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Josh Barry’s new EP Pride & Purpose is almost here and Scoope’s London correspondent Phoebe Nadorp got the chance to chat with him about everything that led up to it. They talked about growing up in theatre, touring with Gorgon City, writing “Pride” in LA, and why recording on the first take can be pure magic. It’s a conversation full of honesty, humour, and the kind of soul that transcends genre.
PN: Can you describe the ‘Josh Barry Experience’ in 3 words?
JB: In three words, I’d say it’s raw, energetic, and honest.
It began during lockdown, after I released Art and Soul. The Josh Barry show was hard to define. I play solo or with a band, and I’m very collaborative. I wanted to bring all that into one experience. Every show is different. I grew up in theatre, so that was key to it all. I didn’t want people to see one show and then watch me tour the exact same thing. I wanted it to feel like you came to that one night only. So it began as an experience and turned into a separate project. And now, here we are, flying.
PN: That’s amazing. I have another follow-up question that leads to this, but now I want to know, since you grew up in the theater, do you have any favorite musical shows oranything in that world that you love, even if it doesn’t directly align with the ‘Josh Barry experience’?
JB: I grew up in, well, I was in the West End in The Lion King as a kid.
PN: I’m so jealous, the younger me wants to fight you right now.
JB:(Laughs) Yeah, it was my first taste of being professional, the first glimpse of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was surrounded by adults who knew they were doing what they were born to do. That’s such an infectious feeling to be around at a young age. I was just finishing primary school and, at the same time, travelling to London three times a week to perform in the West End. It was like living a double life. I hadn’t really been to theatre school, apart from Soul Theatre School in Ruislip on Saturdays, and I loved it. But being around kids from Sylvia Young who had trained their whole lives was eye-opening. That lack of formal education in what I do has actually worked in my favour. It keeps me raw and honest. My manager might disagree, but it’s definitely shaped my whole career. That was one of my
favourite experiences ever.
PN: I’ve definitely heard from musicians that when you’re so formally trained, it can become too methodological, you lose the feeling. I’m just picturing you leaving primary school like the Hannah Montana of The Lion King.
JB: (Laughs) So great.
PN: Was there any early moment or experience, maybe when you were that young or in your teens, that was key in shaping you as a person or artist?
JB: Yeah, The Lion King was definitely one. Then later, I was working on building sites while releasing music. I remember my song came on the radio while I was digging a hole. I said, “That’s my song!” and my boss just went, “Cool, now keep digging.” (Laughs) That double life again, such a contrast. I did that for a few years, then got picked up by Gorgon City and toured with them for nearly a decade. That taught me so much, the ropes of the industry. I watched two of the biggest artists in UK dance music do their thing, and they took me under their wing. I was trained up as an MC and host for the night, performing songs by MNEK, Maverick Sabre, Elderbrook, amazing artists. I got to fill their shoes all around the world. I
learned what I didn’t want to do in my career, and what I did. Leaving that was hard. I had to tell them, “I’m a soul musician, but I also love rock and jazz… I need to do my own thing.” I’d played O2, Brixton Academy, Red Rocks, all these venues, but not yet as myself. So I left, started again, entered the Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition, and from there became a solo artist again. That was a huge moment.
PN: It sounds like it can be really liberating to start again, especially after so long in the game. Having people to look up to can be inspiring, but it can also make it harder to branch out.
JB: Yeah, exactly. You go from five-star hotels and a tour manager to sharing rooms and carrying your own bags again. (Laughs) It’s humbling.
PN: Yeah, that sounds like a blessing and a rude awakening, but necessary. You’ve had this whole journey of balance, from digging holes to touring worldwide, and now doing your own thing. I feel like that balance shows in your EP, between self-belief and humility, especially in the first track, Pride. How did that shape your sound and the emotion of the EP?
JB: It came from that transition period. I was still working with them while focusing more on my own music. When we toured LA, I’d stay longer for writing sessions. That’s how I started building projects like Art and Soul and Pride and Purpose. I actually wrote “Pride” about six years ago in LA. A lot of my songs come from channeling feelings that don’t always make sense at the time. I’ll write something, leave the studio, and later realize what it meant. Sometimes it feels prophetic, like the song teaches me what it’s about later.
PN: That’s so interesting, like the Rick Rubin idea of being a channel. Maybe it’s not you consciously writing but something moving through you. And I think your sound captures that, very raw, very soul. Was there a particular narrative arc to the EP?
JB: Yeah, I wanted the EPs to feel like chapters, almost like books telling a story. Pride and Purpose is about swallowing your pride, stepping into purpose, and shifting from looking inward to looking outward, from self to service. I like that my songs can mean different things depending on the listener. I’m not always literal, I love when multiple viewpoints can find meaning in the same song. That makes compiling projects fun, because the story often reveals itself through the songs.
PN: That’s lovely. It’s freeing for listeners too, especially emerging artists who feel pressure to fit a product or genre. You’re championing multidimensionality, like, Bob from Essex and Trina from Lagos are both able to vibe to it.
JB: (Laughs) I want to meet Trina from Lagos.
PN: (Laughs) That’s my girl!
The fact that you’re blending this really soulful, vintage sound but keeping it modern, how do you see yourself preserving soul while reinventing it in the Josh Barry way?
JB: I think life is already perfect, so imperfections make art perfect too. You lose that when you over-edit or over-polish. Feeling transcends language. You can feel sincerity in a vocal take, even if you don’t speak the language. I love organic music because it stands the test of time. Modern elements come from collaboration, choosing the right producer, letting the band express themselves. I don’t dictate every part, everyone in the room has a soul to express. If you build the right team, you’ll get that balance of vintage and modern without it feeling like just a throwback.
PN: Trusting the process and letting imperfection guide it.
JB: Exactly. I got this far by being open to the fluidity of life. None of us really know what we’re doing, we’re just feeling it out.
PN: Besides that mindset, do you have any must-haves in the studio? Like something you need to have with you? Like you have to have your shades on or something like that (Laughs)?
JB: I wish I was that cool with my shades and all, but no, for me, it’s about showing up ready to channel. I’d rather arrive grounded and focused than flustered. A lot of my songs, like “Spirit Road,” were recorded on the first take, the first time I ever heard the beat. That purity matters. If you don’t record it right away, you lose that magic.
PN: Are there any artists you wish you could’ve collaborated with, dead or alive?
JB: Gotta be MJ. I’d probably melt and not get a word in. (Laughs) James Brown would make me cry, Bob Marley’s doing his own thing, but Amy Winehouse, yeah, Amy and MJ.
PN: Have you seen the trailer for the new Michael Jackson biopic?
JB: No! But if it’s his family doing it, that’s promising. I don’t need more people coming for him.
PN: Right? He’s everyone’s top pick. Even his raw vocals, the stacks, the texture, insane.
JB: Yeah, and you can hear his feet shuffling in the background in the recordings (Laughs).
PN: Final question, what’s next for you? Personally, spiritually, sonically?
JB: Richer detail. More touring. More evolution of sound. I’ve actually got the next record ready.
The last proper tour was with Rag’n’Bone Man, but we hadn’t released anything then. Being independent is a constant learning process, but I’m walking my own path and it’s paying off. The support slots I’ve had, even without music out, have been blessings. Musically, you haven’t seen half of it yet. Personally, I’m quieting down, less ego, more peace, family, and health. I’m not chasing accolades or number ones, but I don’t see my music going anywhere but worldwide. I think it’s just a matter of time. Really.
PN: Amazing, worldwide domination.
JB: Yes!
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