SKOPE MAGAZINE

By Ryan Smith

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Joshua Ketchmark has finally returned with another series of beautiful and thought-provoking images, in his new soundtrack, ‘Her Voice In My Head’ from the album ”The Misses”. This damn good song plays through a country sounding story of love about his life. But why would you care? Because the story that this soundtrack tells may be a resemblance to yours. The soothing sound and tone, Joshua’s captivating vocal, are nodding towards the gush of emotions running throughout the song in such a way that only an experienced and talented songwriter can manage to bring out in his song.

Joshua has tried to maintain a country style in this song, accompanied by acoustic guitar and his magical vocal tone. He has chosen the juxtaposition of blooming romance and the lamenting on a failing relationship as the theme of this song, sung with a flux of sentiment and emotion. It appears like the theme is really thoughtful and perfect for a country song like, ”Her Voice In My Head”. On the other hand, the soft and smooth sounding country style of music plays the role of a great medium to express such emotions and feelings in a comfortable manner. The setting of the song follows a country road that gets intertwined with the country vocal style of Joshua Ketchmark.

”Her Voice In My Head” is a song that depicts a tale of romance and the moaning over the frailty of a failing relationship. Joshua is driving down the country road, folding his mind up to few things. ”I’ve never driven down this road with the radio up,” this line tries to focus on how the singer is feeling right now, what his mental situation is at present; he is trying to get something that can distract him from certain feelings or memories. Another line of the song that clearly shows the situation and the singer’s mental condition is, ”driving through the pines in the dead of night”. This scene opens with Joshua driving through the woody areas at night; the nocturnal ambiance, with the trees that seems to be moaning in sorrow, evokes an undercurrent feeling of the obvious sadness.

In the song, the delicacy of Ketchmark’s voice showers through the well-written yet simple lyrics. In fact, both the lyrics and the performance style of Joshua has some sort of magical and spellbinding effect that it provokes the mind of the listener to enjoy a refreshing nostalgic encounter with the past. This remarkable song shows the world Joshua Ketchmark’s capability of songwriting in a graceful story-telling manner. The lyrics will wrap around the listener in such a way that he will feel like the song is telling his story. ”Her Voice In My Head” is a very soft, mellow, ad soothing song, through which Joshua is soothing his heart, comforting his mind.

”Her Voice In My Head” is a very soft, mellow, and soothing song, through which Joshua is soothing his heart, comforting his mind. Joshua’s astounding and heart-melting vocal, playful instrumentation, country style, the love-relationship background, are such elements that have made the song outstanding and exceptional among all the other love songs.

9.5/10 Stars

DANCING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE

By Dave Franklin

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I remember Joshua Ketchmark’s last single, 17, very well. Firstly because it was the last review I wrote before shutting things down for Christmas. Secondly because it dripped with a real Neil Young vibe. But mainly because it was a cracker of a song, one that understood its place on the singer-songwriter timeline whilst helping to take that style forward into the bright new future. Her Voice in My Head grooves on a more countrified feel, but one invested with a slice of rock muscle sailing it closer to an early Ryan Adams feel. How does this guy keep referencing all my favourite artists but still sound like his own man?

Her Voice In My Head is the perfect follow up to 17, and it proves that Ketchmark really has the acoustic rock, singer-songwriter thing sorted. After all, anyone can sing, anyone can write songs, but the term is more than the sum of its parts. In the case of Joshua Ketchmark much, much more than the sum of its parts.

XTRAWAVE

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Do you remember those early days of your relationship when your partner couldn’t get enough of you? Almost every night you would spend ours talking over the phone or get busy with texting adding all kinds of emoji’s to show how excited you were and truly felt.

As time goes on, things start to get a little bit plain as the spark that once brought the relationship together fades and disappears into oblivion.

We believe that people are now exchangeable. “She’s broken my heart too many times, I’ll just dump her and find somebody else.”

But deep down you still have romantic feelings for your loved one, yet have this idea nagging at the back of your mind that he or she no longer wants to deal with all the drama.

Doesn’t give much care about the relationship anymore, at least not as much as you do.

On his new single “Her Voice In My Head” singer and songwriter Joshua Ketchmark is able to reveal and point towards a struggling relationship with his appealing lyrics. He manages to take us into a past life where we take our partners for granted neglecting their needs and desires for a better relationship.

The song is filled by tuneful melodies strum on acoustic guitars with Joshua Ketchmark singing along creating bittersweet memories of sadness. The easy-sounding rhythm of the drums with a slow tempo is able to pull you back into your seat making the song captivating and interesting as you listen to every minute of it.

