Josh of Small Town Heros in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, did an email interview with me in May/06.
So tell me about Small Town Heros, who else is involved in the project?
Right now no one. This is a solo project. But Small Town Heroes actually started out as a full band playing all acoustic music with a female lead singer and I was the acoustic bassist. We all sort of went our own ways for college so I made a rebirth of Small Town Heroes.
Tell me about the way you handle songwriting.
I'm a very slow writer in the sense that I can't just sit down on a whim and write at least not lyrics. But when something strikes me or I have an idea that I like everything comes very quickly. I find that I don't force as much this way and I am much happier with the results. Since I am mostly just doing this as a recording project at this moment and just playing a few shows I have the luxury of just taking my time with writing.
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How was the recording process for those songs?
A little frustrating. I record all the songs myself. I had to take a few weeks off of recording to let myself regroup and just play the songs to get the punch that I really wanted from them.
Do you have a full length in the works? When can we expect to see it?
At this moment there is no full length project in the works. I have been offered a publishing deal for the song 'Back Home' so hopefully something good will come with that.
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What's the independent music scene like in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania?
Very limited. There is either the bar's which are mostly redneck loud music which I don't fit into well. And there are a few coffee shops which is a much better fit but being from a small area it gets to be the same people week after week playing the same music.
Where do you feel you fit within that scene?
Honestly I don't think I really fit in and I kind of like that. I'm not loud, I'm not playing the same couple Dylan songs like the older crowd (don't get me wrong Bob Dylan is an amazing songwriter and I love his work), and I'm not playing the oh so depressing and whiney emo music that the younger crowd does. I like not fitting I think I have my own style. I definitely pull from influences like John Lennon, Counting Crows, Jason Mraz, Bob Dylan, etc. I try to just kind of convey how I'm feeling and hopefully people can share something in the songs. I think I write about things that everyone goes through but I definitely don't want to be pretentious and say that I can really convey how I feel. This is how I feel I hope you can take something from it.
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Josh at Higher Ground April 29th
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Josh on songwriting
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'I'm a very slow writer in the sense that I can't just sit down on a whim and write at least not lyrics. But when something strikes me or I have an idea that I like everything comes very quickly. I find that I don't force as much this way and I am much happier with the results.'
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How important is it to you to be hands on about all the aspects of Small Town Heros?
Being a solo act mine are the only hands on the project.
What do you hope to achieve with Small Town Heros?
I would love be able to get a major label recording deal and just get to go out and play to all the adoring fans (especially of the female persuasion) and just make a living playing, but I am well aware of my limitations and the reality is that will most likely not happen. So right now i am very much content with just playing and writing for the sheer enjoyment of doing so. As I said earlier I have been offered a publishing deal for one of my songs and I would really like to pursue this with more of my work and try to get the music into the hands of a performer that can give the songs the time and exposure I can't. I'm working 2 jobs right now and going to school for video production career wise that is where I am going. Unless I do get the major label deal *crosses fingers* :)
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The Playlist
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Josh's Playlist
1. John Lennon - Working Class Hero
2. The Click 5 - Hey Girl
3. The Click 5 - Just the Girl
4. Stereo Fuse - Everything
5. Von Ray - POW
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