Joshua Radin sends his friends and family a love letter from the long, lonely road with his latest single and video This One’s For — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
“I wrote this song for all the people in my life, close friends and family, whom I love dearly, but because I’m a traveler by nature, I don’t see them as often as I’d like,” the singer-songwriter says. While the song captures a feeling of longing that’s universally felt, it was inspired by one particularly exciting night in Ireland that left a lasting impression on Radin.
“Many years ago, I found myself on tour in Dublin,” he recalls. “After my performance, some of the loveliest Irish people brought me to a famous pub for drinks, as one does in most cities but especially in Dublin. After the pub closed, I was introduced to the concept of a ‘lock in,’ when the bar legally must close so they lock the front doors, but they keep serving drinks for those lucky enough to have been invited to stay and hang. We passed my guitar around all night, everyone playing songs. It was the first time I had ever played for people without a microphone, and I was forced to sing loudly, strum loudly, belt with a voice I never knew I had. This was a seminal evening for me. So I wanted this song to sound like me and my buddies were locked in a pub around 3 a.m., drinking, playing songs, living life.”
This One’s For follows the release of Radin’s latest EP, though the world will tell me so, vol 1, a breathtaking collection of songs that were inspired by his time on the road in 2022. Rather than wait for inspiration to strike, Radin seeks it out wherever possible. To that end, in the fall of 2022, he left his material existence in the rearview, grabbed a backpack, packed his guitar, picked up a pen and a pad, and sought new stories to tell. “I felt like I was going to live the life of a kid on a gap year after high school,” he smiles. “However, it has helped my writing and my soul. I feel so much freer.”
He’s certainly earned this season. Back in 2004, Joshua emerged as an empathetic, engaging, and often enthralling troubadour. Over the years, he’s tallied north of 1 billion streams, moved 1 million-plus albums worldwide, and even scored a gold certification for the single I’d Rather Be With You. His music has appeared in over 200 films, TV series and commercials. In addition to multiple showstopping appearances on Ellen (who also enlisted him to perform at her wedding) and The Today Show, as well as performances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! and Conan, he contributed Brand New Day to a commercial in support of the troops at the request of Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. He played to sold-out crowds around the globe and shared the stage with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos, Imogen Heap and The Script. And he’s a staunch philanthropist who supports Little Kids Rock and North Shore Animal League America, among others. Thus far his catalog consists of nine full-length offerings highlighted by fan favourites such as We Were Here, Simple Times, Underwater, Wax Wings and Here, Right Now.
Leaving his life behind and traveling with nothing more than the essentials (and enough tools to be creative), Radin recorded though the world will tell me so, vol 1 in places such as Stockholm, Paris, and Lisbon. Tracks like the softly anthemic I’m Just Different, the piano-laden Broken and Running From The Dawn instantly reacted with audiences, as the EP generated over 2 million streams and counting. “Throughout the album, I’d say the common thread is this,” he elaborates. “For my entire life, I’ve felt like the world was telling me something which I didn’t necessarily agree with. I’ve always thought about how to do things a bit differently, whether it’s the way I wrote, recorded, or released this album or the way I’ve been living my life, it’s somewhat of a rebellion against the way the world says these things are supposed to be or happen.”
Check out This One’s For above, hear more from Joshua Radin below, and catch up with him at his website, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
