Introducing The Captivating Singer-Songwriter… Josh Hicks

Welsh singer-songwriter Josh Hicks has an innate ability to write emotionally observant and life-affirming music. With his captivating falsetto vocals and lyricism inspired by greats such as Amy Winehouse and Cole Porter, the 23-year-old is making his debut with his poignant debut single, ‘Self Seeking (The Highest Order of Selfishness)’, a track for anyone who has ever felt ignored, and the empowerment of rising above this.

We sit down with Josh to talk about the new single, his experience winning Open Mic in 2021, and his love for Stevie Wonder, Girls Aloud and everything in between!

‘Self Seeking (The Highest Order of Selfishness)’ is out now, and you can catch him performing at In It Together Festival in Wales at the end of this month.

Your gorgeous debut single, ‘Self Seeking (The Highest Order of Selfishness)’ is out now – congratulations! What does this song mean to you and why did you decide on this as your debut release?

This song is very important to me as its lyrics are something I have experienced many times over the years. I decided on this to be the first release as its mid-tempo, has strong lyrics and is a good starting point to showcase my pop-soul-jazz tracks.

What do you hope people will take away from the single?

It speaks to those who have ever felt ignored. It all started when I was younger from both friends and/or family, constantly feeling seen but not heard. This song is about rising from this, and not putting the blame on yourself.

You won Open Mic in 2021 – how was this whole experience for you?

It was fantastic to take part, and then to win the overall competition was the icing on the cake! Previous winners include Birdy and Lola Young so hopefully that’s a good omen. As it was in lockdown, I unfortunately had to do all my auditions over Zoom, which made it more difficult as there was no feedback from a live audience – I had to pre-record everything at home. But it was a wonderful experience, especially the positive feedback from the judges.

Let’s take it back to the beginning – what ignited your passion for music?

I absolutely loved Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Queen when I was young. They ignited my passion for music and I joined a gospel choir and the school choir. When I got to secondary school my friend encouraged me to perform at local gigs and then I went to ACM in Guildford where I studied vocal performance.

Can you remember the first song you bought with your own money?

My first record I bought was an album called Pop Party which featured greats such as Kylie, Girls Aloud and Busted! And my first download on iTunes was Waka Waka by Shakira. There is no back story other than I thought it was a brilliant song!

What song that you can remember, has had the biggest impact on you both personally and as an artist?

Heal The world by Michael Jackson was one of the first songs I sang in primary school and I sang it when I auditioned for my music theatre class. I remember this song so well as I’ve performed it many times over the years.

Do you have a set songwriting process, or does something inspire you in the moment?

I rely more on inspiration – and that can happen anytime, anywhere but evenings seem to bring out my creative side more. Sometimes the melody comes first, other times it’s the lyrics – which is always more difficult when you have to write a melody to fit in with the lyrics. But there is no set pattern. I write whenever I feel the urge!

Whether musically or people in your personal life, who inspires you in your everyday life?

I really like to meet new people and I see them as teachers so I can learn more. I love exploring new ideas and gaining knowledge.

Who are some of your favourite artists at the moment? Any dream collaborators you’d love to work with one day?

I really love RAYE, Joy Crookes, Little Simz and SZA. I’d love to work with Mark Ronson as I hugely admire his songwriting and production. Plus I would love to collaborate with Raye as she has strong songwriting skills and her storytelling is incredible!

We’re fast approaching festival season – if you curated your own festival who would be the top 3 headliners?

Easy! Stevie Wonder, Adele and SZA. I’ve sadly not been able to see any of them live yet, but hoping to in the not-too-distant. This would be a dream festival to be able to watch all 3 consecutively!

What are your plans for the rest of 2023? Can we expect more music? A live show?

I’m playing my first Festival in Wales on 25th May called In It Together Festival. I’m hugely excited to be playing it with my full band, supporting Natalie Imbruglia. I have plans for two more single releases this year (already written and ready to go) and lots more gigs to come – focussing on South Wales where I’m from, so look out for further announcements!

Make sure to listen to Josh Hick’s debut single ‘Self Seeking (The Highest Order of Selfishness).’