Songwriter Feature - Joshua Hunt

I'm a little biased toward this week's feature because he's the boy in most of my songs.  Joshua Hunt and I met at a publishing house in Nashville about four years ago and about a year later we went on our first date.  If you've heard any of my music, I guarantee you've heard a song about Joshua. If you've heard "There's This Boy," by Tenille Arts, you've heard a song about Joshua.  But now I'm excited for you to hear songs from Joshua Hunt himself! 

When I met Joshua he was the frontman of a Nashville based heavy blues-rock band, Stowaway Train.  They played iconic Nashville venues such as Exit/In and The Basement East.  A few years ago Joshua began his solo Americana project.  

Last summer we went on our first tour together -- The Test Drive Tour! We hit Louisville, Ashville, Raleigh, Boston, and more! Our second tour was scheduled for April of 2020 but cancelled due to COVID 19.  

I hope you'll join us tonight on Instagram LIVE at 8pm central time for some original music! In the meantime, I would like to pass the mic over to Joshua Hunt so you can get to know him!

When did you start singing/playing music?

I started singing as soon as I started making noise.  There was always music in the house, so I started singing as I started to learn how to talk.  I started writing songs at a pretty young age as well, they were just goofy tunes I would make up with my dad.  I wrote my first full song at 6 years old.  It wasn't until I was 14 that I picked up the guitar and really started to explore songwriting.  

How did you get into songwriting?

I started songwriting at a very young age.  My dad was always writing songs, and we traveled a lot so when we were driving we would just start going back and forth adding lines to random little made up songs.  Occasionally we would write full songs, and this led to me really paying attention to lyrics and melodies.  It made me want to be more serious about the songs I was making.  I wrote my first full song on guitar the third night of having a guitar.  Before getting a guitar I had learned a few chords, so when I finally got my own, I was able to sit down and write my first song on guitar.  

Who are your biggest influences?

ACDC, Billy Idol, Billy Squire, and Bradi Carlile. But more than anyone, my dad

What are you listening to right now?

Recently I've been listening to a lot of pop music and I've been listening to a lot of music released by one of my friends, John Townsend, his artist name is Townsend. What I really admire about John's music is the detail to space in the track.   

If you could only listen to one artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Jason Hunt

What is "Let Me Down" about? What do you want listeners to know about what the song means to you?

"Let Me Down" is an admittance of guilt. I am guilty of ignoring and running from important things in my life just because they stress me out. "Let Me Down" is also a promise to myself that I'm moving forwards and a promise to those around me that I am trying.

If you could write a song with any person dead or alive, who would it be?

My grandfather. My dad says that he was a natural musician, had a great ear, enjoyed good music and was a really talented writer.  I would love to have explored that with him. 

What was/is your experience in quarantine like as a musician?

It's easy when you're distracted to ignore the things you're not doing.  Being in quarantine has removed those distractions and I realize there's a lot more I could be doing.  Quarantine has been hard emotionally but it's also been eye opening.  I wouldn't have written "Let Me Down" without quarantine.  

What advice would you give to an aspiring singer/songwriter?

Find someone whose writing you look up to.  Whether it be the ideas they're writing about, or the ways that they marry their melodies to their lyrics.  Find out exactly what it is about their music that you enjoy.  Surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed.