Josh James (Stick to Your Guns//Eighteen Visions)

Given that Josh has already told the tales of being kidnapped in Egypt and playing one of the first shows that an American hardcore band in Kenya has played, I was worried that he might not have any stories left for me when he agreed to do this interview. Never fear. Josh delivers the goods - and this is probably the hardest I've laughed during any podcast that I've recorded. Josh has been a full-time touring musician with bands like Evergreen Terrace, Casey Jones, Stick to Your Guns and Eighteen Visions for many, many years. In his spare time, he often travels to countries with unstable governments. As such, he's accumulated a lot of hilarious stories. When Josh is in Chicago, he stops in at South Loop Strength & Conditioning to train, so it's always a treat to get to chat with someone who likes the two things that I like: heavy music and extreme fitness programs. Note: There was an issue with Josh's mic during the first 10 minutes or so of the podcast. We caught the issue and fixed it - and I did a little bit of post-production management to adjust the levels - so just skip the beginning part of the quieter audio is annoying. Apologies for that! Check out more from Josh here: Instagram: @joshjamesxxx//@stygoc//@18v_official Website: www.sticktoyourguns.net//www.18vofficial.com If you're enjoying the show, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-niefs-show/id1278759120?mt=2">why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at http://www.toddnief.com">www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list. Show Notes [01:00] Working out on the road - and some perils of awkward men working out [07:21] Josh's first "real band" (Evergreen Terrace) and growing up in punk music - including buying a Misfits shirt without knowing who the Misfits were [10:53] The mic is fixed! [11:17] The process of digging for bands as a child in the pre-internet era (thanks lists, interviews, zines, etc) [15:19] Joining 18 Visions and Stick to Your Guns [19:55] Purposefully blending genres on tours - and the struggles of playing to an audience that isn't into you as well as the upside of  catching an all new audience [32:44] How does Stick to Your Guns write new music while keeping in mind the expectations of fans who like their previous output? [41:43] When is the last time you moshed? [45:04] "I want to be a janitor at a mall or something like that" - and being forced to learn an instrument by your mother [49:09] Going on crazy adventures in countries without stable governments - and the learning that occurs from being in unfamiliar situations [56:34] Accidentally ending up on CNN throwing rocks Links and Resources Mentioned Casey Jones Evergreen Terrace Quads Gym Vans Warped Tour Again Faster Misfits MC Hammer Milli Vanilli Rancid Minor Threat Gorilla Biscuits Youth of Today Strife Earth Crisis Grateful Dead Type O Negative Prince Phish The Goonies Poison the Well Unearth Guttermouth Norma Jean Lagwagon Pennywise Parkway Drive Counterparts Stray from the Path Motionless In White Chelsea Grin Bleeding Through Slipknot Piece By Piece Emmure Disturbed Rivers Cuomo Weezer H20 Negative Approach Terror Adolescents Bane Propagandhi - How To Clean Everything LP Black Sabbat The Insane Clown Posse Teenage Bottlerocket This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb