Unguarded, wholly realised and entirely his own – Wesley Joseph’s
long-awaited debut album sees the singer, songwriter, producer and
director at his most confidently vulnerable, expressing the many layers of
his creative life journey. “I looked in the mirror more than I ever have with
this record,” he says. “It unexpectedly became a coming of age album. I
was reaching from different periods in my life and into the present – some
songs were cinematic snapshots, others sobering realities or romanticised
memories. Dreaming has always been a raincoat from reality and making
the record allowed things to be processed in the real world”
Resolutely genreless, it is Joseph’s singular voice and vision that unifies
these tracks, cracking from raw rap self-expression to singing with soulful,
understated, conviction. “This record is a product of my musical DNA,” he
says. “It feels original because it’s not trying to fit in one space – it’s all my
influences at once. I grew up with soul music and r&b being played around
the house, I’ve never not had rap music around me, and as I got older I
spent a lot of time in my headphones getting lost on the internet – which led
to a love of everything from electronic music to psychedelic records.”
Moving to London to study filmmaking, Joseph began developing his
instinctive visual sensibility. He has consequently directed all of his music
videos to date, being hands on from initial storyboarding to editing and
colour grading – creating a cinematic, luscious perspective reflected in the
award-winning visuals for singles like “Thrilla” and “Monsoon”
“I didn’t always have the resources I needed so I had to learn things for
myself. I was always punching above my weight, and always self-sufficient
– because I simply care too much about what I make” he says. “Beneath
the polished nature of what I’m releasing is someone who is trying to make
the best work I can while I’m here.”
On “Peace of Mind” for instance, Joseph spits venomously over a
rumbling sub bass and earworming hook, channeling a younger version of
himself who was in a darker place in his life and contrasting that
perspective with the confidence of now: “Recording the tears I never shed,”
he raps. “Seasick” alternatively sees Joseph tap into a psychedelic-punk,
indie-soul sensibility, recounting the turbulence of a relationship and how
going through the storm is still worth it if you love someone. “Pluto Baby”
plays through woozy synths and reverberating guitars, mixing driving
instrumentals with sobering lyrics and “July” strikes a soulful, expansive
note as old friends Jorja Smith and Joseph rejoice and reflect on the
journey they have made.
Alongside the record release and a forthcoming tour, Joseph is also
planning a new visual universe for the album’s videos, spanning shoots in
Walsall, Paris and beyond to convey the depth of his creative universe. “I
just wanted to push boundaries completely and make a classic record that
extends its magic into a visual world too,” Joseph says. “I want it to be a
timeless thing that one day will have a future heritage. Something people
always come back to, get lost in and at the same time find something real
in.” From Walsall to the world, Forever Ends Someday shows that Joseph’s
legacy has only just begun.
