◆ “I’ve always had music in my life, and have always planned on cutting an album…..”

In April, 2020 Swift Idol Winner Josh Jardine will accomplish one of his lifelong dreams, releasing an album. It was a long time coming, he said. But the road was definitely worth traveling.

“I was born into a very musical family and I watched my mom and her siblings play for all kinds of events growing up,” he said. “I started singing very young, but was always scared of messing up, so I didn’t really put it all out there until after high school.”

“I learned to play several instruments, but don’t know that I’ve ever mastered any,” he continued. “I started writing songs when I was 19. The first song I ever wrote is included in [this] first album.”

Time and distance and life all played a role in limiting Josh’s musical plans.

“I played in a family band for most of my adult life, but when I moved here, my brother, the bass player and background vocalist, moved to Alaska, so we’re obviously not playing much anymore,” he laughed. “While we were playing though, we had the opportunity to open for the CMA group of the year winners in 1988, 1989, and 1991 Highway 101. I have also shared the stage with Phil Vassar.”

“My wife and our family moved here to the valley in 2016, and like everyone that comes here, we love it,” he continued. “We have six children and we’re all glad to be a part of this community.”

With Swift Idol, Josh decided to dust off his musical skills and go for the glory. It was a decision that changed his life, and put him back on “track” to achieve his dream.

“I’ve always had music in my life, and have always planned on cutting an album, but I never knew how to do it, and honestly had felt like I had missed my opportunity,” he said. “When I auditioned for Swift Idol, I really had a lot of insecurities, the major one being age. The music industry of today seems geared toward a much younger demographic, but I auditioned anyway and walked away the winner. I guess it gave me the drive to continue to follow the dream of finishing the album and being creative with songwriting.”
Josh’s debut album, Gotta Start Livin, will be released on Friday, April 10.

“Making this album has been a dream for a very long time,” he said. “One thing about me is that I’m a little hard-headed and very independent and I try to figure things out on my own, which often takes much more time. Also, I’m a singer/songwriter, but not necessarily a record producer. Those things together have kept this project in limbo for many years. I finally just decided to do the best I could, and I’m happy with the result. I’ve learned an awful lot. So the next album should be much easier to complete. I have written over 500 songs, so I have plenty of material to make several more albums.”

Josh doesn’t really think of himself as the creative type. But music seems to come together for him on occasion.

“Sometimes I just get ideas for a song,” he said. “Every word, every beat, and every note have a purpose. Music is a way to express emotion and it’s the universal language of connecting with someone or something. All I’m trying to do when I write is make a connection with an audience.”

Putting an album together is a bit grueling, according to Josh. It is a lesson in patience and a lesson in letting others help.

“I learned there are a lot of things that go into production of an album besides just music, and I have learned that there are many aspects that I cannot do myself,” he said.

Josh has felt the support of his family and the community throughout the whole process. That feeling of community helped him stick with the project.

“I have had so much interest in the album,” he said. “I was able to let some co-workers listen to the songs at various levels of completion, and they were instrumental in helping me choose which songs made the cut. It’s been fun to go through all the processes of recording clear to completing the project.”

“Some of the challenges included trying to choose which songs to include. I recorded several others that may be on another album, but they just didn’t seem to fit this one,” he continued. “Other challenges have been finding other musicians willing, or that had time to help me out. I ended up playing most of the instruments and doing most of the background vocals, which takes a lot of time. I have also found that it’s exhausting trying to get the right mix of sound.”

With one album releasing this week, Josh is looking forward to his next project.

“I have a lot of new material to record for at least one more album, and I’m always looking to write new songs,” he said. “I’m looking forward to Swift Idol Live, where I’ll be singing with the other Swift Idol winners. I’m also going to be playing at the fair on Monday, August 3 [under the Big Top] with local music legends Cal Linford, Dave Smith, and Jeff Smith. It’s coming together very nicely and I’m very excited about those shows.”

The Swift Idol Live Concert is slated for Friday, May 1. Details about the performance will be available in the coming weeks.

Gotta Start Livin will be available on iTunes, Amazon music, Pandora, Spotify and all the major online music hubs.

“I will also have CDs available,” he said. “I’m not sure exactly how to distribute them during the COVID-19 Pandemic. I want to make sure everyone is safe and stays healthy, so I’m looking at options that will help with that for the time being.”

Josh wants to give back to the community that helped his reach his musical dream.

“I know we’re all experiencing uncertainty right now, economically and health related,” he said. “Now is the time to be looking out for our family, friends, and neighbors. I want to announce that I’ll be donating a portion of the first week sales to the local food banks. I’m sure they can use it now more than ever.”