Who Is Josiah Siska? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

Some artists have dreams that evolve over time, but for today’s spotlight artist, Josiah Siska, music was always the goal and the dream. “I went into music without a plan B. […] It was like a calling,” shared the singer-songwriter.

Siska grew up in a small-town in Georgia, where he credits his family for his early love of music. “I grew up in the church. My dad was in the ministry. I played keys, my mother would sing, and my oldest brother would play guitar and sing,” he began. “That’s where I started performing and really learning music in church. From that, I started to want to write my own songs and tell my own stories, so as I got older, I started writing.”

Despite Christian music being the primary genre in his household, Siska itched to get his hands on all different kinds of music. “I listened to everything I could get my ears on because I loved music, but it was a lot of Christian music in the household growing up. I was just waiting to find a record that my parents wouldn’t let me listen to,” he shared. Adding, “I’ll never forget the first time I heard rock and roll or Queen or other classic rock bands and some outlaw country.”

Some of Siska’s biggest musical influences stem from both that rock and roll and traditional country genre.“I would say my biggest influences on my sound, when I listen to an artist and I dissect their music and try to analyze everything they are doing, the little mundane details that make it unique, I would say I listen to a lot of Keith Whitley and Don Williams, and I take notes from them. I love Johnny Cash too,” shared the singer, who also named Jim Croce as one of his all-time favorites.

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating high school, Siska made the big move to Nashville. “When I was a little kid, I was chasing the mailman so to speak, which was the music dream. […] It’s a big dream to say that I’m going to move to Nashville and write songs, and try to get a record deal,” he reflected.

After a stint on the popular show American Idol, Siska knew that Music City was calling his name. “Right when I got done with high school, I packed my bags and started to head to Nashville,” he shared. “I did American Idol, when I was seventeen, and then when I got off the show, I came straight to Nashville, and went searching for a deal or someone to work with, and a way to get started.”

While American Idol was not Siska’s path to stardom, he credits the show for instilling a “no quit” attitude and a belief in himself. “What I think it’s really great at doing and what it did for me at a young age, it developed me in a way. […] That was probably the best situation for any young artist to just learn and grow, just because of all the pressure you’re put under right away. […] I still use some skills that I picked up from idol today.”

While in Nashville, the singer-songwriter played every gig he could. Eventually, he connected with Mark Miller, who would go on to introduce him to his team at his label, Black River. “Through some family friends, I got a meeting with Mark Miller. […] We hit it off real good and we’ve been working together and real close buddies ever since then. He brought me in to Black River and I met Doug Johnson, and we hit it off too, and he produces my record and writes them with me a little bit.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Siska is living out his dream. Last year, the artist released his debut EP, a seven song project called, Three Chords at a Time. The project is an incredible compilation of the singer’s one-of-a-kind talent as both a vocalist and as a songwriter.

“When I was writing some of the songs for the EP, especially the title track, I wanted to give people kind of a little peephole into my life. […] Look through the glass and see what my stories are, and the [title track] is really about what I feel and my relationship with country music and radio, and the way it has shaped me into who I am now. I love all the tracks on that record though. They’re all different,” he shared.

While the single, “3 Tequila Floor” is an obvious standout and a hit with fans, the final record on the EP, “Better Man” is also a special one.

One of the things that I think is cool about it though is the end of the record, the seventh song, a song called “Better Man” is a gospel song that I wrote,” he began, “My thought of it was, the old-school folks, the Johnny Cash’s and the George Jones’ folks, used to finish off their records with a gospel song, so I wanted to stick it in, in the sense of traditionalism with country and do the same thing with my first EP.”

Despite an incredible first outing, this is only just the beginning for Siska. The artist has shows on the books and more songs coming down the pipeline sooner rather than later. Keep your eyes and ears on the lookout!

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