For many people the city of Indianapolis is known simply as the “flyover country,” but to Joshua Powell it is much more than that. It’s the city where he not only finds inspiration but is also fueled by the creative minds around him. In not so many words Joshua tells me, “Young people, creatives, starry-eyed entrepreneurs from every little soybean hamlet in all this Red land see the giant thumb of a city jutting out from the rural flatlands, a bastion of progressive ideology with studio spaces a liberal arts grad can actually swing.” The intense imagery and passion that Powell demonstrates through his dialogue translates fluently into his music.
A 25-year-old self-described introvert from south Florida, Joshua finds his ground in Indianapolis. “I live with a very old, vocal cat named Tiki and I listen to NPR about 24/7,” Powell tells me about himself. His band, Joshua Powell & the Great Train Robbery, have been jamming out for six years. The musical journey for Powell began in 8th grade when he played in a band with friends that he recalls telling “were going to do this forever.” Forever turned out to be seven bands later. So, what is it about music that has led to his persistence in staying with it?
“I know that years on the road, Youth Lagoon, Kanye West, and running out of guitar chords, made me want to write music that would make straight people consider annotations and make stoned people see auras.” These incredibly detailed moments in time allowed Powell to dive into what he calls the “psychedelic folk” genre of music. Inspired by artists such as Neil Young, King Gizzard and the Lizard, Pond, and The Flaming Lips, Powell finds that these influences “are opening doors for me in the strange sonic back alleys.” Which led me to ask him what in the wide expanse of our world inspires his writing?
Several things it turns out do just that for Powell. “I end up spinning a lot of theological and philosophical threads into my work. Nature is also an important theme. You might be able to reduce my songs to a list of specific flora/fauna and a collection of complaints about how weird it is to practice Christianity in 2017 in America without being anachronistic. The cognitive dissonance of embracing mysticism.” Powell has been working with his guitarist Adam Shuntich and brother Jacob Powell for the new LP telling me that despite going for a folk tune in some songs during the writing process, “a few hours later it’s this sprawling anthem with wobbling synth and harmonized hard-tuned vocals and it’s just crazy.”
Crazy, folk, or synth Powell tells me he has been extremely influenced by his friend Jonathan Class. “He’s produced every record in our catalog so far and we’ve grown together ever since we cut the first LP either of us had ever worked on in 2011. His voice is always an imprint on the music, which is a special trust relationship to have with a producer.” With a collection of hard-working, inspirational individuals by his side Powell still finds a struggle when it comes to the small business side of the gig.
“I recently heard an author whom I respect greatly say, ‘It’s not your job to make people like your art. You just make it and let other people worry about that.’ And I know it came from a good place, but man it hit me the wrong way. I thought, ‘Of course you don’t have to worry about making people like your stuff, you already have a Pulitzer.’” A series of nights without sleep, booking gigs, rehearsing, maintaining a Facebook page, and so much more has been a weight on Powell’s shoulders. His solution however for this career is one we all can learn from.
“You’re not allowed to ignore the entrepreneurial side of things, but if you find it bogging you down, make the time to remind yourself why you started making things in the first place.” Fueled by music he enjoys writing, surrounded by people who work alongside him to create, and living in a city that’s only trajectory is up certainly makes Powell an artist worth listening to.
“I just want to be true to the creative impulses I have and make a simple and full life out of creating art that transcends entertainment—art that’s ready to be unpacked and willing to challenge,” Powell tells me this when I ask him to consider what his ultimate direction is for him and his band. With music streaming on Spotify and an album in the works Powell details the moments where, for him, it feels real. “When I had a friend call me to tell me he’d heard me on a curated Spotify playlist (Indie Acoustic and The Writer’s Playlist). Doing sessions at Daytrotter and Audiotree is always a surreal experience because so many of our heroes have stood behind those same mics.”
So, what’s next for Joshua Powell & the Great Train Robbery? A summer long tour!
When I asked Joshua what advice he would give to those wanting to become an artist he told me, “You’re only as good a writer as you are a reader. Don’t wait for a muse, make your own. Travel and read.”