Bio

Josephson is a singer-songwriter, producer and band from Brisbane, Australia who write modern folk music focussed around meaningful lyrics, ambient electric guitar, powerful rhythms and layered vocals. Inspired by artists such as Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens and Nick Cave, Josephson paints a rich and emotional musical landscape delivering a powerful and captivating live performance. Off the back of the release of their debut single ‘The Coast’ in September 2020 Josephson performed a highly successful launch show at one of Australia's most revered venues, the Tivoli Brisbane. On November 19th 2020 Josephson released their debut album Love, Sex and Chemo followed by a show at Yonder Festival in Imbil, Queensland.

Front-man Michael Josephson started down the path of music at the age of 22 when he found an old guitar in a pawn shop and took it travelling to Nepal. After the death of his father in 2013 Josephson began writing increasingly emotional songs and formed the folk band ‘Moski Jo,’ who then released their debut album in 2015. After the album release the band separated and Josephson started on his new solo project, named simply his last name; ‘Josephson’. Influenced by the death of his father and a meaningful breakup the project became one of passion focussed around lyrics and modern folk sensibilities.

In 2017 Josephson formed into a five-piece band with friends Jaymee Watkin, Harry Pierce, Tim Watkin and Marc Dubios; and set about recording an album in a house in Nashua, just outside Byron Bay. The band came away with eleven partially complete songs. However shortly after this Josephson plunged into a series of life events that delayed the completion of the album. The front man re-directed all his energy into attempting to build a music studio/house with his friends in the forest outside Brisbane. 

Then in August 2019 Josephson was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer and was to spend 6 months on chemotherapy. He found he was no longer well enough to continue to work on building his studio and decided to use the energy he did have to finish making his album.

‘Love, Sex and Chemo’ is this album. A self produced and mixed album that is the culmination of years of songwriting combined with songs freshly written whilst Josephson was on chemotherapy. The album is a project of pure passion and emotion that from personal experience attempts to speak universally about the poetry in the highs and lows of love, death, life and everything in between.

The album is spearheaded by dream folk single ‘The Coast.’ A song written after Josephson took a trip to the beach as he was nearing the end of treatment. He was inspired by feelings of loneliness and escapism as he watched those around him flirt with love and adventure. These were facets of life that had become abstracted, distant fantasies to Josephson at the time. After the release of their debut single the Josephson band reformed in 2020 with Sanjay Dhingra on bass guitar to launch ‘The Coast’ at the Tivoli Brisbane on October 15th.

‘Love, Sex and Chemo’ out now under the Josephson Records Label. Buy the Vinyl now through Jet Black Cat Music and stream the album here.