Moving back and forth between Nashville and L.A Joshua Ketchmark makes the best of his opportunities, spending quality time in the studio and performing live. You can hear the richness in his music doubling it with extraordinary songwriting skills able to capture emotion at it’s darkest.

We can become more focused and draw attention to ourselves making the relationships we have become a bit unfulfilling, stagnant and even a bit predictable at times. “Her Voice In My Head” brings out a lot of thoughts making us wonder, “Does she feel unloved? Not appreciated enough?”

Listening to this song makes you doubt a relationship and whether it has a future or not but Joshua Ketchmark makes the song uplifting attempting to drive you in coming up with ways of how one could reignite and get the passion back.

The single “Her Voice In My Head” is powerful with an established rhythm that keeps you engaged until the end featuring well recorded instruments, very clean, enabling the vocals to shine through.

Joshua Ketchmark is a spirited energy showing us the underlying commitment in doing whatever it takes in order to salvage a relationship giving the song the support it needs making it unique and original.

In creating memorable lyrics one has to subdue themselves in their own world and Joshua Ketchmark is able to dig deeper and find the right words to make this song sound melancholic and relatable.

Music Industry News Network (single review)

By Victoria Patterson
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Sometimes a song is so utterly specific and memory-inducing that it leaves you in awe. Joshua Ketchmark’s track, “17,” from his album, Under Plastic Stars, is one such song. The singer and songwriter is based in LA, with deep ties to Nashville, Tennessee as well. This album came out in the summer and if you’ve yet to listen to it, I would recommend fixing that.

“17” is a song about young love and how things come to an end. It is… sad. Simple as that. I felt like my gut was punched listening to this song, because the sheer hopelessness that exudes in each lyric. It’s beautiful, yes, and Ketchmark proves himself to be a talented lyricist, given how strong the emotions that he evoke are. It’s definitely not a song you want to hear when you’re looking for something to cheer you up- wallowing in emotions and thinking of the past, however, is perfect for this song.

Ketchmark’s voice is soft and smooth, catered perfectly to the music and the context of the song. His guitar work is impressive, to say the least. The song is acoustic and that enhances the sorrow and regret that courses through each verse. There are certain parts of the song where the guitar has a little twang, much like you’d hear in country music. Given how Ketchmark lived and continues to work frequently in Nashville, Tennessee, this is a fun little thing to take note of. It’s a part of his sound that enhances the overall genuine, raw nature of his work.

The lyrics are, as mentioned previously, a marvel in their own right. While songs about lost, young love and the pain that accompany it seem like a dime a dozen, what makes “17” special is the way Ketchmark illustrates it. Something can be said a thousand times and still be worth listening to if you use the right words. My favorite lyric comes in at the end- “Some people die before knowing / maybe they were meant for another life.” If I wasn’t already sold on the song, this would have sealed the deal for me.

Ketchmark has had a hand in so much in the music business- his tale is both fascinating and shows how he and his music has come so far. He’s worked and hung out with some big names that, upon reading them, made me realize that this wasn’t an up-and-comer or a late bloomer. He’s been here, and it’s a shame I am just now hearing of him. A few years ago he started to help new musicians realize their dreams and reach their potential, and I have a lot of respect for that. It’s easy to only care for yourself, but to think outside of your own little world is something that deserves to be taken note of.

“17” left me more emotional than I’d like to admit, and that is more than enough reason for you to take a listen. It’s a great song off of a great album. Ketchmark has a lot of talent and even more to say, and I look forward to embracing every word.

Glitter and Stilettos (single review)

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Singer and Songwriter Joshua Ketchmark recently released “17” from his album ‘Under Plastic Stars’. “17” is a coming of age song with a relatable message that is fit for audiences of ages. While the song delivers a relaxed vibe, Joshua’s vocals awaken the spirit. While strumming hypnotic chords, the musician croons poetic lyrics that are delivered with the utmost clarity.

“17” is an emotive performance that strikes a chord with vivid imagery and relevant story-telling. Joshua brings fans a blend of sounds that encompass some of the best elements of rock music, folk, country and Americana. Joshua Ketchmark has been praised for his musicianship as well as his songwriting and after taking some time out to listen to “17”, the musicians critical acclaim should come as no surprise.

Joshua released the official music video for “17” which is now streaming on YouTube. The video is equally as engrossing as the song itself while presenting visually stunning representations. In the video we see, Joshua Ketchmark the multi-instrumentalist musician, the singer, the songwriter in his element which appears effortless. The setting is black and white, simple but effective in conveying the complexities of “17” with little distraction. The audience can do nothing else but get lost in the moment with this purposeful performance. Watch the music video for “17” below.

