Meet Josh Herren

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Josh Herren a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Josh, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I wouldn’t say I’ve completely overcome it, but i don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. I think there has to be a certain level of respect for the work you’re doing, and even the stakes involved, without it having to turn into thinking you don’t belong. In the process of making an album, I’m constantly bombarded with feelings of not being enough or not feeling worthy to even be pursuing something creatively. Why am I doing this instead of something more “practical?” Why should i put hundreds of hours into this album if no one is going to hear it? Will this only ever be a passion project that people politely smile at when i tell them about it? I have these thoughts in my head all the time, but i have to harness that energy and use it to fuel my work, not shut me down. I have lots of respect for the work that goes into making, finishing, and even promoting an album, and sometimes the scope of what I’m trying to accomplish will get to me and shut me down a little, but I have to make a concerted effort to use the anxiety as motivation. I may not feel like enough, I may not feel like the right man for the job, but sometimes all it takes is putting my head down and keeping the ball rolling, trusting that if i put my all into this work, someone will recognize that effort and reward it.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Josh Herren, and I started Galaxy Shores as a quarantine project back in 2020. I had grown up loving music and playing in worship bands and choirs, but had never considered making music of my own until everything locked down, and I found myself with nowhere to go and nothing to do. After releasing our self titled debut EP in January of 2022, I took some time to really hone my craft and deepen my technical ability before I released anything else. I took drum lessons and production lessons, and the next 2 years of learning and tinkering resulted in our first full length LP, ‘Plastique River.’ Filled to the brim with swirling, phased out guitars, analogue synths, vintage drums, and messy, psychedelic production, ‘Plastique River’ will transcend you to the spaced out inner monologue of a kid trying to find his way; growing up and wrestling with massive dreams that seem so close and yet equally unattainable. We recently released our first ever vinyl pressing of our debut EP, available on Bandcamp. We also have been playing shows in and around the LA area since last November, and are currently in the beginning of playing live shows for this album cycle, with our first performance coming July 13th in Pasadena CA, and more on the way throughout the rest of the year.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing my parents ever did was support me. Even though they might not have felt as invested in my music as me, or maybe didn’t understand a production choice i made here or there, they always fully supported me taking this journey and have been my biggest fans since day one. I know plenty of stories of kids who are misunderstood or under-supported by their parents. One of my biggest fears was that my parents would look down on the music i was making or think i was dumb for trying to pursue music as a career, but the opposite has been true. It is so refreshing to be pursuing music with the support of my parents instead of in spite of them. To this day, we play a cover of a Pink Floyd song at every show as an homage to my dad and all the ways he’s supported me creatively.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Album artwork by: Josiah Herren All photos by: Dylan Greenwood (Dissono)

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