PHOTO COURTESY OF MYSPACE.COM
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/thejoshscogin
COUNTRY: United States  l  STYLE: Acoustic / Folk Rock

BECAUSE YOU ARE KNOWN AS THE LEAD SINGER OF A HEAVY BAND (THE CHARIOT) A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME SOUNDED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO WHAT I EXPECTED. DO YOU THINK THAT THIS PROJECT HAS “SURPRISED” MANY PEOPLE AND SHOWN FANS A DIFFERENT SIDE OF YOUR PERSONALITY?

I feel like it probably has came as a shock to some people, but this is just as much “me” as The Chariot is. “I am a little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll.”

MANY OF THE SONGS ARE WRITTEN FOR YOUR WIFE, APRIL (ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA). WOULD YOU SAY THAT A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE LYRICS THAT YOU NORMALLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO WITH THE CHARIOT?

Well, yeah, in a way……. With The Chariot I usually start off with like pages of lyrics and the challenge is always to fit the same passion that comes from all of those pages and place them in like a 2 min punk rock song, with odd skips and changes and syncopation’s. With A Rose, the challenge is more how can I get the same passion expressed with ONLY my lyrics and maybe an acoustic guitar. I don’t have the luxury of screaming and feedback and heavy guitars and driving beats and such. So lyrically it can actually be MORE challenging.

DO YOU FIND THAT YOU SOMETIMES HAVE AN IDEA FOR A SONG AND THEN YEARS JUST GO BY AND THEN SOME DAY THAT IDEA JUST FINDS ITS PLACE IN ONE OF THE SONGS YOU ARE WORKING ON?

All the time. In fact I am currently writing for our new The Chariot record and it looks like we are going to use an idea that I wrote back in our first record. Only time will tell if it will actually see the light of day but as of now it feels like it will. I am sure the same is with A Rose, but I have only done 1 record so far.

ARE THERE CERTAIN LYRICS THAT YOU STILL CONSIDER AS THE BEST YOU’VE EVER WRITTEN AND IF SO, WHY ARE THEY SO CLOSE TO YOUR HEART TO THIS DAY?

It would be hard to pick a favourite, but I really like when lyrics have a double meaning and they can start off as one thing and yet mean something totally different to other people. This happens a lot with art but one particular situation is with a song we have called Yanni Depp. That whole song is totally rooted in my child hood and speaks to me on such a variety of personal levels, and yet people talk to me all the time about what the song means to them and how it has spoke to their situation they may be currently in……….that is the beautiful thing about art.

THE FIRST LONG AWAITED A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME ALBUM TITLED “ONE FOR MY MASTER, ONE FOR MY DAME” WAS RELEASED IN MAY. HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT RECORDING THE ALBUM AND WERE THERE CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT YOU WANTED TO INVOLVE IN THE PROCESS FROM THE START?

Well, I was very much just “winging it.” I knew I wanted Matt Goldman to do the record (He has done all of The Chariot records and probably will continue to do so) other then him though, the other people that are involved (lou from Gasoline Heart, and a couple of others here and there) most of the time were just spur of the moment. I would just hear that they were in town and since I could not hang out because I was in the studio at the time, they would come by and throw something on the record.

SINCE YOU WORKED ON THE ALBUM FOR FOUR YEARS IN BETWEEN YOUR COMMITMENTS FOR THE CHARIOT WAS THERE A LOT OF MATERIAL TO CHOOSE FROM WHEN IT FINALLY WAS TIME TO RECORD THEM OR DID YOU JUST FINISH A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SONGS AND THEN HEADED INTO THE STUDIO?

Yeah, well I recorded maybe 3 or 4 other songs that did not end up on the record.  A few of those were more up beat songs and I like them a lot, but I tend to gravitate more towards sad songs. I am a sucker for a sad song. So the songs I picked totally seemed to flow and have a place.  I am not sure at this point if the others will see the light of day or not, only time will tell. 

THIS PROJECT IS INDEPENDENT AND YOU HAVE NO FINANCIAL OR PROMOTIONAL HELP FROM ANY LABELS. WHAT HAS SUPPORT FOR A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME BEEN LIKE SO FAR AND ARE YOU HOPING TO GET A LABEL INVOLVED AT A LATER STAGE?

As of now I don’t really want a label. They can totally be a blessing but they are totally a curse as well in some regards. Since The Chariot is always so busy and so active it helps not having any pressure to tour with A Rose when I don’t have the time and also not having anyone to tell me how they think I should go about doing what I am doing. I like it just being personal and free.

IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO PERFORM THESE SONGS LIVE WILL YOU DO IT SOLO OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET A FEW OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED AS WELL AND PUT A COOL LIVE BAND TOGETHER?

Well, I am doing a small run in July and it will just be me and a drummer. I use a lot of tricks though. I have a couple of loop pedals other things that make it feel pretty big.

SOME IMPROMPTU SHOWS ARE PROBABLY A BIGGER REALITY THAN A FULL ON TOUR. HOW IS JOSH SCOGIN’S DIARY LOOKING THESE DAYS?
 
I am all over the place these days. I mean even right now, I am writing for The Chariot/booking a tour for A Rose and producing a few bands on the side. It is healthy for me to keep active though. I get bored way too quick. Plus it keeps my artistic juices flowing, if that ever stops I would probably die.

YOU SEEM TO BE ONE OF THOSE MUSICIANS THAT ARE ALWAYS ON THE ROAD OR WORKING ON SOMETHING MUSICALLY. DO YOU LIKE TO TAKE A BRAKE FROM MUSIC SOMETIMES AND WHERE DO YOU THINK YOUR DRIVE TO CREATE COMES FROM?

Well, as I said before, if I am ever not creating (or attempting to create) I don’t know what I would do with myself. I would probably implode or something, art is very much my drug. I think it is much healthier then other drugs but I am very much so addicted to say the least at this point.  I am okay with that.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Well, A Rose is touring this July and The Chariot will be recording in August……….so look out for those and thanks for any and all support. Cheers.

Josh
The Chariot / A Rose

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL