We were lucky to catch up with Joshua Theiss recently and have shared our conversation below.
Joshua, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
It’s hard for me to say what is the most meaningful project that I’ve worked on because they all hold their value in one way or another. Wildest Imaginations was my first major introduction as an artist and created the foundation from which I was able to grow. Songs like “When Will” and “Midnight Lullaby” allowed me to exhibit my ability to tell a story, and bring it to life. My collaboration with Ryan Murff on “As Real As It Gets” probably still holds as one of my best records for the emotional vulnerability he and I were able to convey. When it gets to the bridge and Ryan is just singing his a** off, it still gives me chills to this day. Lastly, the title track of the project was my declaration as an artist that I would stay true to myself, no matter what. If it’s something that I wouldn’t do, or haven’t done, then I don’t talk about it. I was either given or developed this talent for a reason; depending on how you want to look at it, and I’m not going to squander it away by pretending to be someone I’m not. That project opened the doors for me, and I don’t believe that my journey would have been the same without it.
My next project “For The Time Being” I feel was a testament to how much I had improved and everything I had been through up to the point. During that time, I met Danny X, who essentially became my full-time producer, vocal coach, and engineer at Unlabeled Studios. I had also met my soon-to-be wife, and we were building our family. I had some emotional baggage from past relationships or flings that I needed to let go of, and Danny’s production style complimented my lyrics so well. Being able to collaborate with the other artists from Unlabeled at the time also added to the overall depth of the project I don’t think it would have had otherwise, and the additional production from Bobby Pulliam (Outkast), Love$toned (The Deep End, & I’m Sorry), and DJ Prodigy (Mad Genius Remix) created something so diverse and yet cohesive at the same time. Opening the project with the “Lucifer Effect” was a curveball I don’t think that anyone was expecting; It’s so aggressive and heavy, and unlike anything I had released before. It’s become one of my staple songs to perform and gets great reception every time. I structured the project to play out more like a two-sided cassette, the first half being more Hip-Hop/rap-driven and the second half delving more into pop and R&B territory; I’m not sure if anyone ever caught that. All-in-all it’s still my longest body of work at 12 tracks and I’ve been trying to top it ever since.
Lastly, “Late Bloomer”. This is probably my most commercial-sounding project, and I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. As great as “For The Time Being” was in my opinion, I did get some feedback from fans, and peers who felt that I had become predictable; and that hit me hard. While I do think that it’s important to have a sound that is uniquely your own, if it gets to a point where listeners can expect what’s going to happen next, they may lose interest fast. This became another growing period for me because I had to show that I wasn’t just a one-trick pony. The main criticism was that once I learned how to chop (rapping words in fast succession or cadence), then that was all I would do on every song. So I had to take a step back and exhibit restraint to prove them wrong. Conceptually, Late Bloomer was about being who you truly are and being confident in yourself and your abilities. For years, I had struggled with doubt and my worth as an individual, and as an artist so much that it would cripple me, and I had reached a point where enough was enough. The symbolism of the rose on fire was to represent the beauty of being yourself and burning brightly with passion. Out of the 3, it’s the project I revisit the most to remind myself how far I’ve come. It also came after the birth of my youngest daughter, whose name is Brielle Rose Theiss, and ultimately was the start of a new chapter in my life.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I began writing music when I was very young. There was always music in the house growing up; my grandfather would pull out his guitar and sing around Christmas, and my mother and aunt both sang in the high school choir. I started rapping as a way to gain respect from the kids who bullied me. I thought that if I was good enough, they would leave me alone; and they did. After that though, I found catharsis in being able to express myself and essentially used it as a coping mechanism for anything that I was going through. I entered any of the talent shows in high school, and open mics that I could get into. Just trying to prove myself as an artist and get my name out as much as possible. Fast forward to 2024, I can say that I have been able to tour across the country, open up for some of the biggest names on the independent circuit, release several projects, and work with some of the most talented artists in Kansas City.
What I’m most proud of is knowing that I have stayed true to myself, and when it’s reflected in my music; those who hear it and listen, appreciate my honesty and sincerity. I want to make music that my kids can be proud of, and for them to know that they inspire and motivate me to keep going and push myself to new heights.
I wholeheartedly believe in chasing your dreams and striving for what you feel is going to make you happy and fulfilled. It should go without saying that something worth having is never easy, but the payoff is knowing that you stuck it out and brought your aspirations to life.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Absolutely. I wish I had taken more advantage of certain certifications or degrees when I was younger. I was so hyper-focused on being just an artist that I neglected any other skill that might have benefited me. I’ve now discovered courses on graphic design, digital marketing & promotion, as well as audio engineering that had I taken the time to learn when I was younger, I could be a lot more self-sufficient and not need to rely on others for so much. I’m just now trying to build on those other skills because I absolutely have to, and it’s caused a slight delay in being able to produce as much content as I would like.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One thing that I had to unlearn was that the success of being an artist doesn’t always look like what you think it does, or come from the same things that used to work or might have worked for someone else. When I was coming up, the idea of how you built a buzz was being consistent in releasing projects/mixtapes, selling CDs and merch out of your car or wherever you could pop up, and doing as many shows as you could. When I was between the ages of 17-19 and in a group called Drastikk Meazurez, we had a show almost every weekend at the same 2-3 venues. A lot of them we weren’t making any money off of, or getting paid for, and even though we had a pretty solid foundation, having that many performances back-to-back exhausted a lot of our fanbase because they couldn’t make it to every single show. The experience itself was worth it and has helped me be more seasoned on stage, but there are better ways now to build a name as an artist than to follow the same path.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @jtheissmusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jtheissmusic
- Twitter: @jtheissmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_v7huTllchNdF1jmNbO8-g