With the release of his debut album, ‘The Void’ contemporary rap and pop-soul artist Joshua Luke Smith presents a sincere account of his journeys through grief and solitude.

‘The Void’ is a philosophical and thought-provoking album, however, it is not simply an outpouring of desolation, but a collection of music that empowers the listener to find strength within the inner void. This message is given to the listener in the form of contemporary soul and confessional rap, with the trusted collaborators of Kyra, Rachel Jane, Madison Ryann, and Dani Miché brought in to amplify the sounds of the album, providing moments of soulful vulnerability amongst the powerful lyrical hooks provided by Joshua Luke Smith.

Speaking on the album, Joshua Luke Smith explains;

“Just over a year ago, I started thinking about the concept of “nothing”. I was coming to the end of my twenties, preparing to become a Father, navigating grief and readying myself for change, my headspace was one of reflection and awe. It sounds abstract I know but everything around us, from the skin we’re into the ground beneath, the stars above, and everything in-between were born from a single point of cosmic spark.

Everything comes from nothing.

Yet the idea of nothing can be so terrifying. Barrenness, emptiness and void speak of inactivity, scarcity and failure and the more I explored this concept, the more I became aware of the spaces within myself that I feared the most. Shame, grief and the gnawing sense of lack that haunted me.

We have only discovered 4% of our universe, the rest of it is ominous dark matter, a void of unchartered terrain and unfathomable potential. I stumbled upon the writings of the Roman poet Lucretius who lead me with his courageous and creative voice to face the cosmic void within, revealing when we face what we fear the most, we create the potential for something new to be born.

That’s what made this album, a journey through the waters of existential pondering, loss and renewal, breaking and remaking, forgiveness and wonder.”

The album’s opener ‘Defiant Ones’ perfectly encapsulates Joshua’s messages within ‘The Void’. The track begins with a sombre narration of the emptiness that is front forward from personal loss, but as the song progresses it evolves into an uplifting chorus urging the listener to confront their demons and look beyond the dark times to find strength and light. As the song reaches it’s climax it becomes full with rich orchestral and choral textures, serving to embody the themes of defiance and inspire the listeners.

Speaking more in depth about the track, Joshua explains;

 “I came to a place of recognising there would be no version of my life without suffering and resistance. We're taught to avoid pain at all costs and for good reason but after the loss of a friend I found to escape the shattering grief I encountered would only lead to a life lived in denial and a dumbed downed existence. I've learnt to be defiant is to truly feel it all and keep going. Those are the people who truly teach us to live, those who know the sober joy that is only found in the wake of sorrow, that joy that leads us into wonder and awe."

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