion, pop culture – Britney, Backstreet etc – they’re the reason I wanted to be a performer. Chasing High plays up those stereotypes of high school as it’s our introduction to adulthood and the beginning of society’s dependency on others for validation and confirmation.
What interests you about the 90s pop culture that inspired you to write an EP that takes one back to those days?
I’ve always felt nostalgic. Even as a kid my parents called me an old soul. Being a 90s baby I’ve always had this attachment and infatuation with the 90s. It was an era of rebellion, grunge, sex and the true rise of pop culture. Its the millennial resurgence of the 60s and Woodstock era.
Explain your “Stay Weird” message/motto and how you came up with it.
Stay weird is about self-love and self-empowerment. When we love ourselves fully we behave naturally in the moment, we don’t get in our heads, overthink etc. none of that. I came to a point in my life where I felt like I wasn’t being true to myself and I thought of my happier days and it took me back to childhood. Children are boundless, unapologetic, raw, pure emotion. And I believe that at the core of all humanity we are all trying to get back to our youth and who we were as children. That’s what “stay weird” is.
You recently announced that you plan to use the Kickstarter funds to spread your “Stay Weird” message to inspire high school students and beyond. What are your plans to accomplish this?
Chasing high is about going back to high school – nostalgia, reminiscence. So it only makes sense to really go back to high school. High school is such a sensitive and seemingly defining moment in our lives so my goal is to go to schools around the country and talk to kids about staying weird. It’s one thing for adults to tell kids to not follow the crowd and to stay true to themselves but I think coming from me – someone closer to their age range that actually lives and breathes this – I hope I can really make an impact for these kids to stay authentic.
You have spoken about your journey to overcome self-doubt and find your authentic self on social media and your Kickstarter campaign. How has music played a part in your journey?
Music is therapeutic. It’s the capture of emotion into sound and it’s the most honest and vulnerable way I’ve ever been able to express myself and connect with people. To create music that connects with people you must be fully connected to yourself – completely vulnerable and unrestricted.
It’s ironic how the exact point of raw connection with others is brought forth by the complete connection to self.
Your self-released debut visual album ‘Love Trap: The Story’ came out in August 2017. It’s concept “is the nonlinear 4-part story of the parallels amongst love, drugs, and success.” The album has garnered to date over 150,000 streams. How did you come up with the concept for the album? Were you surprised at its success?
The concept came to me when I recognized the patterns of unhealthy addictions. Many times we use love, drugs, and success interchangeably as a way of escaping real life and ourselves. They become coping mechanisms – acts of desperation and escapism instead of acts of want and love. I wanted to speak on this and finding the synonymity between these factors. Making a cohesive story of them and visually depicting their powers. Being my first official release, I was surprised! I knew there was something special about the music but I couldn’t place what exactly. It felt like the first emergence of self for me, a real coming of age of channeling who I was at that time. I’m just happy my fans connected to it.
You grew up listening to a wide variety of music ranging from world music, hip-hop, and blues that included legendary artists Etta James and Janis Joplin. You also listened to rap, including Eminem. All of them influenced you. How did you discover these genres and artists? In what ways did they influence your music style?
Etta and Janis came from my search for something more. It surprises people when I mention that I don’t like much music. I’m very selective with my tastes and when I connect to a piece of art – music, visual, dance whatnot I either connect heavily and am extremely moved by it or not at all. Etta and Janis did that for me.
They are entirely themselves, full of emotion, their purest selves and I connect to that tremendously. Same goes for Eminem and other artists who have influenced me. Eminem came from growing up surrounded by boys. I was drawn to his unapologetic attitude. His raw honesty inspired me to start writing. My writing style is raw, a stream of consciousness and that’s where I developed my talk-sing cadence from. Growing up on Middle Eastern music I’m inspired by those melodies and so I fuse those with American styles as well.
What West Coast festivals and clubs have you played at? What were your favorite places to perform?
It’s a long list but Avalon, Peppermint Club, and Hotel Cafe were a few of my favorites. Going back to my hometown in Tucson and performing at Club Congress was an amazing experience too.
When did you start singing and writing songs? Was there a defining moment when you knew you were going to pursue a career in music?
6 years old, my dad wouldn’t buy me the toy I wanted so I wrote a song called “driving me crazy” while we were in the car, haha. I was always performing and dancing as a kid, I never shied away from attention so I guess I always knew.
How do you think women in indie music can be supported?
I think indie women in music, like women in any field, should focus on empowerment and uplifting of one another.
Many times in any industry women feel the need to put other women down and compete in a dirty matter to get ahead. I’m lucky to be surrounded by women that strive to push each other and help each other. I believe if everyone was more concerned with helping one another instead of worrying about being outdone, the world would be a happier, more positive and advanced place.
What advice would you give young women who are thinking about or already pursuing a career in music?
Follow your instinct. Music has and continues to strengthen my instinct and my faith in myself.
Do you. Always. That’s it. Take everyone and no one’s advice. Listen to everyone but at the end of the day do you.
What projects other than your forthcoming EP do you have planned for 2018?
It’s a surprise 😉 can’t tell you everything…
What tour/shows/performance plans do you have planned for 2018?
LA- I’ll be playing the Viper Room on May 29th and Street Food Cinema on July 28th, more shows TBA.
Thank you, Josephine, for the opportunity to interview you.
For updates and announcements, check out Josephine’s website.
Josephine on social media:
Instagram: @itsjustjosephine
Twitter @just1josephine
Facebook: itsjustjosephine
Buy/stream Josephine’s music on these platforms
Soundcloud: itsjustjosephine