Post authI’m back with another interview! This time, I was able to speak to Canadian singer-songwriter Josh Sahunta about his newest single “Leave Summer Behind”. Continue to read more to learn about the song, how he recorded during the lockdowns, and about his artistry as well as influencesMake sure to check out “Leave Summer Behind” down below and let me know what you think in the comments
Can you first introduce yourself?
My name is Josh Sahunta, I’m a Canada-based Pop/R&B singer-songwriter & producer!
What artists and/or genres influence you as an artist?
My two biggest influences are Ed Sheeran and John Mayer. They are the reason I started taking music seriously in the first place! Right now, I am hugely influenced by artists like Tom Misch, and FINNEAS who not only produce their own music but produce for other artists as well. This
is something I’m wanting to do more of in the future.
In your bio, it describes you as a songwriter who has “substance through the intertwining of haunting melodies and storytelling lyrics.” Why is this? Could you explain this further?
I would say that melodies and lyricism are my two main strengths when it comes to songwriting. I try and get as much detail as I can into my songs so that I can tell the stories to a point where even the lyrics by themselves are powerful.
You have released quite a number of tunes. What is your personal favorite and why?
I would say that my favourite song I’ve put out to this day is “Love on the Internet.” I wrote this song during the quarantine about what the world might look like if the quarantine never ended, and people could only go on dates online. I like this song because I feel like the lyrical concept is unique given the situation going on in the world right now. Production-wise, I also love the low end of the song. The bass sounds are some of the best that I’ve used before.
I wrote this song for a national song-writing competition. The only requirements for the competition were that the song had to be a “summer song.” It was really difficult to write a happy summer song when this summer has been very difficult for a lot of obvious reasons. I decided instead, to write a song that was very relevant to this summer specifically. The song ended up winning the competition, which is something I’m still surprised about but so grateful for.
How was recording this song? Did you record it during the pandemic?
I wrote and recorded this song during the pandemic in my little home studio! I’ve been learning recording techniques over the past few years and this served me well during the pandemic when all the studios shut down. I was still able to record my songs from home and this just happened to be one of them!
What do you want listeners to listen for while listening to “Leave Summer Behind”?
I think the thing I love most about this song is the difference between the “cheerful” music and the lyrics that are a lot more dreary and depressing. It makes you feel an entirely different emotion depending on which you focus on more.
I read that the song has an “upbeat guitar melody in a style reminiscent of John Mayer.” Was that intentional? If so, what was the reason for it?
It wasn’t intentional when I was creating the song but now that it’s finished, I can definitely hear the resemblance to John Mayer. I’ve always loved Mayer’s musicality though and so I probably unintentionally reference him in my music all the time.
What are your future plans?
My plans for the next little while are to write and produce more music (both for myself and for other artists). It’s really hard predicting what will happen with the music industry in general over the next little while with the pandemic, but I am hoping that by mid-next year, I’ll be able to play shows again.
A final message for the readers of ai love music?
Be positive and keep pursuing your dreams even during this pandemic! It’s going to be difficult, but it’ll be over eventually and it’s better to get a head start now than to wait until it’s over.
Either way, good luck and thank you for reading this interview!
About the Artist: Josh Sahunta
When it comes to setting the bar high, Canadian singer-songwriter Josh Sahunta never lets his feet touch the ground. Drawing upon his influences of, and The Weeknd, Josh’s songwriting is packed with deeply rich narratives and cool, contemporary soundscapes. Josh has opened for the likes of Scott Helman and Joey Landreth, and he continues to perform across Canada, the US, and Europe.
Josh’s two latest releases have had major support from Apple Music and Spotify and have been featured on several Spotify editorial playlists such as “New Music Friday Canada”, as well as several major Apple Music playlists such as “New Music Daily”. Josh’s single “Wanting” has received recent support from Pete Tong and MistaJam on BBC Radio 1 in the UK and from Tiesto on his weekly podcast. Josh was also recently selected as the winner of the Corus Radio $20k Summer Song competition which had over 3000 entrants from all over Canada. Most recently, Josh’s song “Take All I Am” was used on season 2 of the Netflix Original show The Order.
