Acclaimed Belfast singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside has returned to the United States for a fall tour in support of his new album It’s Not Going to be Okay, an arresting and poignant cut from one of modern folk music’s most respected artists.
Performing in a trio, Joshua continues the run on Tuesday, Oct. 6, with a DC-area show at Jammin’ Java.
It’s Not Going to be Okay is a record born out of loss and the fragile act of continuing. Written and recorded in the wake of the death of Joshua’s closest friend, the album is his most stripped-back and unguarded work to date.
Joshua explained, “I wrote and recorded this album after the death of my best friend Dean Jendoubi. He was an incredible person, and I miss him every day. He drifted unawares into the deepest sleep and died of a drug overdose on August 17th last year.
“Grief has always been a big part of my music; it’s the reason I started writing songs when I was 13. And so, as I did all those years ago, I reach for the guitar, try a few chords and sing a few words and, for a brief moment, I feel like it’s going to be okay.”
Burnside is routinely lauded for his intricate production and layered storytelling, but here, he pares everything down here to its rawest form. It’s Not Going to be Okay is tender and unflinching, highlighting the beautiful simplicity of Burnside’s acoustic balladry and his poetic lyrics.
Where previous albums explored folklore, politics, and myth through surreal, tense textures, and offbeat folk supplemented by electronica, It’s Not Going to be Okay distils his brilliance down with immaculate precision where each track serves like an entry into a grief journal.
Watch the official music video for “It’s Not Going to Be Okay” by Joshua Burnside on YouTube:
Joshua Burnside is an experimental folk songwriter, singer and producer. He takes influence from alternative electronica trad, and Irish folk, chopping and blending them with a mixture of found sounds, world music and unorthodox production methods. His UK and IRE headline tour commences in May, and he recently wrapped a US tour with Ye Vagabonds. He’s also confirmed an opening slot for Foy Vance at a home show in Belfast’s Custom House Square.
Joshua Burnside
Jammin’ Java
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Doors @ 6pm
$27
All ages
