Interview: Josette - Daytona Fair EP

Hot off the release of her first two singles “One Shot” and “Comfort Show”, Newzician was lucky enough to sit down with the wonderful Josette to talk about the upcoming release of her EP, Daytona Fair. The EP is an eclectic mix of exciting new sounds set to reinvigorate the Ōtautahi soundscape. The diverse sound on the record is seamlessly woven together with the aid of Josette’s distinctive vocals, meticulous musicianship, and the polished production of Christchurch producer Wulfie.

Photography by Loren Kett and Steph Damm

Who is Josette? The project and the people.

It’s me! I went to ARA for jazz school, and when I finished up there I had a bunch of songs I had written and I wanted to start gigging real bad. Basically I wanted to have a band, and thanks to jazz school I had some people I had already been playing with. I was lucky enough to be asked to play, and then lucky to get the opportunity to do MONO (at UC Ngaio Marsh Theatre). But of the people in the original formation, three of them are now working on a cruise ship as musicians. I realised that because my band was going to have to change, that Josette would just be me. I think it's also kind of cool because it means that musicians who I work with or who play in the band are also able to go do different projects and then also I can find another drummer/bassist etc. when I need one. Because I really want to play live and go on tour, I recorded the music that best suited live shows!

Why did you decide to release One Shot first?

It was the one that I wrote that dictated the energy I wanted for the EP. It came originally from this place of neo-soul but then thanks to all the musicians involved, who just kept hitting it harder and harder, it kind of devolved into this alt rock sound. It is also how we always start our gigs, because of the acapella intro, which the audience love.

How do you think your sound fits into the Ōtautahi soundscape at the moment?

I think we have really struggled to decide what it is, and that has been kind of a blessing in a way because then we get to define it. I get to say in a press kit that it's “Fresh and different and cool!” but I also think it's hard at the same time when it's a new sound because we don't know exactly who the audience is who wants it. But I think it does fit a niche, Ōtautahi has like “Surf Rock”, and that cool and everyone likes it, and we also have this high production “Chill-step Pop”, and a lot of jazz influenced pop. I think that's where I come in and fill this space with a sound that sounds expensive and high production. I would say that it's someone from a jazz background who cares a lot and makes high production alt rock.

The production is great, so maximalist almost, how was working with Wulfie?

It was so cool! Wulfie is Tim Heeringa, who is a jazz school alumni. I first met him when he came into jazz school to talk to the baby students about how to release music. But not only is Tim a tech wizz but he is also a fantastic guitarist. Tim was in this really awesome rock band called Black Fox Trio and I met him properly because at the time he was gigging a lot with my flatmate. At the moment he is doing high prod synth pop stuff, but I really wanted to work with him because he has that rock element I really like. He knows real instruments too but he also likes high production and can make it cinematic. I didn't go into it meaning for it to be, but they just felt like they needed it. 

What was the process of writing and recording your debut EP like?

Tim really ripped the songs apart and put them back together to see what would work. The soundscapes for the Comfort Show came from Tim but also everyone else. I think it was my idea to have the television sounds on “Comfort Show”. I live with my three best friends and at the time Leah’s partner Alice was living with us so I was just voice memoing us at the dining table the whole time. I really just wanted it to sound like flicking through the channels at the beginning. Reuben Wilson is the documentarian at the start of the song. The one thing I feel quite bad about is that it says the Kererū is more commonly known as the New Zealand Wood Pigeon, but really it's the other way around.

Who did you work with on your “Comfort Show” music video, and what was that process like?

So I’m lucky enough to live with Loren Kett who is a video editor, she has an office at Belmont Studios and has done heaps of work for TVNZ and Discovery. She has a woman she works with a lot called Steph Damm. Over the summer I sold my guitar and I really just pieced together as much money as I could and went to Steph and was like “What can you do for this??” and she went “we can do you a day in the daylight”. So because we were on a budget we just did it all in my bedroom and made it real simple. Loren spent way too long comping the TV, and all the footage you see is compiled from my family when I was growing up. My flatmate Mariah is a makeup artist so she did my makeup for me, we really just finessed it. My favourite part is that Steph brought over a siamese sunflower that she took from her garden that morning, and it really is the star of the show.

Why Daytona Fair?

I came up with the phrase “Daytona Fair” because I write a lot with vowel sounds. When I am writing my songs I improvise melodies with vowel songs, and I ended up singing the words Daytona Fair. When I was writing with Brad Meyer, he was like, “is that a thing? I don’t know if that's a thing.” I guess to me it's about a fair where everyone is just racing around going too hard and too fast, and just burning themselves out.

One of your singles is called comfort show, what is your personal comfort show?

Harry Potter! I was one of those disgusting twelve year olds whose walls were covered in posters and stuff. On the record I do not condone JK Rowling's comments, and they’re definitely not the best movies in the world, but they are my best movies in the world! Yeah, just the world of Harry Potter. In the “rap” part of Comfort Show there are references to the comfort shows of my band, so there is of course Harry Potter but also Naruto, I mention milhouse from The Simpsons, and there's We’re the Millers which is why I talk about Jason Sudeikis.

Who features on Sweetheart?

That’s Sam Burt! Sam is my favourite co-writer, we will co-write forever. So we wrote “Sweetheart” together and he also wrote on “Wolf”. Sam has been so integral to me doing music at all, and is just my favourite co-writer ever. Everytime I’m in a writing block we have a writing session and it helps so much. All the songs are so different, so for the people who don’t like the others there is this catchy, pop, digestible one about the “love drug” that everyone can like.

The song “Daytona Fair” could be a bond song!

Everyone says that, it's so cool! I’m so glad you said that, I’ve gotten that from so many people. When’s the next bond movie? It can be called “Daytona Fair”, and be about car racing!

What would you like people to know about Daytona Fair?

I believe The EP has a bit for everyone. If you like Neo-soul influenced Rock, One shot is the one for you. If you like Alt Pop, Comfort Show is the one for you, If you like pop love songs, Sweetheart is the one for you. If you like BOND!?! Daytona Fair is the one for you. And if you like just a funk jam, then Wolf is the one for you. If you don’t like one, just keep listening and you might find the one. I think the songs share a common theme but all the songs are from different angles.

Finally, who are some really cool acts around Christchurch at the moment who you would like to have on your gig line up?

Yes! Mitch Zachry is probably my favourite EP out of Christchurch at the moment, he actually features on Comfort Show (he is the really fun guitar line that features throughout the song). He is a phenomenal jazz guitarist that makes the most beautiful “Mac-Millery” sounds, just so good. I also admire Emily Browning, she is just a really big role model for me, I think she is amazing. And… I really just love Saint Peter’s Thursday, I think they are just legends and are so lovely. And of course Wulfie, and Loveta who works with Wulfie a lot. She has some really cool stuff coming out soon, which I’m really excited for. But I’d have to say, it’s definitely Mitch who I listen to the most at the moment.

Watch the video for “Comfort Show” off Josette’s upcoming EP Daytona Fair Below: