As a follow up to his latest release, “And I Am Conscious of Affecting Thoughts,” I interviewed the wonderful Halloween Costume Contest (FKA Things Not Worth Fixing, Josh Alien), a lofi/bedroom music solo artist from North Carolina.
Throughout your music career, your sound has shifted and your subject matter has evolved slightly too, but your influences still seem similar. Which role models and idols have stuck around through it all? With your latest evolution, do you feel that Josh Alien/ is a new chapter in the Things Not Worth Fixing book, or is it an entirely new book altogether?
I have many role models when it comes to making music and being a human altogether; I’ll blend the two together and name a few from each. My dad’s side of the family is musically inclined, so that’s definitely a big part of all this, so with that being said, my dad is one influence of mine. Then you have musicians in this scene, like Mitch from Flatsound, Soupy from The Wonder Years, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and even friends in my scene like Remembrance. I’d say Josh Alien and TNWF are two different things. I jammed every TNFW EP late last night, and I could see how different those songs were compared to the new ones. I’d say now I’m more ‘professional’ when it comes to making music. It’s still all bedroom recorded stuff, but I think I kinda half-assed all TNWF work. I think I could’ve done better. So I’d say Josh Alien isn’t a chapter in the TNWF book. It’s a new one altogether.
All of your past albums and EPs consist of rather impressive combinations of differing songs that still manage to sound cohesive, beautiful, and deliberate while flowing like a roller coaster and creating a beautiful story. It’s apparent that you write from the heart, both lyrically and instrumentally, and your natural realness gives your music so much depth. How have you worked at and strived for this, or are you just naturally a musical god?
First off, thank you for saying that because it made me smile big as heck. I think every writer when they start out sees themselves as a shitty writer. Read my poems from 2014 and you’ll believe me. It was all really cheesy and cliche. But sometimes you write a good one you’re proud of and know you’re growing. Working at it over the years has been a tough thing. Doing that and learning instruments at the same time is hell. But it’s all worth it in the end. Not everything I write is good, but if I work on it a lot, I can make a good song I’m proud to say I wrote.
You’re from North Carolina, near Charlotte, I believe. NC isn’t necessarily known in the mainstream for having a big lofi/indie/emo scene (with the exception of Elvis Depressedly), but it seems that a variety of artists in NC, including Luck Doom, Jail Socks, T!O!F!U!, and The Corporate Stepdads (to name a few) have formed a really supportive community that fosters incredible talent. I live near Austin, Texas, and of course, the music scene there is incredible, but I feel like the intimacy of the NC music scene is incomparable. How do you feel that you’ve grown, as a musician and as a person, from being surrounded by such lovely, talented artists?
Oh my god, it’s honestly incredible being around all those artists (and many many more). A lot of them have turned into my closest friends, and I’m thankful to even know them (P.S. if you’re reading this, you know who you are). When I started getting involved in the scene, I didn’t even know how to play an instrument and I wasn’t even writing yet. If it wasn’t for my friends in Remembrance, I don’t think I’d be the person I am today. They really showed me the ropes of the music scene and taught me all about it. The music scene near me is kinda dead (as mean as that sounds), but there are scenes in Boone, Charlotte, Columbia, etc. that are thriving with talent and I’m glad I have the opportunity to play shows there with those people. It makes up for me not being able to play in my town.
In your music, you get super real about mental illness and mental health, with songs such as “A Panic Attack at a Halloween Party” and “And I Am Conscious of Affecting Thoughts.” Your latest EP (AIACOAT) came out in May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. Do you think that’s any coincidence? Most musicians intend to (directly or indirectly) help listeners via their music, so how do you feel releasing such personal, intricate songs that people still manage to relate to deeply and in which they find solace?
Good question, honestly. I wasn’t even intending on releasing the EP in May; it was meant to be released on June 9th (the day of my graduation). But the night I released it, I wasn’t feeling too great about myself and wanted to not release it at all, but I worked hard on it, so I knew I had to do it. Only few people have said something along the lines of “your music helps me” or “helps ease my anxiety,” and I’m really thankful for that because that’s what a lot of musicians have done with me, and I wanted to give that right back. It feels weird releasing very personal words written in my notes or journal on bad nights. When I released ‘A Panic Attack at a Halloween Party,’ I was worried the person it was about would know it was about them, but I talked to them recently, and they haven’t found out yet. Overall, I’m happy people find comfort in the words I’ve written.
You’ve been in the music game for a while, and yet you’re still rather young. How does it feel having followed your passion as thoroughly as possible at such a young age? What have you learned from putting yourself out there as a musician? Have you been able to document your own growth and feel empowered by it?
I’m not so sure why I even started making music anyway, to be honest. I think it’s because I always wanted to be a rock star or something. I started TNWF at 17 in late 2015, and around that time, I didn’t want to make music people would listen to. I was just doing it for me specifically. It felt weird when people talked about liking it a lot, but also empowering. I’ve learned a few things through the years: that people will talk shit and you just have to get over it, that you won’t be happy with everything you record/write, and that the positive words of others won’t affect you as much as you want them to (but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate those words, because I really do). I think the way I’ve documented my growth through TNWF and Josh Alien is through social media. I started the TNWF Insta a month after starting and would post a lot (a lot is archived now though) and also through journals.
Finally, a question you probably receive all too frequently; what is it like having a twin? I followed both of you on Twitter for a while and literally thought you were the same person. Of course, you and your brother have a lot of common musical interests. Do you think that your love for similar artists brought you closer together?
People will still confuse you both when you’re almost 20 and have different hairstyles. We were known as ‘the twins’ to teachers. A lot of people have followed us both and assumed one of us had two accounts, haha. We totally have common musical interests. I got him involved in the music scene and into a lot of artists. He’s expanded his tastes a lot through the years, and we show each other new artists all the time (Phoebe Bridgers, bedbug, etc.). I’d say yes, it has brought us closer together. We still fight like typical siblings but always watch full sets, music videos, etc. together. Going to shows and screaming into microphones together, stage-diving on each other, and him even playing drums for me live has shown a lot of growth in us both musically. To my mom’s co-workers, we’re both separated as the one who plays music and the one who likes film photography, and that’s a good description of us both.
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