Josh Gilligan Releases New Single 'Anything' From Forthcoming Debut Album
Listen to the single now.
By: Josh Sharpe Nov. 13, 2024
Nashville-based musician, songwriter, and filmmaker Josh Gilligan has released the second single “Anything” from his forthcoming debut album Party Of One, set for release January 24, 2025 via Chicago and Nashville-based indie label Easy Does It Records.
“Anything,” premiered today by Glide Magazine, is the epiphanic opener to Josh Gilligan’s full-hearted debut album, which offers a revelation of hope to kick off an album full of melancholic introspection. “The key here is simplicity, with Gilligan laying down airy, folk-tinged vocals over a soundtrack of quietly driving guitars, a basic drum beat, and a slow build,” says Glide. “The song’s overall uplifting message is one that resonates in these troubling times and speaks to Gilligan’s knack for crafting subtly powerful lyrics.”
Says Gilligan, “I started writing ‘Anything’ to a friend who was going through some pretty dark times. It’s a song that acknowledges the bravery it takes to keep on going, no matter what kind of life you lead. It’s not written to give advice or prescribe anything, but just to extend some calm love and feel the weight and the joy of life together. It’s also the first tune coming out that I live tracked together with the band!"
The sentiment sounds straightforward, but the Nashville singer-songwriter finds new implications every time he sings that line: Simply existing in the world requires strength, endurance, determination, even courage. This is not the album’s cathartic climax or the culmination of his process of self-discovery. Rather, it’s Gilligan’s opening salvo. That idea is the starting point for this somber, yet hopeful collection of songs.
It’s a powerful introduction to those who might not be familiar with his presence in the Nashville indie scene, having worked in various capacities with artists like Halfnoise, Madi Diaz, Elke, and Medium Build. His diverse experiences on stage have infused his music with a rich blend of influences, setting the stage for his most personal project to date.
His debut album Party Of One, due out next year, marks a new step in his musical journey, following the success of his 2021 EP, Go Around.
Party Of One collects the wisdom Gilligan gleaned from a long period of deep sadness, self-doubt, and confusion. There are songs about separation, internal conflicts, creative disappointments, all of which added up to a pervasive melancholy in his late 20s and early 30s. He’d spent nearly a decade gigging around Nashville, balancing other jobs adjacent to the music industry with his own musical pursuits.
“I wasn’t expecting to feel so hollowed out after my twenties,” says Gilligan, “and I was wondering if I still wanted to make music. But I felt like I owed it to myself to give it another try, even though in the back of my mind I’m thinking, What can I add to the conversation? Why would anyone want to listen to what I have to say? ‘Anything’ came out of that, and it’s been a good message to live with. A lot of people think that if they’re not doing something super ambitious and highly visible, that means they’re doing something wrong or they’re not being brave enough. But it takes so much bravery to do anything at all.”
Gilligan drew from the ‘70s pop and soft rock of his childhood, creating a sound that resonates with personal references: the graceful melodicism of Paul Simon, the restless experimentation of Todd Rundgren, the emotional directness of James Taylor. “My mom was raising five kids—I was the middle child—and she would take us on long drives to make us sleepy. And she would play Wings, America, Christopher Cross. Instead of rejecting her music, I embraced all of it. That’s the stuff I’m thinking about when I make music. It completely formed my sensibilities. My mom inadvertently crafted the palette of Party of One.”
Gilligan spent years recording, mixing, and even sequencing another record, but something didn’t sit right. It took bravery to set it aside and start again from scratch. In 2022 he spent a month in California, savoring the change of scenery and working with a different set of musicians. In one memorable afternoon he and Jacob Jeffries (who plays keyboards for Vulfpeck) wrote a song called “Tight Rope,” out now. It’s a gentle ballad with chiming guitars, shimmering keyboards, and lyrics about how falling off the tight rope gets you back down to earth. It was a breakthrough. “Honestly it felt less like doing a co-write and more like finding a long-lost member of my musical family. I remember thinking, This is how I want the album to sound. I built everything else around that song. It came out like a sneeze, but the others came together with more time and care.”
When he's not making music, Josh enjoys spending his time outdoors, fishing or working on vintage music equipment. His passion for music and creativity is matched by his appreciation for the simple pleasures in life, and he strives to create songs that resonate on a genuine level with his audience.
Opening for Medium Build:
November 15 - Brussels, Belgium - Indies Keeping Secrets
November 16 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
November 18 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Ideal Bar
November 19 - Hamburg, Germany - Molotow
November 20 - Berlin, Germany - Badehaus
November 22 - Zürich, Switzerland - Papiersaal
November 23 - Kǒln, Germany - Artheater
November 24 - Paris, France - La Bellevilloise
Photo Credit Emory Brown
Comments
Videos