Interviews

Josh Scogin - '68 (audio interview)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Aug 21, 2015

7 min read

There is a lot that can be said about Josh Scogin and his career over the past 18 years, but one thing that always needs to be addressed is the man's creative genius behind his music. Fronting such bands as Norma Jean, The Chariot and now '68, for a guy that seems very loose on stage he knows his shit and what may not work for other bands, Josh will express what goes on in his head and produce it into his music without a question or doubt.

While other bands like to make sure they have hit every note right and it sound just the way it's supposed to, Josh Scogin and his "go with the flow" mentality has resulted in some incredible forms of music over the years, all of which have helped pave the way for the success he's had in all his bands. The latest offering '68 is stripped back to just him on vocals and guitar and Michael McCellen on drums in what seems to be a well orchestrated combination of rehearsed, heavy, mind-fucking rock which you just want to witness again and again.

Seeing these guys perform live is unlike anything I've ever witnessed before. The raw, powerful energy these two produce is incredible to witness up close and personal. Michael has perfected the art of drumming along to Josh's wild and crazy antics and guitaring onstage. And while it seems they're just jamming and making it up as they go, these guys know exactly what they're doing and how it needs to be done, working off what the other puts out there. If tennis was could be represented by a band, these guys would be the Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray of the game.

I was lucky enough to sit down and dig into the mind of Josh Scogin before he kicked off '68's first ever Australian Show and to say the buzz about this bad was growing is an understatement. The man didn't seem nervous at all, which you'd expect from a guy who knows what he's doing, problem is it's inside his head and he just goes with it most of the time. The discussion progressed into reasons behind why he left The Chariot and within a short amount of time had already started teasing his new project '68, how his recording process differs from other bands (who may record songs again after making a mistake or experiencing technical difficulties), all the way through to the hidden meaning behind the saying "REGRET NOT" which is spelt out in the Track Titles on '68's first studio album "In Humour and Sadness".

If you haven't been following Josh and his career, now is the time to make the jump and see what this man has to offer. I can assure you, you won't be disappointed with what you find.