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Photo: Todd Turner

Josh King Lets Loose on a “Dreamer’s Dream” (premiere)

Americana artist Josh King's latest single "Dreamer's Dream" is a scorching ballad that dives deep into the heart of a midlife crisis.

Once the leader of Greensboro folk-rockers, House of Fools, Josh King is a soon-to-be father and newfound soloist. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, the artist is ready to issue a debut LP full of rich Americana reminiscent of the likes of Tom Petty and Taylor Goldsmith. Titled Into the Blue, the album is set to be released on 17 August. Ahead of its release, King is sharing his new single, “Dreamer’s Dream”, with PopMatters.

“Dreamer’s Dream” begins with a singular spark, threading acoustic rhythm into a pensive opening. The song is a personal one for King, and that much is evident from the forefront. As the song continues, layers of music begin to swirl around King at its center, with his guitar by his side. King owns the song by its second verse, passionately imbuing his subtly gritty vocals into his work as a jangle of electric guitars, drums, and harmonies spiral throughout the remainder of the song.

King tells PopMatters, “This song is about the journey that I have had as a traveling musician. Even though I have had a million setbacks and disappointments, at the end of the day, I have seen and done things that I would never have imagined doing when I was younger. The same goes for just life in general. It’s hard, it’s nasty, and it’s brutal. but it’s beautiful.”

“I wrote this song a few years back and it seemed to stand the test of time. I didn’t really ever get tired of playing it out when I played so by the time it came to recording it I already knew exactly what I wanted it to sound like. Although it’s one of the oldest, it’s still one of my favorites and I still seem to have a nice moment at some point every time I play it.”

He cites Jackson Browne, Simon & Garfunkel, and Tom Petty as inspirations for his songwriting, cheekily interjecting, “#WWTPD.”