From growing up in Paris to living in a North London warehouse with 14 other people, and now settled in Berlin, British singer-songwriter Josh Savage is another independent musician who faced a very stark choice during the pandemic: find a new way to survive as an artist, or find something else to do. On the face of it, his pre-2020 career was a glistening one; once a Sofar Sounds record holder, supporting artists at huge venues, and yet struggling to get by. Fast forward to 2022, and Savage is one of the leading lights and voices in the music NFT space, finally being compensated fairly for his art and helping others to do so.
With restrictions no longer looming, Savage has just got back from an American tour and trip that he has absolutely relished.
“I loved travelling and going to South by Southwest in Texas, and I also went to Nashville and Miami for the first time as well. I've really loved tapping into my creative side over the lockdown and I did miss my studio, creating what I love. But it was great to get out and about, especially when we had such bad lockdowns in Germany over the last few years.”
Savage has just released his second LP, Another Life. A classic modern singer-songwriter album, it combines pop, Savage’s instrumental skills on guitar and piano and his stunning voice. It’s a record that has brilliant modern production, but you get a strong sense it would work equally well if it were just Savage and his guitar. There are also ear-worms aplenty, like the infectious chorus of I Don’t Mind The Rain.
Coming out of York University, and leaving a band that didn’t share his dedication, Savage decided to tour as a solo artist non-stop for as long as physically possible.
“I booked my own tours. I actually had just read Ed Sheeran's autobiography. He's a fantastic songwriter, his music doesn't resonate with me that much but I loved his work ethic. So that's what inspired me to just tour the world, that's literally what I did for three years.
"I actually only meant to do it for one year as a gap year, but it went a lot better than I expected. And 10 years later, I'm somehow still doing it, which is absolutely incredible.”