BLOOD includes appearances by drummer Zak St. John (Black Star Riders), and bassist Ger Hoffman (Joe Diffie), with the majority of the piano and organ being played by Michael Webb (Chris Stapleton), Tony Paoletta (Travis Tritt) contributed lap steel, Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell and the 400 unit) played guitar on 8 of the 12 songs, and Nick Nguyen (Bonepony) added banjo and viola. The harmonies and backup vocals on BLOOD include guest appearances by Candace Devine (Ponderosa Grove), Heather Luttrel, CC Wyle (Wyle), Kenny Wright (The Great Affairs), Dvniel and Joey O.
Hi Joshua. Introduce yourself please and tell us what’s been happening over the past six months.
Hello, my name is Joshua Ketchmark. I’m a singer/songwriter living in Nashville, TN. I also write, produce, mix and work with other artists. I grew up in the midwest. I like pizza, burgers, and tacos (not always in that order). I miss living in Los Angeles pretty much every day and I am a true Sagittarius. I am also a very proud father, and I make music pretty much morning, noon and night, weather permitting.
So here we go, the last six months! In February, a record I produced and mixed with one of my oldest friends was released called “No Brakes, No Bleeding” by Joey O and the Seventy-Sevens. If “Born to Run” era Springsteen is your thing, it’s definitely worth checking out. Since the completion of that record in 2021, the first half of this year has been dedicated to getting my latest record “BLOOD” ready for release. Mixing “BLOOD” began right after finishing Joey’s record. I started the process of putting it through the paces. After the mixing was complete, it was sent to be mastered in Hollywood, CA by Michael Bozzi at Bernie Grundman Mastering. Michael is a true wizard and has been my mainstay for mastering since my first solo record in 2008, “List Of Regrets”. As an independent artist, I’ve found the best results for promoting my releases have come from partnering with a promotions company for press and radio. After the release date for “BLOOD” was set, I shot six videos from six of the twelve songs from the record. The video for the first single, titled “Covered In Blood” was released on July 8th, the same day as “BLOOD” was released. After 3 weeks, it has ninety-four thousand views on YouTube. The overall response on the record has been very humbling and I’m grateful that it is reaching so many listeners out there in the world.
During the down time my good friend Morgan Stratton took some time out of his schedule to help me redesign and rewire my personal studio here in Nashville, called Black Gold Speakeasy. This studio is where the majority of the recording, production and all of the mixing is done for the records I work on.
For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound, and who have been your biggest influences so far?
I’ve been an independent solo artist for over a decade now. I released my first solo album in 2008. My sound has always teetered between Rock and Americana. With every record, my focus has shifted towards being as honest as I can at conveying my life experiences in a relatable way. Growing up in central Illinois, my earliest influences revolved around what was on the radio and what was in my parents’ record collection. As I got older and started to take music more seriously, I drew inspiration from a handful of hometown heroes as well as bands like Queen, Prince, and John Mellencamp.
Do you remember what the first song was that made you want to start a career in music?
I am a kid from a small town. My only outlets to find music were the record store, the radio, or MTV. It was a time when hairbands ruled the airwaves. So I would have to say seeing the video for Bon Jovi’s “Living On A Prayer” definitely had an effect on me. At the time I didn’t see it as a career path, but looking back now I can see that it lit the spark. The more people that told me not to make music, the more I wanted to pursue it.
You have just released your new album ‘BLOOD’. Can you tell us how that came about?
I like to stay as busy as I can and love songwriting. Mixing and songwriting are quite possibly two of my most favorite parts of the whole record making process. So I write a lot of songs. Sometime in 2018, I realized that the songs I was writing were starting to feel like they were meant for an album. It was also around that time that I was doing a lot of co-writing with another old friend and Nashville native, Denny Smith. A lot of the almost completed songs and ideas that didn’t make the “BLOOD” album made it into those writing sessions. One song in particular called “Thrift Store Hearts”almost found its way onto “BLOOD,” but it ended up on a side project Denny and I did called The Larimores. For as much and I love to co-write, unfortunately there aren’t any co-writes on the “BLOOD” album. All the songs were solely written by me. During the writing process, I started to become busy working with other artists and trying to juggle finishing up other releases of mine that had been on the shelf collecting dust. In that time, I released two singles “Waiting in the Wings”(my homage to Elvis Costello) and “Redemption Street” as well as a full length album titled “The Huntington Hotel” (The title is pulled from the hotel where Appolonia stayed in Prince’s 1984 movie Purple Rain). In 2020 when the pandemic hit, I was scheduled for a handful of shows from Nashville to California and were all cancelled. So like so many artists, I jumped head first into the production on “BLOOD.”
Where did you record it?
Being that no one was traveling in the beginning of 2020 due to the pandemic, when production on “BLOOD” started, all of the early tracks were recorded in various states and studios* by the musicians** involved with the record. It was the first time I had worked on a production with that many tracks flying around. Thankfully, it ended up working out really well. I always prefer to be in the room when I’m working with an artist or a musician on a part or a performance. But this taught me to trust the incredible musicians I was fortunate enough to work with to do what they do. I think it gave everyone the freedom to come up with some very memorable parts and collaborations.
*”BLOOD” includes appearances by drummer Zak St. John (Black Star Riders), and bassist Ger Hoffman (Joe Diffie), with the majority of the piano and organ being played by Michael Webb (Chris Stapleton), Tony Paoletta (Travis Tritt) contributed lap steel, Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit) played guitar on 8 of the 12 songs, and Nick Nguyen (Bonepony) added banjo and viola. The harmonies and backup vocals on “BLOOD” include guest appearances by Candace Devine (Ponderosa Grove), Heather Luttrel, CC Wyle (Wyle), Kenny Wright (The Great Affairs), Dvniel and Joey O.
**The recording process started in the spring of 2020 and took place in various studios throughout California, Arizona, Georgia, and Tennessee. It all came together to be completed and mixed at my studio Black Gold Speakeasy in Nashville, TN.
If you could perform at any venue in the world, where would it be and why?
Any venue in the world? It would be going back to Hollywood to play The Hotel Cafe another time. I really love that place. It’s a place where people go to really listen to music. The first time I played there I was very nervous. Not only does it sound great, but when I started my set you could have heard a pin drop. That’s when it hit me that they were all really listening. It’s experiences like that that make me want to be the best songwriter I can be. It’s something that I never get enough of.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given as a musician?
“Stay true to yourself.” That’s the best and it is much easier said than done. But it is something that I remind myself of on a regular basis, even when I think I don’t need to. There is only one you in the world, why not ride it until the wheels come off?
What’s next for you? Is there more music or any live shows on the way?
There is always more music on the horizon and I’ve got two new artists that I’m about to start working with in the near future. I’m thinking of pulling an EP of mine off the shelf, so that might see the light of day at the beginning of next year. But this week is all about demoing the new songs I’ve been writing for the next record, which will be the follow up to the “BLOOD” record.
As far as live shows, there are a couple of potential west coast dates I’ve been considering. Have guitar will travel: anyone that will have me I, won’t hesitate to come play! Please check the website joshuaketchmark.com for a list of available dates. Or just drop me a line and say hello.