Raised in Antigua, singer songwriter Joshu does his best to explore what the concept of “home” truly means with the help of an acoustic guitar and a minimalist production style on his latest EP: Way Back Home.

The album was written following Joshu’s sailing trip from the UK to Antigua and explores in a deep and heartfelt manner without coming off as pretentious or alienating. It would be very easy for a songwriter as well travelled and introspective as Joshu to come off as difficult to relate to but his skill as a songwriter beautifully encapsulates a comfortable feeling of home, regardless of where the listener may be.

Multiculturalism is also a prominent talking point on the EP, coming from a second generation Antiguan with ties to the UK. The title track, Way Back Home, makes use of repetition to establish a feeling of familiarity and comfort. There’s no better reminder of a far off place you’d consider home than something as simple as a song.

The track Honey in the Dark adds to this feeling of familiarity with the perhaps unintentional Blackbird interpolation (it’s possible this wasn’t intentional because there are only so many chords and progressions you can do). The Beatles are beloved by many and for some, are their introduction to music in general.

Joshu says that “home isn’t just a physical place—it’s about the relationships we build: with each other, with the land, and with the non-human beings around us.” and this is exemplified throughout the EP but most clearly on Morning Eyes. A warm and relaxed look at the sense of home you can build in a new relationship anywhere and everywhere you can end up.

Joshu seems like an interesting character and with his sense of positivity and well travelled perspectives on the world, we can hopefully more of a sagely perspective on more about the human experience in the near future.

Familiarity and comfort are overused words in this article because not only do they perfectly encapsulate the tone of this record, they also offer a warm accessibility and simplicity to a wide demographic regardless of geography or language. These words were also overused because my thesaurus is at home.

Way Back Home is available to stream here