Tennessee native Josiah Leming (of Josiah and the Bonnevilles) lays his life bare in the gritty, gripping lyrics of his songs, exploring everything from romantic relationships hitting the skids to wonderful, whiskey-soaked one-night stands, all while navigating the struggles of being a rootless touring musician since the age of 17. After leaving school at 16 and taking his first full-time job in a fruit and vegetable packing plant in Texas, he embarked on a quest across the States in search of gigs and open-mic nights. Born in Morristown, Tennessee, Josiah was fascinated by music from a young age, playing the piano and guitar, and quickly catching the attention of music industry professionals. In 2010, he formed Josiah and the Bonnevilles, blending Folk, Americana, and Country in a style rooted in his Appalachian heritage. Their debut album, On Trial, released in 2015, received praise for its raw, vulnerable lyrics and the combination of acoustic and electric instruments that underpin its storytelling. Josiah remains grounded and focused, openly discussing his struggles with mental health and addiction, and using songwriting as a form of therapy. We spoke with him at Lollapalooza in Chicago about his past, creative process, and what comes next.
Josiah Leming radiates joy as he reflects on his set at Lollapalooza. The weather is ideal, a stark contrast to the technical difficulties faced the day before at Hinterland. “It’s absolutely unbelievable,” he says. “I mean, the weather’s perfect. We had a little bit of a rough set yesterday at Hinterland with some technical stuff. So, we were all hands on deck getting on the stage today. It felt amazing! It’s tough, I can’t even… you dream of it as a kid. I can’t comprehend it sometimes even as I’m living it. I feel so lucky to be here; it’s awesome.”
As Josiah continues, he reveals the hard work that has brought him to this moment. “Endurance was an album that I didn’t think I’d ever get to make,” he explains. “As we started, I was posting all the time online. We were doing a lot of covers. And then I started to just get these original songs together because I was working every day. I kept a really strict schedule. And I started to look at the songs that I had, that I was working on, and I recognized the theme in it – kind of like the bigger picture stuff that has gotten me to this point. That title had popped in my mind a couple of years before and it just hung there, and then it just came back. Once I knew that was the title, then I think that drove the final three or four songs to be written for the album, to round it out. The combo of a couple of songs that I had already done before my return to music, and then some songs I had made during that return to music, and then a couple more once I knew what the theme of the album was, made it a complete project.”
Josiah’s passion for his work shines through, especially when he talks about the personal connection he feels with the album. “The song “Just One Break,” at the end, I wrote that with my buddy Mon Rovîa, and I wanted a song that was about the endurance of hope. So, we went in with that, we sat down that day and I said, ‘This is what I want this to be.’…and it’s a very special album to me. It feels very personal, and it means so much to me that people have been talking about it.”
The conversation takes a nostalgic turn as we touch on Josiah’s past on American Idol and his releases under Josiah Leming, before the Bonnevilles. “What! Don’t tell anybody. That’s our secret,” he laughs, playfully. “I’m so glad we’re talking; aww you’ve been around! Dude, I can’t thank you all enough, man. I know there were just so many dead spaces where I had a lot of struggles, mental health. Just figuring out how to do it properly. It took me a long time. I appreciate you all so much, and you know, it always means so much.”
The conversation shifts to the rigors of touring. “What I would say about touring – you know, the shows, that time on stage and connecting with people afterward – is incredible. The rest of it’s really tough. And it’s really tough for everybody. The travel part is hard,” he explains. Josiah reflects on his journey of building his career from his bedroom, leading to the current learning curve he faces. “I think we’ve got maybe five or six more shows this year, and then I’ll take a big break until next fall. Being independent, we don’t have tour support, so we’re piecemealing and putting things together as we need. I will not lie, it’s been really tricky for a work balance. Also, schedule-wise, I used to wake up and put in the day’s work in the studio, so now sometimes I have to take a break on a Tuesday. Internally, I’m like, ‘No, you can’t take a Tuesday off! You gotta be working!’ But, I’ve got amazing people around me that are helping me navigate it. Been getting my butt kicked, but getting better and growing that muscle.”
With a break on the horizon, Josiah shares his plans. “During the break, I’ll take a little bit of personal time, but mostly that’s to just get back in and write. My first love is really being in the studio and writing, coming up with the new sound of the song. There’ll be a lot of time for that.”
The discussion turns to his songwriting process, revealing how it has evolved. “You know, it’s changed! It’s changed over the years. I used to work in a very, very flow-like state. But these days, I kind of have a lot of pieces of ideas, and then I like to jot them down and draft them, and redraft them, and try to really get to the heart of what it is I’m trying to say. That’s kind of a new thing for me, which I think Endurance really benefited from. Taking a little more time and going back in and saying, ‘Okay, what is this? How can this line be better?’ A better direction towards what the overall feeling of the song is. Sometimes it’s music. Right now, it’s a lot of feelings. It’s short little melodies that have a certain emotion to them. I’ll go and sing a bunch of gibberish, and then I’ll go back and put the words over it.”
As the interview continues, Josiah’s excitement for performing at Lollapalooza is evident. “It’s crazy! I mean, first of all, just looking out and seeing all of our people in the merch and stuff. I tell them every show that we wouldn’t be here without y’all. We’re fully independent and I think that where we’ve gotten to is such a testament of the amazing support we’ve had from all the Bonnevilles out there. Beyond that, a perfect day in Chicago – looking up, seeing the skyline of Chicago. I mean, so many of my agents and my team here and I don’t know… I couldn’t ask for a better day.”
The final questions touch on what’s next for Josiah. “Gonna get back into the studio and keep working. I’m working on Country Covers Two, so gotta get back to work.” As for who Josiah is listening to lately: “The new Wild Rivers project; I like it a lot. I’ve been listening to that. Beyond that, the other day in the car we were listening to some Elliott Smith. I’m big on Leonard Cohen. I’m going through Leonard Cohen, back into a big phase on that. The Band, a lot of older stuff. I think I’m reaching back again. Harry Nilsson, some of that older stuff that I have my phases with – and I’m definitely in one of those phases right now.”
As the conversation wraps up, Josiah looks ahead to his upcoming projects. “I’m so excited. We just released a version of ‘Just One Break’ with Mon Rovîa, who I wrote it with, where he’s singing the lead on the first verse and chorus and so proud of that version. I went to Seattle and recorded a track with Richie Mitch & The Coal Miners that I’m so excited about. A song by Wilco, a Chicago band, I do believe. A song called ‘Jesus, Etc.’ Then I’ve got a couple of other artists that I’m gonna be working with on this – it features some other artists. I’m so excited, man, I’m just so honored to be here.”
Interview by Ann Storlie and Sarah Peter
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