Josh Kempen has been making waves in the local indie scene for a while now, however, it was earlier this year when he signed a major deal with Warner Music South Africa. Soon after signing with the label, Josh dropped his debut single ‘The River’ which has been getting a lot of love from radio stations across the country. Now, as the single continues to gain momentum, Josh is preparing the release of his highly-anticipated debut album.
The singer is currently in the studio with Dave Grevler & Jaqcues Du Plessis at High Seas Studios in Johannesburg and has been making magic with his band Saul Nossel & Noah Bamburger. The singer reveals that he has been putting in a lot of work on the songs and has been working hard to ensure each track comes out the way he envisioned it. “I think that the most important thing about any song is the way it makes you feel. Great songs feel really great, they connect with us emotionally. So my vision and focus has been to make a record that really feels like something and connects with people in a way that they want to experience again and again,” Josh told me.
Josh adds that he loves the live aspect of music and wanted this element to shine through on his debut album “We recorded 90% of the songs live in studio and didn’t stop until we had the take that felt the way it should and that has been our building block as we developed the arrangements,” he says. “The result is that the honest heart of every song on the record is there and intact and that’s how I know there’s going to be something unique about it. Hopefully something that feels really good when you put it on too.”
Josh’s upcoming album is scheduled for release next year but, in the meantime, he will be performing a few shows and festivals until the end of the year. Who knows, he may tease us with a new track or two during his set.
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