Start Forward

Q&A with Joshua Sturtevant – Start Forward

Q: Tell us about the key contributors to this project. Who were the main individuals involved, and how did they shape the release?

Joshua:

Start Forward, at this stage, is just me. I wrote all the songs on Breathing Under Water, played all the instruments, and recorded the album myself in my basement over seven or eight months in 2022–2023. 

Initially, I released a rough version and moved on to new material. But after learning more about production and updating some of the tools I was using, I realized I hadn’t done the songs justice and set about tweaking a few things. Life got busy—including a move to Miami—and almost 2 years later, I’m finally putting out the version that feels right.

Q: Who influenced this release? Are there specific artists that shaped your sound on this album?

Joshua:

There wasn’t any conscious effort to chase a particular sound—it was more about getting a rush of ideas out. The sonic palette came naturally from the 90s alternative music I grew up on, bands like Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Stone Temple Pilots, and others. That intense, introspective energy just fit the emotional space I was in or what I needed at the time.

With those artists, even when the lyrics were buried or cryptic, you could feel the weight and height of what they were expressing. There were little flashes of weirdness or humor to it too. That overall kind of vulnerability and earnestness mattered to me growing up —and it was a model that came naturally when I finally started writing again recently.

Q: What’s the story behind this release? Were there personal experiences that shaped the themes?

Joshua:

Definitely.This particular collection of music is personal and inward-looking. I was going through my version of a midlife unraveling where the old frameworks stopped working. Music, which had been dormant for me creatively for over a decade, suddenly came rushing back as a way to process everything.

The album title, Breathing Under Water, comes from a poem I was reading during that time. It captured the feeling of being overwhelmed and needing to surrender in order to move forward. The album unintentionally took on a narrative arc—sinking, struggle, transformation, and resurfacing.

Q: What makes this release stand out? Are there particular tracks you’d highlight?

Joshua:

I like that I can enjoy it on multiple levels, and I hope others will to. The thematic content means something to me personally and maybe it will connect and be interesting to other people, but I also just loved creating the sound and the energy of these songs. I hope other people pick up on that and enjoy the sonic experience of each song. They're each like their own little world. I love when recordings feel like that, and while the influences and styles of the music in general might be familiar, I think the specific execution is unique.

“Glorious,” “Tightrope" and “Another Late Night” are probably the tracks I'd recommend people check out, but I also really like how much is going on in “Realize.” There are also lots of little moments in the album that I like. One detail that comes to mind is how the guitar solo from “Next Time” reappears in the final track, “Kaiya.” In its original context it sounds bitter to me, but when layered over the hopeful orchestral piece at the end, it takes on a new, almost redemptive tone. 

Q: Where was the album recorded, and does the location hold any special meaning for you?

Joshua:

The entire album was recorded in my basement in a makeshift studio I'd set up during 2 years we spent in New Jersey before our move to Miami. I was never able to have a proper music set up living in apartments in Brooklyn, so it was finally having a dedicated space that really moved me in the direction of getting back into music in a focused way again.  After moving to Miami, I did a full remix and remaster of the album, but didn’t substantially change any of the original recordings other than reorchestrating the last track.

Q: What was unique about the recording or production process?

Joshua:

I didn’t use fancy gear or techniques. Most of the vocals and acoustic instruments were recorded with a $99 podcasting mic, and it's a lot of first and second takes you're hearing. 

That said, there are some obsessive production details in there too. On “Realize,” for example, I created what sounds like a synth lead by chopping and manipulating bits of the lead vocal. And the guitar solo callback from “Next Time” in the final track was intentional—tying the record together thematically and musically.