Diandra Interviews Josh Levi: Creating Disc One
Josh Levi is the definition of a star. He is the kid in highschool theater that makes all the parents say, “Oh, he has to do this professionally!” and he has done so. Since age 11, Josh Levi has done everything in Hollywood, from tv shows to even boy bands, because when you know you have talent and a desire to be front and center… why wait? Still, Josh is older now; with enough stories to make Disc One, his debut EP, feel like a gourmet taster on the rawness of being young, talented, and starry-eyed for a world getting cloudier.
Disc One feels like the many genres that can dance with R&B, and make a man sing to troubles with the most untroubled voice. For Levi, life’s jagged ways are meant to vocally and sonically be paired like music glass; shards coming together to turn a night into a mood and make the audience feel clearer while the soundscape gets hazier. Thus, in our interview, he discusses the pieces of his life and thoughts that makes Disc One, out today, a record to repeat.
Diandra: Diandra How do you feel “If The World” is a reflection of what you want to see in from the world in the future?
Josh Levi: I’d love to see the world ask the serious questions more often, and I’d love to see people realize what is most important. “If The World” was my way of saying that and, essentially, asking that from the world. We spend so much time ignoring and pretending as a society and that never makes things go away.
SEATBELT
Diandra: From Friday Night Lights to X-Factor, what did your experiences in television teach you about molding an artist’s image?
Josh Levi: I learned that if you are the same person off-camera that you are in front of it, it’s way easier to do this every day or for a long time. Of course it’s nice to separate some things and maintain privacy/mystery, but if you can figure out a way to be yourself as much of the time as possible, that’s how you win. My “artist image” is who I am when I’m in my room home alone. Everything is authentic and consistent, and I believe in it because I live it.
Diandra: Having different stages in your career, like X-Factor and being a part of Citizen Four, how does this upcoming EP most represent who and where you are as an artist?
Josh Levi: This is my first body of work so even after being in this industry since I was 11 and hustling since then, this is my first time having something to say as an artist and sharing my point of view. Disc One is the most accurate showcase of my story, journey, and sound to date.
Diandra: From Normani to Billie Eilish, you have gotten praise from major acts, what is one artist, you are a huge fan of, that made you say, “If they like me, then I am doing excellent?”
Josh Levi: First off, I love both of those women so, so much; they both mean a lot to me. But, if Beyoncé likes me or anything I do, then I won.
Diandra: Starting in the business at age 11, what is one piece of wisdom or hard truth your past decade in the entertainment industry has taught you?
Josh Levi: No one cares and no one believes until you show them. I used to take so many things personally and be confused and frustrated by a lack of love from people I idolized or respected, but respect always finds its way to persistence. I wish I realized that sooner but I’m so blessed to know that now at 21.
ME: ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! TAKE THAT ADVICE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS TRUE!
6) Diandra: Inspired by the 2000’s and 1990’s, what are some of your favorite things from those eras, from games to films, that most spark you creatively?
Josh Levi: I think the prevalence of pop stars and rock stars is what I love most about those decades. The commitment and experiences that artists created in those eras are just unmatched. I’m inspired by a plethora of things from those eras like fashion, setlists, band arrangements, stage production, coloring, creative direction, films, so many things.
Josh Levi – If The World (quarantine video)
Diandra: The 90s were known for its R&B, what is one 90s R&B track that embodies romance to you and why?
Josh Levi: “One in a Million” by Aaliyah is a 90s R&B staple that will forever represent romance, lust, and allure. I remember that song making me feel something the first time I heard it, and I was really young but I knew it was different. Also, Aaliyah is someone I was always mesmerized and fascinated by; still am.
Diandra: With R&B being a genre of love, describe your first crush.
Josh Levi: My first crush was a girl named Angel, in elementary school, and I thought she was her name. I remember asking her to like me and her telling me no, so I pretended to be sad the rest of that week to see if she would notice and she didn’t care *laughs*.
Diandra: What do you feel your EP says about relationships and human connections?
Josh Levi: I think Disc One takes the elephant out of the room when addressing love, relationships, and how humans interact. I feel like I say the things that people, and even myself, have been afraid to say in real life relationships. There’s one song in particular where I address the lack of romance I feel like society has today, and went at my version of writing a love song, which I didn’t know I could write.
Diandra: What has isolation, via the pandemic, taught you or made you reflect about yourself?
Josh Levi: Isolation has taught me how much I pretend to be a loner but actually appreciate interaction. I’ve learned so much about myself during the different pandemics we’ve faced just in the past few months. I also realized I can rely on work to distract me from how I feel about certain things, so being forced to face certain issues I had was a little tough but so necessary. After all of this, I’ll be my strongest self so I’m excited to get to know who that is and all that he can accomplish.
Diandra: Any qualities you admire about yourself as a person/ artist?
Josh Levi: That’s a cool question. What I admire is also what drives me the craziest, which is my attention to detail and my work ethic. I think that’s what makes the difference in the artists I love the most; how overly invested they are in themselves and the experiences they create for their fans. Everything matters and mediocre is never good enough.
Diandra: What is your favorite childhood memory with music?
Josh Levi: There are a few songs I remember hearing for the first time when I was super young, and I’m so happy that the artists/songs God chose for me to hear at the beginning of me figuring out my voice were Brandy, Michael Jackson, and Jasmine Sullivan. My dad used to annoy the hell out of me by always asking me to come all the way downstairs to come watch a live, long performance of one of them at an award show. Those ended up being defining moments in me seeing where I wanted to go and who I wanted to be as an artist.
Diandra: From “Know Better” to “The Movies,” you observe the roles people play in relationships: from villain to victim. What is one love story, either personal or from a film or book, that you love what it teaches about relationships?
Josh Levi: Only because I’ve been watching every day in quarantine, I’m going to use the show Shameless as an example. I love how it shows that love isn’t ever perfect, but, if you are unapologetic or shameless about the person you love, it kind of lets you escape from the chaos of everything else.
