Josh Lumsden Releases Euphoric Industrial House Track ‘Right Here’

Self-produced pop artist Josh Lumsden, who is best known for engineering earworms that throw R&B, witchcore, and dance into an experimental blender, recently released “Right Here,” the latest single from his upcoming debut EP.

This euphoric industrial house track follows the release of smash singles that feature collaborations with RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Yvie Oddly (“Energy”) and Australian pop sensation Brendan Maclean (“Drowning”).

Hailing from Texas, Lumsden began producing his own music as a kid and became classically trained in music theory and a variety of instruments. According to the enigmatic musician, “Right Here” is a departure from his previous projects. It’s pure melodic pop enchantment inspired by the feeling of being the last person left at a NYC warehouse rave just before the lights turn on.

The official music video, which was directed by Lumsden and his partner Abraham Bec, is a hedonistic journey through dramatic self-metamorphosis.

Lumsden took some time to talk more about “Right Here” and his artistry with OFM.

Can you begin by telling us more about the concept behind your new single “Right Here?”

It’s kind of a different song than what I’ve produced in the past. Normally, my tracks are either pop or R&B, but I wanted to do something that was heavy in dance, techno, and rave culture style. That’s something that’s been kind of interesting to me lately, and I wanted to capture that feeling of when you’re at a club or at a rave in a warehouse in Brooklyn. You’re having the best time, and you have this euphoric feeling. I wanted to capture that kind of energy for this track.

And can you talk more about how the music video is inspired by transformation through the art of fashion?

The music video starts off in this really clean, blank, white slate. There are no props, and I’m not even wearing anything that has any type of color. It’s an all-white look, and I’m kind of walking through a void. There are also scenes where I have multiple versions of me. Like, you’ll see two or three of me at once. I’m starting to find my way through, and then I get transported into little mini worlds. That’s when you really start to see the true fashion elements.

I wanted every single look to kind of have a different silhouette. Some people might think it’s weird, but that’s really the concept in general, the bizarre nature of transforming through fashion, and hopefully that’s what people take away from it.

“Right Here” is the latest off your upcoming debut EP. How excited are you to release this project out into the world?

I’m very excited! In the past, I’ve never put out an official body of work as a solo artist. I would write and produce a song, then put it out. That’s kind of what I’m doing now, but I feel like I need to have a body of work that fits in the same world as the headspace that I’m in. Then I can reference that in the future as my debut EP, kind of as a springboard into creating a full-length album in the future.

What have you enjoyed the most about creating it, and did you learn anything about yourself throughout the process?

Yes, absolutely. Last time we spoke, I had that beautiful video for “Love Me Back,” and it was created with the help of one of my friends, Mikey Harmon. He’s a video director, and he really conceptualized the idea and did the bulk of the work when it came to executing the video. He edited the whole thing; he did the set design; he came up with the concepts, and I loved that. We have plans to work together in the future.

For this EP, I wanted to do something where I kind of conceptualized the entire thing. I produce my own music, write and record everything, and do all the photoshoots anyways, so I was like, I might as well learn how to do my own video too. It was me and my partner Abraham Bec; he’s the co-director of the video, and I pulled a bunch of looks from upcoming, independent designers here in New York City. I wanted to show the best fashion I had the ability to pull, and we shot the whole thing in one day.

It took me about two weeks to edit, and it’s kind of the first video project where I felt like it was my creation. It was like my child. I loved the experience of working with a music video director, but at the same time, it felt like I was an actor in my own song. So, it was really cool to conceptualize concepts, figure out what I was going to wear, and really get the ideas out onto this video. I feel like this is the first visual media project where people can see me in the most authentic way possible.

You already released two other tracks from the EP, “Energy” featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race star Yvie Oddly and “Drowning” featuring Australian pop sensation Brendan Maclean. Who would you love to collaborate with someday?

Oh my gosh. If we’re going to the top, Lady Gaga. She’s the ultimate dream. I would literally shoot my foot if she asked me. That’s the extent I would go.

Ultimately, what do you hope listeners take away from your music?

Not to keep saying that I produce everything myself, but I feel like listeners should know that. Like, I don’t even really think of myself as a singer. I think of myself more as, “Oh, this is just the kind of music that he makes.” That Josh is really a sound designer and everything that you hear was meticulously planned out in my head. That’s kind of the takeaway. I want listeners to feel the music as a whole.

Have you always had a passion for singing and songwriting?

Yes! I initially started off playing instruments like piano, drums, and other percussion-type instruments while growing up, and then I started writing my own music. I wanted to get into singing, but I didn’t really know how. Then I downloaded a random music making software, and I started playing around with that. I think that was when I was 11 or 12 years old. Then I just didn’t stop with it. I honestly still use that same program (laughs). Obviously, I’ve gotten a little more advanced, and I have a lot of extra add-ons to make it decent, but it’s really just a continuation.

The last time we spoke, you told me you also had a passion for photography. Are you doing anything in that field right now?

The only photography that I’m doing right now is really the album artwork and things like that. Also, the pictures that you see on my Instagram. The solo shots of myself. I went to school for a little bit back in my hometown in Texas for graphic design, so I have a little background in that, and that’s why I enjoy making visual media with photography. It’s been very exciting to take what I know from photography and transition it into videography.

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career?

Honestly, I would love to go on a mini-U.S. tour. It would be really cool to travel from state to state playing shows. They don’t have to be at Madison Square Garden or anything like that. Even if it’s just, like, a gay club tour that goes throughout the U.S. or beyond, that would be amazing. I would love to experience that one day.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?

“Right Here” is the fourth track on the EP. There’s going to be two more after that, and I hope to have music videos for both of those remaining tracks as well. So, those are to come, and then obviously, I’ll stop when I’m dead. There will be future music going forward from then.

Stay up-to-date and connect with Lumsden by following him on Instagram and TikTok @joshlumsdenmusic. “Right Here” and all his other music is available on Spotify, YouTube, and all other digital streaming platforms.

Photos courtesy of Josh Lumsden