We sat down with John Joseph after the release of his stellar new tune 'Dreamy Boy', to discuss what influences shaped his unique sound. Be sure to check out the single at the bottom and follow him on his socials!
Regina Spektor - Samson
My ultimate comfort song. As soon as I hear you are my sweetest downfall, I know that everything will be ok. If you know me, you know how much I love Regina. I’ve been in love with this song for over a decade. I’ve listened to it more than any other song and every time it still feels like the first time, and it’s rare for a song to have that feeling. The thing that’s special about Regina is the storytelling, the way she uses her musicality and words is why she’ll always be a huge influence on my work. At heart and with everything I do, I’m a storyteller, and that’s why I connect with Regina so deeply.
Ben Howard - Time Is Dancing
The soundtrack to my youth. Music has the power to take you to a completely different place. Time Is Dancing does that for me. Both taking me back to a time when I was discovering my own sound musically at university, but also there’s a safety to the song.
Janelle Monae - Make Me Feel
The first time I heard this song it sparked something from within. I admire Janelle for her bold queerness, and for embracing that within her music. The entire album of Dirty Computer is a masterpiece of artistry. I feel powerful in my queerness when I hear this song, a celebration. I can’t listen to it and stop myself from dancing around my living room. I want my music to have this same feeling. I want queer audiences to feel empowered by my music in a bold explicit way.
Billy Joel - Vienna
Admittedly, I don’t know a lot of Billy Joel’s discography. That said, I listen to Vienna frequently. I feel like the lyrics have stood the test of time and are almost more relevant now than ever. It’s true that we try to do much in our youth, and pressure is ever mounting and a world that feels like it’s crumbling apart. My song Electrify with Naes London was heavily inspired lyrically by Vienna. I wanted to write about that frustration of never feeling like you are doing enough, even though you are just doing fine.
Loreen - Euphoria
I love Eurovision. I love pop. I love Loreen. Man, I would love to perform one day at Eurovision. I couldn’t contain my excitement when I heard that Loreen was competing again this year, and she didn’t disappoint. Embodying what a performer should be. I listened to Loreen a lot whilst in the studio for Dreamy Boy. Pop music is my bones, and Euphoria is the ultimate pop song. It’s a celebration of life over epic emotive vocals with an everlasting beat. The song was released over a decade ago and it could still land at number one in the charts. Forever the best Eurovision performance of all time. Until mine of course.
John Joseph - Dreamy Boy
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