Aussie Singer-Songwriter Josh Kroehn Releases Heart-Wrenching Track, 'Never Found'

A traditional singer-songwriter at heart, Josh Kroehn's music boasts an incredible dexterity, spanning prog-rock to more acoustic ambient-folk music, always filled with pure emotion and raw passion.

After wowing listeners nationwide in Australia with his debut alternative rock EP 'Something I've Found', Josh explores a wider variety of influence on a purely solo, acoustic-accompanied single 'Never Found', the first taste of his upcoming debut album.

Growing up on heavy metal, Josh first began playing guitar at the age of 9, driven by the furiously energetic stylings of guitar icons, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. Despite this, he remained open-minded to a plethora of other musical influences, spanning Nick Drake, John Martyn and Thom Yorke.

A guitar player by trade, Josh has experimented with more unusual techniques, from playing guitar with a drumstick to create an ominous, violin-like effect, as well being known to play more than six different guitars in one set, due to the variety of unconventional tunings he writes his songs in.

Although upbeat and sometimes otherworldly music releases have been somewhat a form of escapism over the past few months of the global pandemic, the world is gradually transitioning out of lockdown and resuming service, and it's important to stop distracting and address and confront the woes of the world once again.

Despite existing as what could be described as a painfully barbed, heart-wrenching song, 'Never Found' is a refreshing dip in the pool we need to begin to move back to normality. It is a brutally honest self-critique on leaving behind a fake persona he had created and becoming the 'real' him, a relatable choice of topic in a world where social media allows us to become anyone we desire.

A hauntingly melancholic introduction to his work, 'Never Found' is track devoid of hope, yet filled with incredibly musical talent and attention to detail. Quavering vocals and skilful finger-plucking combine to create an incredible soundscape, aurally conjuring images of a full-sized orchestra from a singular solo performance.

The production of the track continues to dabble in experimental techniques and express Josh's uncontrollable thirst to create something unique and authentic, recording a 1972 Maton nylon-strung guitar and vocals in analogue, in a single take.

Josh writes music first and foremost as form of catharsis. After being surrounded by bad luck since 2007, Josh personally connects more emotionally with music angry or sad in tone. In turn, he utilises his passion, composing tracks that possess a more complex depth and emotive purpose.

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