Young, driven and ready to make it big, North Yorkshire’s Josh Holmes offers a refreshing burst of pop as one of the more commercially-styled artists we’ve interviewed here at Record Weekly. This is a name you’ll want to know, so read our chat with Josh below…

RECORD WEEKLY’S INTERVIEW WITH JOSH HOLMES

Hey Josh, how are you?

Hey, I’m really good thanks!

How’s life going at the moment, with restrictions easing?

Actually, the restrictions have worked in my favour as I’ve just finished my final exams in school. Now I’m gonna have a heavy few weeks of going to Leeds to make up for lost time!

You do right! Now, you’re 18 and based in Harrogate, but when and how did you get into music?

There’s always been music in the house, and all I’ve ever done is dance and sing to it. Although my dad played David Bowie, The Faces and The Rolling Stones while I was growing up, I quickly moved on to Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj. And from then on, it’s just been what I love and what I wanna do myself.

Which artists have influenced your sound the most?

Since I was very young, Lady Gaga has always had an influence not just on my music but also my style, attitude and visual creativity. Beyoncé inspires my love for performance and perfection, and seeing her with Jay-Z in Manchester made me wanna be where she is even more. Right now, I’m listening to Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Rihanna, SZA, Doja Cat, Lana Del Rey and Stromae.

If you could play three venues, of all the places around the world, which would they be?

Definitely Madison Square Garden, that would be major! Then Stade de Nice, because it’s a great venue. I know this one isn’t a venue, but the vibe of Coachella just looks incredible.

Tell us about your latest release, the vibrant and ultra-catchy ‘Juice It Up’.

I wanted everyone to have a song to dance to, so I needed to create a track that was out there and catchy and fun. I’m all about that kind of fun, seductive music and that’s what inspired me for the track.

What have you got planned for the next few months musically?

‘Juice It Up’ was played in the UK and Australia, so I’m hoping that in the coming weeks it’ll be played in a station that’s LA, Tampa and New York-based. I’m super-happy with the success of the song and I’ve managed to hop on a track with Mitch Jones, who was nominated for a Grammy, which is incredible! We’ve collaborated on what I think is one of my best tracks, so I can’t wait to share it with everybody.

Want to keep up with all Josh’s upcoming endeavours and releases? Head to Instagram and Spotify now.