Today’s artist spotlight is with the lead singer of one of my favorite new-age Red Dirt bands, OakTown! OakTown has been around for a few years now, and I became a fan after hearing their song “Katlyn’s Song.” Let’s get into it and learn a little more about the band that is OakTown.

Josey Lovett is the frontman for OakTown, a band based out of Antioch, Oklahoma. Josey started playing music around the age of 13, saying he was “mostly just messing around on a guitar and pretending. I really started learning when I was 16 and got really into the Red Dirt sound. I liked the country storytelling combined with gritty rock and roll.” How would Josey describe that band’s sound? He said, “The guys come from a lot of different musical backgrounds, and we try to use that to create our own sound. I haven’t found a catchy way to describe it yet, but if I had to sum it up, I’d say rock’n red dirt.”

What inspired Josey to start making his own music? He said, “I want to say it was just what happened once I could play the guitar well enough. It definitely wasn’t great at first, but creating my own songs almost felt more natural than playing covers.” Now that’s what inspired him, but who are some artists that influenced Josey? He said, “Cross Canadian Ragweed and Koe Wetzel were huge ones for me. Ragweed has always been one of my favorite bands (hell yeah, Boys From Oklahoma reunion). Koe was really blowing up when I was learning and got me into the modern red-dirt sound. I learned most of my song shaping from those two.” You can really pick up on that influence from both of those artists when you listen to OakTowns songs; they have a similar sound.

What’s been Josey’s favorite venue to play at? He said, “Gotta say Legends Pubhouse in Chickasha. Great place and always a fun time.” But what about his dream venue? Josey said, “Personally, I’d have to say Cain’s Ballroom. It was where I saw my first concerts and really figured out what a bad ass show could be like.”

What’s something about OakTown that people might not expect? Josey said, “People who just go off of the music we have released definitely don’t expect the energy we bring to the stage. The sound of the band has changed a lot over time.” What does Josey hope people feel when they hear OakTown’s music? He gave an interesting answer, saying, “What they feel isn’t that important to me. What I feel from a song might be entirely different than someone else. The main thing is that they really connect with it.” 

What does success look like for Josey in music? He said, “There’s different levels to success for sure. As long as people are digging the stuff we put out, I’m happy with it. We’re not going to stop grinding for bigger and better, though!” Now, how does Josey balance music with the rest of life? He said, “It’s tough. I work full-time as a firefighter/Paramedic, I consider both full-time jobs. (one does pay better though lol) It’s all about carving out time to relax and do things with the important people.” What’s one piece of advice Josey would give to someone who’s just starting out in music? He said, “Don’t quit. Music is worth it. Keep grinding and don’t forget that this shit is fun.”

OakTown is releasing their debut album, Drifter, tomorrow. It consists of nine songs, including the already-released singles Backwards and Heartbreaker! Visit the band’s website https://oaktown.bandzoogle.com/ to find their upcoming shows, check out their music, and follow them on social media!

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Thank you for reading todays artist spotlight! I hope you enjoyed getting to know who OakTown is behind their music. Go check them out, and go catch them at a show. As always, be good to yourself, stay western, and stay tuned!

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