You sing on “Some Days I’m Golden All Night” about turning 40 and your ambitions. I’ve met a few rock stars that are fans of mine, and to be honest, I’ve never felt the urge to try and collaborate. There are so many writers I admire, but perhaps they should just be appreciated, not worked with.
Michael Stipe wrote some great lyrics in my opinion, especially later on in his career. If you could co-write with anyone living or dead, who would it be? A great, new, fairly “unknown” songwriter I’ve just discovered is Aaron Embry. Who do you consider an underrated songwriter? I’m clueless.ĭo you ever do any other kinds of writing?Ī few short stories every now and then, but nothing I’d like to put out to the rest of the world.
I suppose they move people for different reasons. Well, “Quiet Town” is one of my most popular, as well as “Flight Attendant”. What’s a song of yours that’s really touched people? I tend to write about 12-15 songs a year. It’s harder to be 100 percent satisfied with the final outcome. It’s easier for me to write in larger quantities now for some reason, maybe from years of doing it. Is it easier, or harder to write songs, the more you write? However, the music for “Ex-Pat Blues” and “New Young” have been around for a few years, I just couldn’t think of anything to say. I didn’t struggle too much with any of them or you probably wouldn’t have heard them. What’s a song on your album that you struggled with? Those are good ones! I’m proud of almost all of them, but that one feels like it’s a standard that anyone could sing. It had a very classic feel to it, like I had heard it before but wasn’t sure where or from whom. What’s a song on your album you’re particularly proud of and why? The sea is a big inspiration, like I said before. I never intentionally try to come up with something. I’m inspired when I’m not paying attention or not trying to write a song. What sort of things inspire you to write? Other times, I’ll work for months or years on getting the lyrics right. As most writers will tell you, it’s wonderful when it all comes out in 15 minutes and it makes some kind of sense. Sometimes I come up with a line or title then work from there. Usually it’s just spillage while I’m strumming on a guitar. It’s always nice to have a touch of the familiar. The band was thrilled until we played our 3rd or 4th show and someone pointed out they were covers. Later on I wrote “I’m Not Your Stepping Stone,” none of us (including myself) knowing it was a Monkees song. I brought it in to band practice and said I wrote it knowing that the other guys didn’t have a clue who Nina Hagen was. What was the first song you ever wrote? Tell us about it. I had lived just enough by then to write something that could really reach people. At about 24 or 25 I decided to record something on my own and it became my first album. I wrote and co-wrote songs for the bands I was involved with until I was about 23, and it was all very fun but mediocre.
They were catchy – I wouldn’t say they were good. I started playing the guitar and recording little things on 4-track at about 16. When did you start writing songs? Were they good right away, or did that come later?
“Me Japanese Boy I Love You” by Burt Bacharach. Almost all songs are about love in one way or another. What’s the greatest love song ever written? I usually have a new batch of songs after I’ve been there all summer. My biggest influence lately has been living close to the sea. Went to Spain, Brooklyn and back to Spain – kind of country/flamenco/urban! As I still perform quite a bit, I never really feel “settled.” Travel, movement and home are all common themes in my songs. I started in Nashville and was there for 10 years. How does location affect your songwriting? You’ve lived in a lot of different places. We caught up with Rouse and talked about the beginnings of his songwriting career, his wide range of inspiration and the new record. In the last year, he wrote and recorded a new album, The Embers Of Time, which comes out April 7. However, it’s not just a vacation house he uses to relax. For years, singer-songwriter Josh Rouse has lived in Spain, where he has a wife and kids, a house on the ocean, and a space of mind that suits him well.