The band JOSEPH is one of our crush of this year! A group formed in 2014 by Natalie Schepman and her twin sisters Allison and Meegan Closner.
The trio’s name is a tribute to their grandfather Jo and the town of Joseph in Oregon. The 3 sisters present us their 3rd album Good Luck, Kid. This new album is wanted like a road movie. It is at the same time intimate and intense.
The 13 tracks take us on the roads of life while questioning us on the choices that it is essential to have as an adult. An album definitely more pop but which does not lose the bulk of the group: the voices.
The trio master them to perfection, the harmonies are just perfect and takes us away completely. We cannot wait to discover the group live!
JOSEPH the band’s interview
USofParis: Did you use to sing all together since you were kids ?
Natalie: Surprisingly no! I am the oldest and I was always the one wanting to sing and be the center of attention. It wasn’t until we were adults in our twenties and I was playing music solo that I realized they could sing and how much better we would be together than I was on my own. I had a friend say “You don’t seem like you love your own music. What do you need to do to want to run it into people’s hands?” So I texted them on my way home from Chicago, “Want to be a band with me?”
What’s the best advice given by your grandfather?
“In the 80’s I gave up smoking, drinking, and wild women. My life has been boring ever since.” – Jo Hallam
Who write the music? The lyrics? How do you work together?
We write almost everything together and with other writers. Sometimes it starts with a melody Meegan sang in sound check that we got on voice memos. Sometimes it’s just a feeling that Allie starts talking about and I will start playing guitar while she sings whatever words and melody comes to mind. But other times we go into a room with a writer and start completely from scratch. In that case it might start with “What’s on your mind today?”
Your sound has evolved. It is less « guitary », less acoustic than your precedent album. Where did the change in your sound come from?
After touring with a band on this last album cycle it opened our eyes to how big things can sound when you have drums, bass and electric guitar behind you. We wanted to write songs that would feel amazing live. We wanted the louder parts to be even louder and we knew that would make the quiet moments even more powerful.
Our team really really love Fighter. What is the secret of this beautiful song?
Thank you! I think the secret is that it’s honest. It’s a song we sing to each other to stay in the fight when it’s hard. Also Meegan is a dynamite singer and she amazes me. 🙂
You just released the track Good Luck, Kid. How did you write it, what is the meaning behind this song?
This song is the only song on the album I wrote mostly alone. It was one of those that came tumbling out. When I entered my thirties I felt like everything changed and I was less certain of things I thought I knew. It’s like that saying, “The more you learn the less you know.” The world looks so different now than it ever has in my whole life and while I was explaining all this to my husband Chris, he said “It’s like the universe just stopped the car, tossed you the keys and said, “Good luck, kid.” And I knew that was the title.
I loved it because it reminded me of a technique my best friend Julie uses in her work as a therapist. It’s called Lifespan Integration Therapy and it is a process of connecting the adult you to the child you that still exists within you. I imagine this song is my adult self comforting that little girl me, acknowledging how hard things are but believing in her and reminding her she can do it.
What is your most personal song on your forthcoming album?
We each lead four songs on this album so I think we each have one that feels the most personal to us, but I think the most intimate and raw song on the whole album is a song Meegan sings called Revolving Door. This song doesn’t try to offer a happy ending. It’s a snapshot of the confusion and heartbreak you feel when you are betrayed by someone you love.
Is it difficult for a women group to evolve in the musical industry?
In some ways, yes! Naturally, in a society built on listening to men sometimes there is an extra hurdle to overcome to be heard. That said, we happen to work with an incredible team of men and women who work tirelessly to get our music in people’s hands and we have a fantastic audience who listens to us both because we are women and also regardless of that fact.
Which country you are the more excited to visit during your tour?
Oh wow! Well, since I am talking to you I will tell you we are VERY excited to come back to France. Our uncle, Jeff Hallam, has lived there for years (he’s also a musician there, Brisa Roche, Dominique A etc.) and he and his partner have a little son only a few years old. So, since I have a French cousin I’ve been learning French and I am excited to practice!
What kind of music are you listening to when you are on tour, in the tour bus?
Lizzo! Aways Lizzo. And Muna.
What is your favorite song ever?
Fix You by Coldplay because it makes me cry every time and it sums up the meaning of life: being together.
What makes you laugh the most?
Each other! 🙂
Interview by Joan and Alexandre
JOSEPH
new album: Good Luck, Kid
(ATO Records / [PIAS])
