Well, home, they say, is where the heart is. That old adage dates back centuries and rings truer today than ever. Los Angeles singer-songwriter Josh Stevens longs for his loved ones with his new single and video “Home,” premiering today on American Songwriter. It’s classically anthemic, building first with stark piano and crescendoing into an emotional frenzy.
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“Another late night, another late show / Just tough noise… / So long, it’s the comedown,” he spins out of control. The emotion hangs thick on his words, and in the self-directed video, he invites the viewer out on the road to experience his 2019 Somewhere Tour through Japan. “You’re so cold / Home isn’t home anymore,” he resigns himself to a working musician’s uncertain lifestyle and its toll on relationships.
“No one else to call / Won’t accept the fall,” he sings.
Stevens, known for his work with Calvin Harris, Pitbull, Steve Aaoki, and others, plants his voice in a bedrock of electric guitars and driving percussion. In many ways, the steady pummeling mimics the rumble of his own heartbeat. “[Zoux and I] wrote ‘Home’ as a homage to classic songwriting and anthemic production,” he says. “The story is a very personal one to me and many who have ever gone through a treacherous relationship.”
The visual weaves through backstage snapshots, grainy b-roll footage of various cityscapes, and intimate moments at the piano. Tour stops include Hamamatsu and Tokyo, and despite the bright melody, there is an inescapable heaviness weighing Stevens down. “Cannon balls light up the yard / Hit the center of our own beating hearts / This is all I know,” he cries.
Watch “Home” below.
