Meet Josh Sahunta, a pop and blues singer from Edmonton who’s also a first-time JUNO nominee. We caught up with him to ask him about his path to becoming a career musician, and what this nomination means to him.
Congratulations on your JUNO nomination! How did you hear the news that you had been nominated?
Thank you! I found out from my very pregnant wife, who came running down the stairs to my studio to tell me. I emphasize “very pregnant” because it definitely alarmed me to hear her running down the stairs! It was so nice to hear it from her, as my nominated album was written entirely for her.
Does it make you feel like a grown-up, to be nominated in the Adult Contemporary Album of the Year category?
Absolutely! And just in time for my 30th birthday coming up in April. I couldn’t think of a better way to enter this new decade of my life.
Will you travel to Halifax for the awards ceremony?
I will definitely be travelling to Halifax for the awards. Last year I participated in the awards by singing backup vocals for Jessie Reyez and also guitar “tech-ing” for the host Simu Liu. This year it will be amazing to attend as a nominee.
For people who might not be familiar with you or your music (yet!), what has your path been like, to become a career musician?
I came from a household that very much discouraged me from pursuing a career in music. I am a Psychology graduate from the University of Alberta, and worked for 2 years in that field while simultaneously recording and releasing music that I made while living in my parents’ basement. Eventually, these songs started getting picked up by Netflix shows and by international radio stations, and that started a domino effect, to where I am now able to make a fully sustainable, full-time career out of it! My parents are fully on board now, I will also mention.
Can you choose a song from your nominated album to send out to our audience?
“Someone Like You” from that album has been the most successful song I’ve ever written and released. It’s been used in hundreds of wedding/engagement videos from all over the world, and even landed itself in YouTuber Mia Maples’ (3.3 million subscribers) wedding video!
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Josh. We’ll be cheering for you on March 24.
