The Pink Nostalgia is the indie pop solo project of Joseph James, bringing an alternative sound that has led him to rack up acclaim from tastemakers and build a loyal following. His live success has been immense both as a headliner and as a support act.
With glittery instrumentation and highly emotional lyricism, ‘Youth & Observation’, the new EP from The Pink Nostalgia, is an eclectic mix of indie pop vibes from high energy to highly evocative. Each track captures a groovy, inspiring feel, with the listener developing a deep connection with each song thanks to the portrayal from The Pink Nostalgia. Lush instrumentation from graceful pianos, bopping synths, funky guitars, dynamic bass and grooving drums all come together from the first song to the last. Vocal performances are also incredibly poignant, whether they be confident or wistful.
They share, “Comprising of six tracks, my next EP, ‘Youth & Observation’, is a hyper-personal, 80s inspired journey that deals with my coming of age, relationships, mental health and sexuality. Inspired heavily by The Smiths, The Japanese House and Talking Heads, I’ve set out to create a tracklist that resembles the soundtrack to my teenage years. Each song is a snapshot of an experience, or series of experiences that I had during my adolescence, and my lyrics simply reflect upon that time, looking back from where I’m at now. The plan is always to make the lyrics impactful, reflective and emotional, while the music remains catchy and generally upbeat; a really delicate balance.
‘
Who are you now?’ is a lucious and spacious, narrative driven track that discusses past relationships with people that no longer serve you, inspired by Yazoo’s ‘Only You’. The emotional weight of the EP comes in the form of the epic and anthemic ‘It’s Alright’, featuring singer-songwriter, Fran Lusty. Written as a letter to my younger self and a thank you to my parents, this song directly deals with my sexuality, and coming to terms with it. We close with ‘Space & Time’, a catchy indie-pop track that brings you back to Earth, drawing inspiration from the most upbeat offerings by The 1975 and The Japanese House. ‘Space & Time’ serves as the EP’s epilogue; if ‘Flowers’ was where I was before, ‘Space & Time’ is where I currently am now.”
Comments