Joshu's new single, "Holding On," reminds you of home just that. The Antiguan-British singer mixes indie folk and the hushed throb of the Caribbean, creating a song that undulates like the tide, nostalgic and uneasy, soothing yet profoundly affecting.
"Holding On" was penned mid-Atlantic, on Joshu's journey back home to the island he grew up on. It starts with a straightforward and evocative line, "Left my home in the warm rain," which deposits listeners smack in the middle of his journey. The pace is a gentle, undulating wave, propelling his quiet vocals and knotty guitar work through a sea of memory and self-discovery.
"Holding On" grapples with the pulls of nostalgia and tangled identities. Like his father, Joshu grew up listening to King Short Shirt's calypso and John Martyn's folk songs. Joshu occupies two worlds, and that duality thrums through each note. The chorus, "It's not easy when you're holding on so tight," expresses the universal struggle of letting go, reconciling past and present, and determining what home really is.
Finalized while in lockdown in Antigua, "Holding On" has a warmth that feels palpable, as if the rain and ocean air penetrated its very chords. The first chapter of Way Back Home, Holding On, musically sets the tone for an EP that promises intimacy and broad appeal.