Josh Nuzum
I am happy to introduce you to Charlotte-based artist Josh Nuzum who recently released his empowering single “Stand Again”. Following his debut single “Dance in the Starlight”, the new single was inspired by Josh’ best friend who suffers from chronic illness. The song offers a powerful and hopeful message to anyone struggling with their mental and physical health.
Josh Nuzum is only beginning but I’m sure he has a great career ahead. His songs offer comfort and beauty to the world and we need this now more than ever.
Congrats Josh on this new beautiful song and thank you so much for the chat !
“Stand Again” is now available worldwide.
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
My name is Josh Nuzum! I’m an artist currently living in Charlotte, North Carolina. I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for almost ten years, and have been singing for almost two years!
What did you grow up listening to?
A few artists I grew up listening to were Shawn Mendes, James Arthur, Ed Sheeran, OneRepublic, and Dean Lewis. I still listen to these artists all the time, but recently I’ve been super into John K, Kayden, and Benson Boone.
When did you start making music? What was the biggest challenge when you first started?
I started seriously writing music in Winter of 2020. My friend, Ben, who’s now my manager, approached me about recording a cover with a producer in Nashville. As that date got closer, the producer, Justin, asked if I wanted to record an original. And even though I didn’t have much experience completely writing a song, I went for it. With the help of Ben and Justin, I wrote my first single, “Dance in the Starlight”.
The most challenging thing for me when writing the song was distinguishing between writing something worth recording, and me simply being excited about recording. I had a bunch of ideas I was super excited about, but quickly learned they weren’t quite at that professional level. It took a handful of attempts to understand the writing process, and being willing to trade a good idea for a great one.
When did you know you were good at what you were doing?
The big turning point for me was when Ben, who’s now my manager, saw acoustic guitar covers I was posting and realized I could play guitar pretty well. Not long after that I started singing, and he called me one night explaining he knew a producer in Nashville and how he thought I could have a real shot at making something really cool. That was probably when I realized I really had a chance at actually going beyond playing guitar in my bedroom for hours.
What gave you the confidence to be an artist and release your original music?
Definitely the people around me who believed in me. All of my friends and family are super supportive and have helped so much. One thing specifically that gave me a lot of confidence was seeing people use “Dance in the Starlight” for their first dances, and weddings. Seeing something I created being used in such a special part of people's lives changed the game for me. I realized that making music can help capture those moments, and that’s all I want to do.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
For as long as I can remember, my uncle and grandmother have made a huge effort to make sure there was always a guitar in my hand. Both of them play guitar, piano, and other instruments. I was their first nephew and grandson, so they were very quick to make sure I was as equally involved with music as they were. And I’m extremely grateful I was able to start learning so young, and having them believe in me so early on.
"Stand Again" is your latest single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
Stand Again was inspired by my best friend who suffers from chronic illness. Seeing him in and out of the hospital all his life and the toll it takes on his family has been difficult, but they’ve been able to overcome so many obstacles. Beyond this particular situation, the song was also written more broadly as an anthem for anyone suffering with physical illness, mental illness, depression, and simply difficult seasons of life, from the perspective of the people who love them.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? Who helped you create it?
This song was actually written and produced in about nine hours. We had a week to finish writing, and record three songs, and we ended up being able to squeeze one more song in there, which was Stand Again. But we wanted this song to be very hopeful, and uplifting in the lyrics and the production. Every line in the song creates a new situation or feeling of comfort and contentment. When you only have three minutes to explain something that’s been affecting you for 10 years, you can’t take a single word for granted.
What did you feel when listening to this song?
It was very stressful as I was hearing it all come together. Because it was produced so quickly and required an insane amount of concentration and a high level of performance. But listening back on it, I love how hopeful and uplifting it is. I feel like it was a huge step towards really understanding what I want my “sound” to be.
What's your favorite thing about this song?
I like how simple the song actually is, yet the meaning behind it is so powerful. Musically and lyrically, it’s not super complicated. And I feel like that actually mimics a good friendship really well. Your best friend doesn’t have to be the person you’re with the most or who you have the most inside jokes with, it’s the person you know that will always be by your side no matter what.
What do you want people to feel when listening to this song?
I really want them to recognize the people who have been there for them, but also recognize people who they can help and I feel like the song allows the listener to sit in both perspectives, which I really love.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part is definitely playing the content creator game. Constantly trying to photograph and record enough to keep your audience in the loop of what’s going on in your life has been very challenging. The best part is getting those texts or comments saying how much your music has helped or meant to someone. I appreciate anyone who enjoys my music, but when someone takes my song and personalizes it and makes it their own in a way, it just makes me so grateful I can have that impact through music.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I’ve only really been in the music industry for a year, so it’s difficult to really have a good grasp on where the music industry is in comparison to five or ten years ago. It seems to be very spontaneous. Anything can happen at any time, which is super exciting, but it also puts a lot of weight on luck and chance. Part of me wants to change that though, because I love structure. If there was a list that explained: “do these ten things to be successful in the music industry” that would be great. But because it’s so broad and random, again anything can happen at any time.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
I feel like if we all realized everyone has a story, it would help a lot of people. Understanding we’ve all gone through highs and lows, felt love and hurt, and realize we all live in the same world, instead of always trying to fight for a spotlight.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
I feel like recently I’ve learned to intentionally make time to process everything going on. I feel like this world is constantly grabbing our attention, it’s important to take 30 minutes in your day to take a walk, write a song, get away from your phone and everything that wants your time and attention.
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