Swenson
Swenson is the stage name for Josh Swenson. He was born in Portland, Oregon and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, at 3 years old.
He bought his first CD Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits at age 12. He loved how music made him feel something unique. He began guitar lessons at that time, but it wasn’t easy – the only way he made it through the pain and the bore was his persistent mother! He began to find joy in songwriting, making his first song at age 13.
As a natural introvert, he often found himself deep in thought. Family and friends would call him a young philosopher. He enjoyed using poetry to discuss his ideas, but he was unable to really express himself through words. This frustration, with the angst of adolescence, brought him to start listening to rock music and eventually heavy metal. He ended up singing and playing in a few edgy bands.
Josh used his poetry as song lyrics and started singing because he thought it would be fun. Disforia’s first EP was evidence of that (haha)! Since then, Josh was pushed to be better. His training at School Of Rock gave him a big boost forward, and his singing began to improve.
He knew that music was his outlet. It was the only way he could really express himself. It made him feel alive. He began to be more confident in his abilities. He began playing and performing acoustically for family and friends. In 2016, he started playing coffee shops.
The beginning of 2017 is when he started getting serious. In March, with local producer, Rylee McDonald, he released his first single, “Real Friends.” It was a song first performed with his sister Gloria, who is also featured on the track. Though a light, bouncy song, its lyrics are words he wrote to a friend to stop them from committing suicide years before.
Josh filmed his first music video shortly after with a budding videographer, Skyler Martin. That video and song emerged in July. “Identity” was a song that came together in less than a month. Though not a worship song, it was influenced a lot by his faith, and it encourages us to remember our purpose as children of God.
Big musical influences for Josh are James Bay, Train, Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, X Ambassadors, and Imagine Dragons.
In September 2016, he was invited to be on an episode of Mormon Channel Studio, playing a rendition of “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” and a new original song, “Flying Away.” The episode will air early 2018.
He has played at the Velour Music Gallery in Provo, Utah, and AhiMuse, a new restaurant in Orem, Utah.
He hopes to perform at more venues and to record a 4 song EP in the coming months. His dream is to use music to get in front of audiences around the world to share his testimony of Jesus Christ with them!
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