Though Joshua Radin may not have as much experience as other musicians, he knows how to give his fans an experience they’ll enjoy. He didn’t start playing music until he was 30 and rose to immediate popularity thanks to films and TV shows featuring his music
(over 75 have played his songs). Before he began his music career, Radin says he watched musicians perform all of the time and always wanted to be like them. “I was turning 30, and my biggest fear was not trying something, so I bought a guitar,” he says. He began by writing what he was feeling and showing his vulnerable side, and the rest of his success flowed from that.
Radin is excited to play McDougall United Church because he loves small and intimate venues. On top of the acoustics being lovely, Radin says, “It leaves me free to tell stories and interact with the audience, almost like we’re in my living room.” He prefers small venues to the large festivals, which he doesn’t enjoy playing. “I’m not a festival person,” he says, “because I notice people don’t really listen at them.” And he doesn’t consider the show at McDougall to be set, because he’s always open to requests as he appreciates the live feeling that comes from improvising.
Radin wrote his latest album Onwards and Sideways to convince a woman — who he’d been friends with for five years — to fall in love with him. (He was successful — they’ve been dating for over a year now.) “I wrote [the album] as a love letter, not a record,” says Radin. “The most played songs are about falling in or out of love.” He feels unabashed about putting out such a personal record, as he’s used to being vulnerable with his music. “That’s what I’ve been doing from the start,” says Radin, “making things completely vulnerable. And fans have forgiven me for some of my musical choices because of that.”
Joshua Radin performs at McDougall United Church on February 26 at 6:30 pm.
McDougall United Church | 10025-101 St. | 780-428-1818
