Miami-based indie soul artist JOSCH, also known as Josh Schwartz, just released his highly anticipated fourth single, “Detta,” with a music video to follow next week. Inspired by the cult-classic Dark Tower fantasy series from Stephen King, the song explores themes of abuse, vengeance, redemption, and escape.
JOSCH, pronounced like “Josh,” draws from a wide pool of inspirations for his music. From funk, R&B, electronic, soul, pop and lyrically-based folk music, no single genre can claim JOSCH. Already an extremely accomplished musician, he spent the last few years of his career touring North America with Zac Brown Band on their 2022 “Out In The Middle” stadium tour and rock and roll legends Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew on their 2023-24 “Remain In Light” tour. The previous ten-plus years saw him touring internationally with indie funk band Turkuaz. As a baritone sax player and featured vocalist in these settings, he has been at home on the sidelines of the stage. Now, with the birth of his solo project, JOSCH is ready to take center stage and share with the world even more of his creative contributions.
“Detta” tells the poignant story of its titular character, a “diamond in a patch of dirt, born beneath a neon light” into a world of darkness and pain in the backwoods of Arkansas. Lines like “Mama was a goner with a taste for dope and Daddy didn’t like to talk, but she knew what he was thinking when he got to drinking and his fists flew like a hawk” detail the depths of the despair surrounding Detta in her early life. The song captures her journey from suffering to defiance as she fights back against her abuser, leading to a dramatic escape from her troubled past into an unknown future. After hitching her way to the California coast, the law catches up with her; “though she heard the sirens coming and she knew her running days were done, she thanked God for that perfect moment in the California sun.” It’s up to the listener to decide if she surrenders peacefully, goes out in a hail of bullets, or escapes across the border into Mexico. Whichever they decide, they may be surprised to learn the inspiration for this dark tale.
“I read the Dark Tower series from Stephen King years ago and absolutely fell in love with it. One of the main characters is Odetta, a lovely, well-off young woman with a split personality. Her alter ego is Detta, a cutthroat, streetwise rebel who does whatever she must to survive. I was really drawn to that dichotomy of light and dark existing in the same person,” JOSCH explained. He wanted to make the story of the song accessible to people who didn’t read the book series but with a subtle nod to the literary inspiration, hence the chorus lyrics, ‘Detta, Odetta.’ “It may sound like I’m singing ‘Detta, oh Detta” but if you read the lyrics and are a Dark Tower nerd like me, I’m hoping you’ll get a kick out of the little easter egg.”
As with JOSCH’s first three singles, “Detta” masterfully blends analog and digital sounds and textures to create a blend all its own. The track features a haunting blend of gritty Rhodes electric piano played by Steve Swatkins (Scary Pockets, Allen Stone) and drumming by Nashville’s Mike Blong. Rob O’Block, musical renaissance man of Nashville and co-producer of the track, brought the track to life with bass, synthesizers, percussion, drum programming, and soaring, ominous electric guitar riffs that perfectly complement JOSCH’s quick-flowing, swamp-bluesy vocals.
In conjunction with the single’s release, JOSCH will also unveil a visually striking music video on September 5. The video artfully depicts the chaos and beauty of Detta’s life and her tumultuous escape, combining vintage found footage with shots of Detta, played by jewelry designer and vintage clothing seller Lauren Hayes, to create a surreal and darkly humorous narrative that’s the perfect visual companion to the song.
Visit here to stream “Detta” on your preferred streaming platform, and stay tuned for the upcoming music video from JOSCH.
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