Sidestage Collective, a local promotion company highly celebrated by the Columbus EDM scene, welcomed Josh Teed, and a hefty lineup of local support at The Summit Music Hall. Currently in the midst of his headlining tour in support of his recent EP, Taking It All In, Josh Teed is setting himself up for success in 2024.
As an adept violinist and experimental bass enthusiast, Teed has captured the hearts of those yearning for intricate melodies, hypnotic bass, and thoughtful live performances. The curated lineup of supporting artists TopHatter, Onetree, Kashmerik, and Luminyst provided a journey all its own. We met with Josh Teed on his tour stop in Columbus to discuss everything surrounding his newly released EP, career influences, and more.
According to Teed, the creative approach to this project was inherently different. With less of a focus on sound design and more emphasis on the melodies, Teed found branching out is worth the effort.
“In a lot of my older bass heavier stuff I would start with the sound design and build out. This was more about having melodic ideas and building around melodies.”
The melodic focus could also be contributed to his desire to step outside of his comfort zone with bass music. Many artists end up branching outside of their signature sounds at one point or another. Teed mentioned he feels like he can never really write the same thing twice, and his style is always fluctuating, but there was more to why he went for more vibey sound.
“When I sat down to produce bass heavy stuff it just felt forced. I’m sure I’ll go back to that, but this time around I just wasn’t wanting to write bass music. Also, I feel like the energy in my life has been different lately. For the last few years there was a lot of frustration and anxiety with trying to figure out what I was doing in life. Some of the music I was writing at the time was darker and heavier which somewhat reflected my state of mind. The point where I’m at now is that I’m pretty happy, fulfilled, and there’s a lot of love in my life.”
Aside from a more melodic sound, there are a few collaborations that helped make the project Cohesive. All of which came about in different ways. Skye Silanksy who’s featured on “Wildfire”, has become Teed’s favorite vocalist. Not to mention, the way they met was a fluke that turned into synergy. Teed and Silansky got to talking when the pair missed the same flight at the Boston airport years back. Silanksy shared that she went to school for music and singing which ultimately led to the music they’ve created together. Teed made a point that in the past, vocalists were not necessarily featured often, but it was a goal of his to change that.
“I haven’t really worked with a whole lot of vocalists before. I’ve always had one or two features on each EP, but I really wanted it to be at the forefront of this one. Just having the vocal features alone on each track ties it all together.”
While Teed has found collaborators that blend with his music, he also had early influences that encouraged his style today. Some of these influences came from attending his first festival, Psychedelic Sleepover. When asked how he fused playing the violin with bass music, he gave a nod to those who had adapted that skillset already.
“I saw Govinda and Emancipator Ensemble play. So I got to see a couple different applications of it in different ways. It really lit a spark in me to try to do it. I was already thinking about picking up production, but for some reason the violin hadn’t crossed my mind at all.”
Since Teed progresses in his career, he’s figured out what type of environment he prefers to play in. While he admits that there are no two venues that are the same, it really is all about the crowd and the energy they put off.
“I could care less whether the venue is 80 or 800 capacity. As long as the people there are great and make it a good experience that’s what makes it positive for me.”
Teed has tried to adapt to what life is like while on tour. He mentioned the difference in down time between touring on a bus compared to flying. The hustle and bustle of flying from state to state is a stark comparison in his eyes. However, he’s starting to find what helps during the chaotic nature of being on the go.
“I feel like the time to take care of myself is during the week. I try to keep up on yoga, stretching, keeping my body active, and eating well. As long as you make a little bit of effort it goes a long way.”
Looking towards the future, Teed still has goals he has his eyes set on. Red Rocks and the Ogden are venues he’d like to check off the list. Otherwise, Teed realizes there is a lot the festival world has to offer.
“As far as festivals go I feel like that’s where I have the most progress to make. I definitely want to hit some of the bigger ones like Shambhala, Envision, and Electric Forest. I feel like I’m on my way to those big stages. “
