Joshua Grierson on boundaries, professional strangers and tennis

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Joshua Grierson is rated among the top singer-songwriters in South Africa. He answers some questions about the scene, his vibe and the future.

Good day, Joshua. How are things?

Yes, good morning Henry. I feel light today; but every morning is different. Though I’m not a morning person, you seem to have caught me at a good time of the year.

Your most recent release was a double-disc live album, Joshua Grierson and friends – live at the Alma Café. Some truly spellbinding tracks and videos came from that recording – what are your recollections of that evening now, in terms of the lead-up and planning, the eventual execution and its reception?

Well, firstly, thank you for the kind words on the music presented. There are many rivers of thought regarding that night now flowing in all sorts of directions and leading into other streams of potential oceans, but first and foremost, I could not have released that album, in its current state, if it was not for my business partner and friend Liezel Gené Maree. But that said, I am very proud of myself for what I was able to achieve there.

But maybe some history would help. Nearing the end of 2012, I started to crack a little. I faced strong (stronger than usual) thoughts of killing myself or quitting the music industry and simply making music for myself or quitting the whole darn thing completely. I felt a little lost in my own head and vocalising it to anyone immediate was not really an option. But I have always felt very comfortable talking to professional strangers. This particular one recommended Ritalin and an anti-anxiety pill, Wellbrutin. This helped. Ritalin gave me tremendous energy and purpose. The other seemed to quiet all the rushing thoughts. Point? I was now able to focus my feet. Sometime later I was asked by Mercury to be part of their Waxing Lyrical party. There I invited a slew of incredible musicians to join me on my songs. It was a huge success and it gave me the belief that I could turn this JG & Friends crew into a tour. The tour never happened (as yet), but with my focus now on an album set, I gathered a new collective (Lauren Fowler, Gene Kierman, Adir Levi, Andrew Jamieson, Jonathan Tait and Simon Van Gend) and booked the night at The Alma Café. After some research into recording a live show I ended up recording the night on my laptop, using digital software. I asked my friend and collaborator, Nic Roos, to master the night’s music, and what you have is an honest and raw exhibition of what I do. The reception has been rather favourable and Rolling Stone gave it a glowing review and 3 stars.

You’ve been around as a performing musician for years, and in quite a few different capacities – quite a jump from member of the hard rock group Neshamah to mainly solo acoustic performances! What has the journey in terms of your different musical avenues been like, in terms of the joys, frustrations, epiphanies and exits?

Mmm. Sometimes I wish that I didn’t have this burning obsession with music; that distracts me from any form of “normal” existence. But it’s certainly been one hell of a ride thus far. I have been fortunate to support some of the best national and international acts on local and international shores, and I never cease to meet some of the most interesting people on this planet. You take the shit with the best and spit out the rest. If I was not a musician, I would either be an actor or a professional stranger. I once had hopes to play Wimbledon, but this country does not support tennis like they support rugby, soccer and cricket. And at 13, music just became too important for me. I have no regrets. I guess one of the hardest realisations I had to come upon was that mere talent is not enough. These days musicians must be entrepreneurs; relying on your manager, booking agent and record label to handle all your affairs – leaving you to focus on the music – is a thing of the past. This country’s industry can leave one disillusioned and burned out, but I don’t think South African artists realise how competitive it actually is – “it” being America and Europe. In a large way, we have it easy here.

As for the vibe you’re currently exploring and exporting, do you feel that you’ve “arrived” in a sense at the sound and style you’d like to keep working in, or are you still holding an ace or two up your sleeve?

I get bored very quickly and a lot of different sounds interest me. I like to push myself to try different things. I would like to spend a year just learning the piano, but more to the point: my sound as Joshua Grierson has evolved into something “now”. It might change tomorrow. I hate boundaries and never want to subject myself to them and thus I really can’t answer that honestly. My mood determines so much, but I know what I hear in my head and I hope I can make those voices audible; sooner or later. My other band, Big Exit, is a new voice or side of myself and over the last year we’ve had the good fortune of supporting some seriously hyped bands and grown a small following. It’s a side to me that I just could not reflect as Joshua Grierson. I am still working on a post-rock project with Gene Kierman and an electro outfit called Jak Tomas. The only ball and chain I choose to side with is honesty.

It’s a difficult scene, isn’t it, in which to differentiate oneself, to really stand out as a unique acoustic singer-songwriter and performer. What have the challenges been for you in this regard, particularly in the Capetonian / South African scene? What are your feelings about the local scene in general, in its welcoming of originality or lack thereof?

I have kind of answered this one already, but I’m actually not qualified to answer this question. I have also learned to keep my opinions to myself.

You seem to draw on a really deep running stream of consciousness for your lyric writing, with strongly embedded confusions and realisations about relationships, life, the past, the future … How has your tapping of these elements for songs changed over the years? Is there an attainable balance of meditating on solutions and revelling in the instability of all life’s shit, or what do you hope to tell with your stories?

Oh, how easy it would be to go on a rant on how misunderstood I am, but that would be futile, wouldn’t it. I am very sensitive to my surroundings and seem to pick up on things others don’t seem to notice. A blank canvas always holds such promise, yet rarely am I satisfied that I have been able to completely express myself (or represent myself) properly. Though I don’t keep a daily journal, all my musings are like diary entries; a place where I can confess my darkest secrets. Many people have connected with my words and have found some form of solace in them and I guess that it would be the highest compliment. Every single word reflected in my lyrics says something or other about what is going on in my head, and in that place I feel safe. Through the use of characters you can be a murderer, a boozer, a lover or a friend, but throughout, it’s all me at the end of the day.

You’ve recently co-founded Grierson Maree Arts, which prides itself on representing original talent and giving exposure to artists who might otherwise struggle to hit the stage and the press. What led to the founding of this company and what do you hope to achieve with it in the long run?

I initially had high hopes to transform the local industry in some exciting and innovative way, and that may still happen, but I also realised that looking after other people’s interests is riddled with expectations. I don’t deal well with people’s expectations of me. I have a hard time dealing with my own expectations of myself, and thus I have shifted my focus to make Joshua Grierson a living and breathing entity, and once that brand is well established internationally I will have the guts to shift the spotlight on to other acts that I think really deserve a break. I am trying to gain the trust of the nation and have to be selfish (within reason) for a little while. Though with that said, I have started a group page on Facebook titled “thisishappening”, and it’s there that I push others on to the shows that my favourite local acts are putting on. We all have to give back and make a difference in some way in this industry, or else only the people with large pools of money will take over and feed us the shit they have for so long. I still believe that most major radio stations are purely brainwashers. 

Having been a part of the scene for such a long time, you’ve toured near and far (including the USA) with your music. Any particular highlights in this regard? Any incidents or places you’d rather forget?

Supporting Finley Quaye in Dubai, alongside other local Simon Van Gend, was a huge highlight. Only when you’re recording, and touring, do you actually feel like a real musician. There have been no regrets because I am thankful for each and every opportunity that has come my way, and gratitude is the path towards enlightenment. 

What does the near and far future hold for Joshua Grierson (and friends)?

More albums. More tours. More friends.

What is the meaning of life?

Dark chocolate. Coffee. Dancing. Sex. A glass of fine red wine. A good conversation. A good book. A king-size bed in a house you own. A partner. A muse. Children. Laughter. Music you choose to listen to. The History channel. The Discovery channel. A dog called Monkey. Vinyl player. Vinyl. It’s not the i-Phone. It’s not people who think they’re cooler than you ‘cause they apparently dress better. It’s not your idea of normal. It’s not reality TV. 

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