City Games: The Return of Josey Greenwell

Growing up in Kentucky, a passion for music led singer-songwriter Josey Greenwell to Nashville in pursuit of a career. After years of honky-tonks, unfulfilled wishes, and attempts to turn him into a straight heartthrob marketed to teen girls, he set the guitar down and disappeared from the music scene. He turned to his next love, fitness, and made the move to the Big Apple.

Now, as one of the city’s most prominent fitness instructors, his love for music and songwriting prevails as he steps back into his artistry rhythm and gears up to release his first full-length album in over a decade, City Games. Fueled with city inspiration and slick pop production, the sound behind the upcoming album is almost as surprising as Greenwell’s return.

According to Greenwell, City Games marks a change of direction both in his music, but also finding his voice as an openly gay artist. OUT FRONT had the opportunity to chat with Greenwell for more details.Hi, Josey! Congrats on the upcoming release of your new album City Games. What can we expect?
Oh my gosh, so much! For me personally, sonically, it is the most difficult project I have done. I will say it’s also the most important, just with the authenticity value of it and really being me and getting to write and speak freely and present myself in the way that I have always envisioned I would eventually get to. So, yeah, that is what I am most excited about with it.

This is your first full-length album in over a decade because you took a break from music?
Yes. I have done some EPs in the past of singles just within them, but in terms of, like, a full-length album, yes.

What made you return to do this project?
Really, my niff of this passion. I realized this kind of over the years and working in fitness just how much music was a passion. I also wanted to do it just because I wanted to do it. Not because I needed to or anything like that. So, just kind of when you go in with that mindset to have fun and you can’t lose in it, it makes it more of an enjoyable process.

Why did you put music on pause in the first place?
I had a really bad experience in Nashville, and I just felt as if I wanted to discover myself a little more and be a little more sure of who I was. I feel like writing and being in music is such a personal process, and it can also be such a vulnerable process. If you are going to put yourself out there, it would help to know who you are. So, I left Nashville and kind of left music altogether and shifted gears into fitness. Then, doing fitness for three to four years, it kind of sparked that passion of mine again to want to get back in it, discover myself and go through that journey.

What made you want to pursue down the path of fitness?
Honestly, it was always something I kind of turned to even when I was in music. I always loved throwing on headphones and going to the gym, walking on treadmills or whatever and really losing yourself in that music. I found I was doing that through fitness, so it was something easy to turn to.

You have become one of New York’s most prominent fitness instructors. What are some of your tips to live a healthy and active lifestyle?
Oh my gosh, thanks! [Laughs]. Well, honestly, the word “active.” Just get moving. I think it’s such a thing in terms of fitness; people see the result they want. People see pictures, or they have something in their mind that they want to get to, but with fitness and being active and healthy anyway, it’s never a from-here-to-there type of thing. It’s the daily, little steps that really add up, and I think it is kind of hard to explain that. People see what they want, and they want that result. Especially nowadays, we have such an immediate-satisfaction type of world. So, just get moving. When did you discover your passion for music?
Oh gosh, probably when I was in high school. I was in the choir and sang, and you don’t really know what’s good or not; you just kind of hear stuff on the radio. My choir director was like, ‘Oh, you can sing!’ I was like, ‘Really? OK.’ So, it was kind of her boost. I started taking solos in church and all of that good stuff. Then, I just felt like this was something I should go for.

Can you tell us more about your aesthetic? Do you tend to gravitate towards country or several genres?
I would say back in the day, it was definitely more country driven in terms of how I wanted it to sound when I wrote. Now, when I write, I want it to sound more pop. That’s not to say that song could be turned into a country song; it’s just right now, the kind of sonic vibe I want to give off is definitely a pop production.

What do you hope audiences take away from City Games?
It’s a very fast, upbeat record. There’s not a lot of slow songs on it. I just feel like in the city, especially New York or any kind of big city, there is such a pulse to it. That’s kind of what attracted me to New York City, that ambition and drive. I want people to listen and have fun with it. Let it fuel one of your nights going out or one of your road trips. Let it take you on the direction I wrote it, and it can be really fun and happy.

You already released singles from the album, including “Cowboy,” “102,” and “Fire Eyes.” How have they been received?
It’s been surprising! It is interesting putting something out and just kind of sitting back and waiting. I feel like anything in the past, I sat back and almost waited for bad news, you know? This time around, I am putting stuff out and seeing how people respond, and it has been very positive. I really love people’s opinions when they give it in an uplifting way. It’s just always weird when people want to hate.

Were you openly gay when you first started country music?
Yes, I was.

What were attitudes like then towards LGBTQ people and views, and do you think they are changing?
I think it’s all changing. In my mind, I kind of always thought, I’m, like, six years ahead of this time. It wasn’t something to where I had a lot of people to really look up to in terms of that. I wanted this huge type of success, and it was always kind of told to me, ‘Well, it’s going to be a lot harder for you.’ That’s something that really kind of tricks with your mind, especially when you don’t know who you are, you know?

When you’re in high school, you have to ask to go to the bathroom, and then the next week, you’re being asked what do you want to do for the rest of your life. It is such a hard complex that I think I was really wrapped around in all of that trying to figure out myself and what people wanted. You kind of become a sponge in terms of, ‘Oh, this person wants me to be this and that.’ So, I would say with the LGBTQ fan base, they have always been really devoted to who’s devoted to them. If there’s a country singer who presents that way, then yeah, I think they will be received very well.As an openly gay artist, what are some of the struggles and challenges you have faced within the music industry?
Oh gosh, how much time do we have? I would say internal struggle is the biggest one. You are internally trying to make people happy around you, but also trying to accept who you are. I think that’s kind of a path that no one can really take with you. You have to go on it your own. Sometimes it’s not linear, and sometimes it takes a little bit longer than others around you, and I think with that said, you see others around you, and some people can be further along, and you feel the need to rush. You don’t really process a lot of the shame and stuff that you have packed up over the years to really break down just who you are. So, I think that internal struggle is the biggest one.

The second one, I think, is just the way the LGBTQ community is portrayed in the media. I think the more we can really showcase all the different races and all the different types of LGBTQ people, there are different types of voices. Some people have deep voices; some people have high voices. I think the more we portray it as normalizing it, the easier it’s going to be. It’s just a perception, and people say things like, ‘Well, stereotypes exist for a reason.’ So, then you are stuck in that stereotype even though it may not fit you.

What advice do you have for those who want to quit and give up on their passions?
Oh my gosh, that’s horrible. I would say that first [laughs]. Second, I would say, sit back and ask yourself, why is that your passion? Is this your passion because you genuinely love it, and it brings you joy, or do you not understand what the term ‘passion’ means? If you put something out and you just love the satisfaction you get from the responses, then it’s not really a passion. If it’s something you can do in a dark room, and it brings you joy, happiness, and peace, then that is your passion. Just decide whether that is something you’re being told to do because it will make you a lot of money and success or if it actually brings you joy. I think there is a big difference.

What’s next for you? Any other upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for?
Well, this is a big one. I am super excited about this one, and there are a few singles coming up next just before the whole album comes out. Look out for those. I think they are all a really good representation of what the whole album represents, and I am super excited for people to hear the different sounds on it. I think it is the furthest thing away from anything I have done, and I am super proud of it.

To stay up-to-date with Greenwell, follow him on social media. His music is available on all digital streaming platforms.

Photos Courtesy of Big Picture Media