Last month, singer-songwriter Josh Wantie released his recent single Never Let Me Go, a collaboration with his long-time friend and fellow music artist Conor Maynard, through Gallo Record Company and is available on all streaming platforms. Josh’s EP Lifeline was released earlier this year, which led to it being nominated for Best Pop Album at The South African Music Awards. Since releasing Never Let Me Go, we caught up with Josh who talks about collaborating with Conor Maynard on the single, releasing music in the current pandemic and his Lifeline EP.
Can you tell us about your recent release of Never Let Me Go which you collaborated on with Conor Maynard?
It’s a fresh pop track that is supposed to make people feel good. We wanted a catchy track that people can enjoy right up through the next summer because we kind of all missed out on summer this year.
You’ve been friends with Conor for many years, was there anything that inspired you to release this single as a collaboration?
It happened very naturally, I took some music over to his to listen to and he heard this track and immediately said he wanted to jump on it with me.
How long were you working on the song and how much did it change over time?
I started the production and writing around February and, to be honest, it didn’t change much haha. Conor added some of his own flair but it mostly stayed the same.
Who do you think will enjoy the release and what’s the response been like so far?
The response has been amazing so far and as with all my releases I hope that many people from all ages and walks of life can connect with the song in some way.
How different has it been releasing music in the current pandemic and what was it like hearing the finished song for the first time?
It hasn’t been easy releasing during the pandemic as you are competing for a lot of space online as that’s where everyone spends their time these days. Hearing the song finished for the first time was just amazing and I had a really good feeling about it.
You released your EP Lifeline earlier this year, what was it like having it nominated for Best Pop Album at The South African Music Awards?
It was a very humbling feeling. I don’t really care about awards but it is a good feeling getting recognised when you put in a lot of hard work in making something.
Where did the inspiration come from for the tracks on the EP and how would you describe the sound?
I would describe it as a sort of indie pop nostalgia. I would say my inspiration comes from a combination of all the music that I listen to and what makes me feel the best.
Was there anything that inspired you to start writing music?
I honestly can’t say because it sounds so cheesy, haha, but it was in fact a girl I used to date that set me on the path of writing my own music.
What music do you enjoy listening to and do you remember the first concert you attended?
I listen to such a broad range of music but I would say mostly indie pop and mainstream music. The first real concert I ever went to was Coldplay and to this day it was one of the best shows of my life.
What do you enjoy doing away from music?
Playing football, gaming and spending time with my mates.
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