Watch Joshua Ketchmark 17 on YouTube:

It is evident that Joshua places his heart on whatever stage he commands. “17” is revealing, realistic and brimming with emotion. The artist’s long history with music can be seen and heard without doubt.

Originally from Peoria, Illinois, Joshua Ketchmark’s introduction to music happened by way of a diverse set of influences often heard on the radio during the 80s as well as his parent’s own vinyl collection. Having discovered bands such as the Beatles, Queen and artists such as Prince on John Mellencamp, Joshua developed a passion for music.

Joshua is a self-taught guitarist who used his mother’s guitar to learn riffs which later evolved into songwriting and full-blown sessions. After playing local showcases and taking a win at a battle of the bands, he landed an opportunity to record in a studio a step that moved him forward towards producing his own music. Joshua’s career in music has been one that has taken him from Peoria, Illinois to Nashville, TN a hotbed for music, and Los Angeles, California where he has played at numerous popular venues.

Having navigated through the industry in various capacities, Joshua Ketchmark landed many opportunities to work with big names in music such as Fuel, Jonny Lang, KISS, Pat Benatar, Melissa Etheridge and even Michael Jackson. While some of his gigs were behind the scenes, they eventually led to even more doors being opened and finally, a solo album titled ‘List of Regrets’. While Joshua’s debut album was a defining point for the musician as a solo artist, the best was yet to come.

Joshua went from playing gigs at smaller venues to headlining his own show at the Roxy Theatre on Sunset in LA. He has worked with a myriad of producers and engineers and has even given of his time to work with aspiring artists. After a break, the bi-coastal musician returned to the studio to hash out some more of his own work. “17” is the most recent single from Joshua Ketchmark’s album ‘Under Plastic Stars’. Learn more about Joshua Ketchmark by visiting the links below.

Stereo Stickman (single review)

By Rebecca Cullen
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Joshua Ketchmark presents audiences with a powerful meeting of delicacy and grit. 17 is a notably emotional song, offered up acoustically for the most part, introducing the vocal tone and performance style of the artist, as well as his unique songwriting and story telling, in an immediately accessible and compelling way.

Joshua Ketchmark’s story telling on this particular release has you gripped with every verse. There are certain moments that connect on a fairly broad level, making it a song that can be appreciated by a wider audience, but also there’s an undeniable touch of personal experience and truth to it all, which brings about something that can’t be compared – a story that hasn’t been told before, a snippet of reality. The lyricism comes with a lot of strength, the lines are laid out in a poetic manner, and Joshua Ketchmark’s voice has the sound of a rock star gone mellow – that grit and delicacy combined, almost whispered yet distinctly passionate. It carries the sentiment of this song through really well.

Musically the acoustic guitar sound here is crisp and very intimate, giving off the feeling that this is a live performance, right there in the room with you. The set up is simplistic, minimalist even, and on occasion the voice and the guitar are surrounded and supported by a couple of additional elements that really help brighten up the edges of the verses. The video for the song appears as a relevant accompaniment, the mood matches effectively and the whole project works well in creating a certain mood and capturing your affection. It’s a calming yet reflective piece of music and writing.

Find & follow Joshua Ketchmark on Facebook. Visit his Website for more information.

Middle Tennessee Music (single review)

By Joshua Smotherman
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“I’ve been lucky enough to work with Fuel, Jonny Lang, Melissa Etheridge, and producers like Michael Beinhorn, Rob Cavallo and Julian Raymond. I had a front row seat learning the tricks of the trade, going from inspiration to a reality. In those days, I did a little bit of everything including working rehearsals for KISS, cleaning out Pat Benatar’s garage and driving keyboards to The Four Seasons in Las Vegas for writing sessions with Michael Jackson; anything to stay involved with music in one aspect or another.”

Joshua Ketchmark might not be a name that sends your music radar into overdrive but his story and experiences speak for themselves. Bouncing back and forth between Nashville and Los Angeles for many years, Ketchmark’s front row seat to the music industry at the highest levels has given him an advantage and an edge lacking in your average indie muso.

On his latest single and video release, 17, Joshua delivers a minimal but powerfully soulful performance through the power of his acoustic guitar and voice. When layers of harmonized vocals and other sonic textures enter the fold, our emotions are triggered as we are pulled deeper into the song. When the energy picks up with full instrumentation around the 3:02 mark, we are left nodding and swaying to an impactful outro that ends the song leaving listeners wondering what’s coming next.

You can watch the official video for 17 below or subscribe on YouTube.

Connect with Joshua Ketchmark on his official website or FB.

You can find more music, including his album Under Plastic Stars, on Bandcamp.