Joshua Quimby is redefining what it means to be country, channeling raw authenticity, political conviction, and a distinctly New England perspective into his most ambitious work yet on ‘Piecemeal.’

Stream: “Love Me Right” – Joshua Quimby

If anyone reading is interested in pursuing art, never ever give up on yourself and have a delusional amount of self-belief. That’s how you make it happen.

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Country music was never about bending a knee in a pair of creaseless Luccheses.

It was never about maintaining the status quo and upholding traditional values. Country music was founded on rebellion and outrage against authority. Thus, the Connecticut native Joshua Quimby – adorned in his signature hemp beanie, coke-bottle eyeglasses, bleached-blonde hair, and nose ring – is more country than nearly anyone on the radio today.

The 25-year-old blues-inspired folk country star has an unmistakable voice, bitter and dense with a hint of sweetness, like a rich piece of dark chocolate. He belts in that signature raspy tone about life, from hometown pride and anti-establishment rage, to good marijuana and American football superstars. The last of those recently brought an influx of attention to Quimby, with a song he played alongside Avry Truex about New England Patriots’ quarterback Drake Maye, amassing nearly a million views on social media.

The song’s rise had a hint of irony, contrasting so drastically with Quimby’s other, more emotionally intimate music that receives far less media attention. But Quimby feels no resentment about the comedic piece somewhat overshadowing his more artistic endeavors. As he sees it, art allows for many diverse forms of expression. He wrote the song for fun and achieved that goal, with the love and publicity it received only a cherry on top.

He adds with a chuckle, putting “moments” in air quotes, “It is a little ironic that this would be one of my bigger ‘moments’ in the past couple of years because I do pour my heart and soul into my work, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

He’s a bat out of hell
in the NFL
Best damn thing since
since 2019,
MVP of the whole damn league,
we believe

In Maye we believe
From 4-13 to 14-3, kings of the AFC
we believe

The self-proclaimed “beggar” yearns for something deeper than just a wide platform and lucrative career, though. Quimby seeks to be a beacon of light in a world that devalues art because “art in general is the most human, pure thing we can produce and connect on.” One gravelly word at a time, he claws his way toward this goal. All the while, he preaches his values, sharing his perspective on modern politics with his audience.

Quimby uses his platform to speak on corporate greed, global crises, and political corruption in his patented Joshua Quimby style. In a typical video on his social media page, Quimby will take a heavy toke off one of his many novelty bongs, denounce the current political regime with a reasonable and well-informed argument, then play a hearty blues lick on his guitar. His goal is to expose his audience to information they may otherwise be unaware of and encourage people to do their own research, as well as weed out “boot-licking types,” as he puts it.

When asked about the harshness of his perspective, intentionally alienating potential listeners, Quimby argues that “art is an inherently political endeavor.”

He continues, saying that authenticity as an artist is crucial, and his political beliefs are a major piece of his identity. Early in his career, he fell into the stereotypes of what a country artist is supposed to be, donning a cowboy hat, boots, and a disingenuous vocal twang. But in recent years, Quimby has made a conscious effort to reclaim his identity, using art as a vessel to capture himself rather than altering himself to fit the form. Allowing his New England roots to influence his work, alongside country influences like Tyler Childers and Colter Wall, allows Quimby to produce stronger and more earnest work.

For instance, an early song of his, “What’s a Man to Do,” off his self-titled first album, is a far cry from “Ten Year Town” off his latest album, Something Like Country. The former is a rehashing of classic country tropes. A twangy, plucky tale of longing romance, the song is still enjoyable thanks to Quimby’s unique raspy tone, but lacks ingenuity or authenticity, and falls short of its potential. The latter, on the other hand, is a drastic improvement in every regard. Beyond just his powerfully maturing vocals and range, fuller band sound, stellar use of harmonica and fiddle, and stronger rhythm, the lyrics feel true and lived-in. Quimby’s perspective and roots come through in the track, singing,

“Fourteen years of blood, sweat, and tears
Brother let me tell ya, after two or three beers
Some country music pickin’s ’bout to fill these ears”…

… “Nashville blues really got me down
Tryna leave the city’s got me Northern bound
But buddy, I can’t go home yet.”

Quimby is far from done pushing boundaries sonically, having recently announced his forthcoming album Piecemeal, his most ambitious project to date, set to release August 7^th.

The record’s lead single, “Caged Bird,” will be released Friday, April 17^th. Speaking to Atwood Magazine, he shares that the album will be “somewhere between grunge, alternative, indie music, and country folk string bands. Like Deftones meets Hank Williams. Big spacey open chords on acoustic guitar with upright bass and harmonica and fiddle behind it. It’s a pretty f**king weird and emotional album.” It includes spoken word poems and a more genre-bending approach, all while maintaining Quimby’s core ethos.

“It’s country, it’s alternative, it’s emotional, it’s whatever the hell else,” Quimby added in a recent social media post. “It’ll piss some people off, and many won’t understand it. But for those who do… I think they’ll REALLY, deeply understand it. Envisioning, writing, and ultimately recording the entirety of Piecemeal took about a year of time technically, though in actuality, it’s taken living my whole life thus far. I am excited for it to be yours… There is no PR budget for this record, and only extremely limited ad-spend to be allocated. I’m not planning to jump through industry hoops, I don’t have expectations for this album’s performance. I have simply created what I believe is the closest thing to a masterpiece I can achieve. I hope when you eventually listen, that is clear.”

Joshua Quimby has a budding career in the making, modernizing and expanding what it means to be “country.”

Although he may not fit the current mold of country radio, the Connecticut artist’s grungy authenticity only makes his work more appealing. As he sees it, “I do this for the sake of art at the end of the day. It’s about the love and passion for creating. If anyone reading is interested in pursuing art, never ever give up on yourself and have a delusional amount of self-belief. That’s how you make it happen.”

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 © Taylor Ponticelli
art © Dakota DeGraw

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