Today we’d like to introduce you to Josie Day.
Josie, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I moved to the US from the island of Malta in 2003 to pursue my music career. All my family still lives there, except for my sister who moved to Australia. You can say the adventurous and ambitious gene runs in the family!
I bounced from cover band to cover band till I was finally able to put my own project together in 2015. I was tired of coming up with band names and getting lost in the shuffle, so I decided to simply go by “Josie Day” or “The Josie Day Band” so people would remember my name. My goal was always to gain notoriety through my cover shows and start introducing some of my original music to my fans.
I included a couple of songs from my debut EP in my set list between 2015 and 2018. In October of 2018, I released my first full-length original album titled “Star Struck”. I had my first ever album release show in December of that year, and it was also my first time performing all my songs by myself with my tracks. I continue to include some of my originals and sell my music at all of my shows.
As a next step in my career, I have started to submit for movie and tv placements and have had a couple of close calls already. I will also be accepting my first award, the All Women Rock Entertainers Award, at this year’s All Women Rock Conference in Fullerton on June 29th for my song “The Storm” which I will be performing at the event.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a songwriter, not by choice, but more by necessity. I knew from a very young age what I wanted to do with my life. One of the hurdles to becoming a recording artist and performer to me was having the right songs to sing. Nobody was going to write them for me so I started experimenting with rhymes and melodies. I don’t play an instrument, so that made it harder, but when I got a melody in my head and the words to go with it, it was pure magic, like I wasn’t even the one coming up with the ideas, they were just flowing through me. I still don’t consider myself a songwriter, but merely a vessel.
During the past year with all the advancements in technology and the ability to do more cost-effective recordings, I was able to bring over a decade of songs that had been sitting there, waiting to be developed, to life. I set up my own recording studio in my house and hired musicians online to bring my visions to fruition. I also started offering session vocals online, to help other musicians and producers bring their own songs to life. It’s truly a fulfilling and heartwarming experience when I get a message from someone telling me how they played the song they wrote and I sang at their wedding and how great it was.
I am first and foremost a singer though. Nothing brings me more joy than to use my God-given talent to entertain and provide an escape for people from their daily lives and struggles. There is a reason people go out to a live music venue at the end of the week, or pop a CD in their car or shuffle through their Spotify playlists. Without music, the word would be a very dull place, and I am glad to be able to contribute, even in a small way, to someone having a better day.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
The internet is both a blessing and a curse. The age of being able to download and listen to music for free means selling your music is virtually impossible, but it is also now possible for people to have a means to hear your songs through all kinds of platforms like streaming services and internet radio and podcasts. It’s a double-edged sword.
Advancements in technology also mean that a lot more people are producing and releasing music, so more competition. Anyone who gets lucky and goes viral has it pretty much made, even if their content isn’t better than other unknowns. I miss the days where you could get signed based on your talent and get developed and backed by a label. Now they just want people who already have amassed a following, which is not easy to do and completely out of the control of the artist in my opinion. You’re either surrounded by people willing to back you up or you’re not.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Like my Facebook page and share my songs, videos, and news. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on all the social media platforms. Spread the word about my live performances, and come out to a show. There are a lot of free ways to support my career.
My music can also be purchased on iTunes, and all other online platforms and through my website as digital downloads and also physical CDs at my live shows. Your purchases help me to continue to create.
You can find my calendar of events, links to all my social media and my store at www.JosieDayMusic.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JosieDayMusic.com
- Email: JosieDayMusic@yahoo.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/josiedaystar
- Facebook: facebook.com/josiedaymusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/josiedaysinger
- Other: soundcloud.com/josieday
Image Credit:
Monika Huyser
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