An Interview with Jos!

Josef Kuhn from Richmond, Virginia, otherwise known as artist Jos, has made a little splash in the industry recently after being signed to independent label, Acrophase Records. After his first single release “Ahead” on all platforms he has found his way onto many popular playlists as well as the opportunity to be interviewed by other great sites! With that being said we are so lucky we had the opportunity to ask Jos a few questions about his music and experience in the industry so far!

Jos releases his second single “Alright” on May 6th. We asked him what kind of sounds we can expect from the new track and here’s what he said:

“I made this track in about plus or minus two or three hours -- it was really fun for me to record and was a nice style switch-up for me with my writing. “Alright” is a super laid back, relaxing song and I’m excited for people to hear it on platforms other than SoundCloud and Bandcamp!”

You can find his self produced single anywhere you listen to music, and we hope that you’re as excited as we are! Jos says that right now he plays a huge role in the production of his music because it is a process that he has “always been fascinated by.” From starting on GarageBand a few years ago his growth and talent is evident in the music the he has already released. One of his favorite people to bounce production ideas off of is his best friend Jake Smith (artist Legit Smitty), and though they have only known each other since June 2019, Jos says that their “production and friendship has grown exponentially.”

We wanted to take a look into Jos’ life not only as an artist but as a listener of music too, and let me tell you he’s got some great taste.

“When I was about five years old I was really into the Pirates of the Carribean soundtrack. That entire score was a heater. After that the next really noteworthy artist I loved and still love is Green Day. They were probably my favorite band of all time for a hot minute. Also around that time I was big into Paramore too. In middle school and early high school I listened to a lot of pop-punk and emo as well as listened to some rap, but I mostly stayed around indie-pop or rock like The 1975 or Catfish and the Bottlemen. Since then I have been loving artists like Mk.gee, Tame Impala, The Japanese House, Dayglow, Car Seat Headrest, Boygenius, Mac Demarco, Frank Ocean, Pinegrove, Chet Baker, The 1975, Hippo Campus, Brotherkenzie and so many more. I could talk about music for days… that was way too many examples.”

His diverse and unique taste in music stems from some not so great advice he received once, which was to “stop listening to ‘different’ music.” Obviously he didn’t listen then and especially not now. He told us that it took him a while to “shamelessly love something that not everyone loves and knows, but once you break out of that comfort zone, your enjoyment skyrockets.” So maybe take some of Jos’ advice and discover some new, out of the box, ‘underground,’ sounds!

For anyone that is an avid music listener like Jos, there has to be favorite spot to turn up your favorite tunes, for him that includes riding around in his car, live shows, or taking nice walks outside.

“I haven’t been able to see any concerts since March but I have been able to listen to music in my car and outside recently. I feel like it’s always a breath of fresh air to get out of the house and listen to music because you can create your own visuals and ideas in your head for the music you’re listening to!”

Speaking of live shows being a GREAT place to listen to and discover new music, we asked Jos if we could expect any from him after quarantine, and if so what exactly can we expect during those performances?

“Definitely. I can’t wait to have the first Jos show and be back on our feet with normal life. Jos shows are going to be so much fun, hopefully bringing everyone together for a good 30 minutes for an enjoyable detox from life. Live music is such a special thing and it’s helped me better myself in the past, so I can only hope my music can help other people as well. As we’re stuck in quarantine I’m already thinking of set-lists and lineups and it’s getting my blood pumping! It’s going to be such a lively show and experience for every type of crowd.”

We can’t wait to experience all of the fun that Jos has in store for his live performances! But, until then be sure to stream “Ahead” and “Alright” wherever you listen to music, and be on the look out for even more releases from Jos in the future! If you do want to catch Jos is a live-ish setting, follow him on Instagram @jos.musicc and check out his two upcoming livestreams this weekend with Holy Moly Records and Music2Meals!