If this is Josh Mavilia’s cautiously dipping his toe into songwriting, he’s in good shape. Mavilia is releasing songs drip by drip and, as this video attests, keeping it casual. Even on a YouTube video playing in his living room, though, Mavilia’s star power is undeniable. With a voice that fits comfortably between made-for-radio country and gritty Americana, “She’s Not You” feels both poignant and jaunty. Mavilia’s ear for storytelling brings an all-too-common set of circumstances home to the heart strings. Below, Josh explains what makes him tick as a songwriter.
Who are some of your musical influences?
This is a difficult question. The person that inspired me to pick my guitar back up and start writing was probably Chris Stapleton. I could probably name a whole bunch of country and independent country artists that I listen to on regular basis that have inspired me, as well as other contemporary singer-songwriters. Jason Isbell, Justin Townes Earle, and Amos Lee are just a few that come to mind. But I think lyrically I find myself much more strongly aligned with classic rock artists like Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, & Fleetwood Mac.
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
I’m not sure I can name a “perfect” song, per se, but I do think all the best songs have a significant, identifiable moment of reflection, a point in the song that makes me say, “Damn, this song rocks.” It’s the final verse in “Stairway to Heaven” or the beginning of the guitar solo in “Freebird.” It can be a single line or note, but it’s that same thing in every song that gives me a little chill down the back of my neck when I hear it. I strive to create that moment for myself when I listen back to my own songs.
Tell us about the first song you wrote.
Well the first, first song I ever wrote would have been about twenty years ago. My friend Tim and I used to write songs and then record them onto this little portable cassette player with a microphone attached. I can remember being so excited when we finally reached a two minute song because most of them were only a minute or so. We even went so far as to include some guitar and drums in there. (My father was a drummer so there was always a drum set set-up in the basement of my house.) I can remember being pretty embarrassed when his mother popped it into a cassette player at the house out on the front lawn.
Do you have any songwriting tips you can share?
I think as a songwriter it’s always your job to just dig as deep down in the depths of your heart & mind as you can and pull out the most authentic thoughts you possibly can. People can tell if your lyrics aren’t honest and personal. I think great songwriters have the ability to put themselves in somebody else’s shoes, in another time or place, and describe their own experience there.
Do you start off with the music or lyrics first? Why?
If I had to pick one, I’d say I’m usually jamming on my guitar first before lyrics come to me. If anything I’ll have one line in my head that I want to fit in somehow and I’ll wait and see where it goes. Once a song is moving, though, I get into a little bit of a flow and let the cadence and melody push and pull at each other to form a structure that feels right for the song I’m writing.
Josh Mavilia — Instagram