How Birmingham, Alabama, inspires Joshua Holt’s music
Joshua Holt is making his mark on Birmingham's music scene. (Courtesy of Joshua Holt)
Joshua Holt’s music draws inspiration from Birmingham, where the New Orleans-born musician found a new home in 2020. He made the move to be nearer to his fiancé’s hometown and quickly found he fit right in — musically and personally — in the Magic City.
He describes his project Brotha Josh as a blend of indie and R&B. The mixture, along with his vocals, creates a distinctive and captivating sound. He’s quickly become a staple at local venues and also plays live shows in Huntsville and Atlanta. Beyond the music, Holt complements his songs with striking visuals.
In 2022, Holt released two EPs, “The Operator” and “The Caller.” In 2023, he dropped the singles “Miss Me,” “Driftin’ Away” and “The High Life.”
We wanted to catch up with Holt to see how he felt about moving to the Magic City and get answers to other essential questions.
This is Alabama: What is your favorite part about living in Alabama?
Joshua Holt: My favorite part about living in Alabama is its vibe as a state with a down-home feel of a Southern state but the feel of a big city. I’m a recent Alabamian. I moved here in 2020. My hometown is originally New Orleans, Louisiana. It’s a place that can get relatively hectic sometimes, but I feel like living in Alabama there’s an ease of pace to life and it feels cozy. But there are always plenty of things to do and amazing folks to meet. As a musician, it’s been a joy to call this place my home and get to know the folks here.
View this post on Instagram
TIA: Name an Alabamian who inspires you. Why?
Holt: Suaze (also known As A.P. Swayze). Much like myself, Suaze is a transplant who calls Alabama home. He’s the first person I ever met once I moved here, and since then he’s a person I look up to.
Whether he’s creating music or DJing or being a barber, he’s a person who is unabashedly himself. And as I’ve lived here, I’ve become more comfortable in myself and folks like Suaze provide an inspiration that it’s OK to be yourself.
View this post on Instagram
TIA: If you had to make a soundtrack about your life in Alabama, name three songs you would choose and explain why they made the list.
Holt: “Hold On” by Alabama Shakes: Being a musician, you have these dreams of wanting to make it as a full-time musician; you realize it’s a process. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and you just gotta hold on and keep doing the work because your dreams can become a reality.
“Cookie” by Thad Saajid: Being here in the last three years I’ve done many things in my life (bought a house, got engaged, played music), and sometimes life can throw you curveballs. And it’s important to take the bad with the good and as the song says, sometimes “that’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
“Like A Mighty River” by St. Paul and The Broken Bones: My reason for moving to Alabama is because of the love I have for my fiancé and the life we’ve built here since 2020. So, whenever I think of my love for this state, I think of my love for her and how they intertwined. And my love for them is as strong as a mighty river.
TIA: What do you love most about Birmingham?
Holt: The people and the music scene. Since I moved here, I’ve met some of the best musicians and people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Whether it’s DJs like Stevo Blaque or Andrea Really or bands like Queen City Avenue. There is a well of amazing and talented folks in this city, and I’ve been to many places in my life, but there is no place like this one.
FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals. (contributed)
TIA: What is a place in Alabama that you’ve always wanted to visit but haven’t yet?
Holt: I’d love to visit Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and see Fame Recording Studios. It would be amazing to see a place that helped to create so much music that I admire.
This story was previously published by This is Alabama. Want to read more good news about Alabama? Sign up for the This is Alabama newsletter here.
