Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Standridge.
Joshua, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When it comes to music, I would say it started a long time ago. My grandmother made country gospel with her brothers. My mom would sometimes join along with them. When I was young they were very big in church. Always singing in the church, or hanging out with friends and family from the church. So honestly, I would say religion and my mother’s side of the family is what brought music to my life. I was never really too much into at first.
My dad put me into sports probably at the age of three-four. I played two-three seasons year round going to different places and going to school. It was like music was always there, but obviously, it had not caught to me yet. I would say probably around ten I started dabbling into music. My mom had gotten us this DVD called the naked brother’s band. (Crazy right? it’s definitely not the average way into it.)
Well, I started watching this show/movie, and I wanted to mimic their songs. So I would sing them to one of my cousins, just to see if she thought I was any good. She was like “Dang, you actually sound pretty good.” After that, I started writing songs in wired notepads to girls I had secret crushes on school. I did that for a while and just recorded them on whatever cheap phone I had at the time.
I got older and sports started to pursue more, so writing was really just an “in the back of the head,” thing. Around the time, I went to middle school we just recently moved to a new county. Not really a Metro Atlanta county/or city. It was a neighboring one going the other way. I met new people and got into rollerskating and dancing. That’s really what got me into the hip hop aspect.
I was surrounded by new types of music I didn’t hear at home or in the car. I eventually got really well involved in skating and dance. Basically, it was to the point where I was growing tired of sports. I never really got to develop and find true likes when sports came in because I was so young. I did the dance thing for a while and still do. I still love it. I did all of this until probably about senior year.
I was very to myself most of high-school/school because I had a lot going on in high school. A lot of issues at home at the time with my parents and the surrounding I was in. That all slowly got a little better over time. Through a good state of mind and hope. In senior year I met some guys that made music. They rapped. They were actually pretty good. Inspired and still inspire me to this day.
We all always hung out and I would listen to the record. Eventually, I spoke up and was like I wanna write and record something. I laid down some songs they helped me get started on, and at the time I thought that shit was hard. We all did. Granted this was 2015 right before graduation. I had and still have a long way to go. I ended up releasing it and sending it to everybody. It was mixed responses from people of course, lol.
Even though not everyone supported, all the positive love i was getting just had me exhilarated. I decided to run with it. Not too too long after, someone I met in dancing/skating was Cantrell. He runs a little group I am now apart of called Free Minds. Even though i was so fresh in what I was chasing he believed in me. He saw a lot in me that people haven’t. He pushed me, and instilled (and still does) knowledge that has helped me a lot.
I kept making music through a few years of college, but figured out that wasn’t for me. I really wanted to go hard with my music. In 2018, I dropped out of college and went full-fledged with this. I probably wouldn’t be where I am if my life had not panned out this way. I think it was all supposed to happen.
No matter what bad I went through though, I knew the person I wanted to be. because of what I went through and found in my music. I also have a great group of people behind me, and it means the world to even had made it thus far.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was definitely and will be bumpy. A lot of struggles were with mental health. I come from a long line of mental health issues in my family. I left college, home, and people I had connections with to focus on this craft. After sacrificing so much to do something you have to give it everything.
At the same time though, having to make those sacrifices can hurt you mentally. You want to be able to please everyone around you, and still, work hard and be successful in what you care about most. Along with trying to be financially stable on my own and struggling, you start to lose yourself.
I felt like I was on autopilot at times, which is all of what led up to me making this new album. Keeping a strong head and focus on the end goal is what keeps me going. I’m losing and will lose people on the way, but in the end its also about me and my mental health.
J. leigh – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a music artist from Lawrenceville, Georgia and 22 years of age. I make hip hop/R&B music. I write, record, and engineer. What makes me proud is the great group of artists I work with. We are family, and I think our stories and how we portray it in our music representations is what sets us apart. OUR stories.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is being happy in the skin you’re in. Once you find love and acceptance with yourself, you are a success.
Contact Info:
- Website: linktr.ee/jleighatl
- Email: jleighmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jleighatl/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jleighatl
Image Credit:
Marisol Cordova @marisolcordova
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
