Photo: Press
"When you have someone so iconic, genius and talented there..." Joshua Welton takes a deep pause for breath - overrun with appreciation for his friend and mentor, the Purple One himself - His Royal Badness, Prince. "I mean - this brother can hear the leaves growing on branches! He's that good. This is a gift form God, this is beyond me."
Being married to 3RDEYEGIRL drummer Hannah Ford Welton, Joshua soon found himself in the inner circle of hallowed ground for lovers of classic pop - Prince's palace at Paisley Park. This is where the magic happens, and in his mid-twenties, Joshua was thrust into the heart of it. The word 'blessed' gets thrown around a lot - but how many can say they co-produced their very first for a genuine legend?
"I really truly believe that God has orchestrated this relationship, this collaboration, and like we all know, Prince is great in every way," admits Josh. "To do ART OFFICIAL AGE at 25 and HITNRUN at 26, I was like 'this is heavy, this huge' then Prince is standing next to you the same time... wow. It's beyond me."
But now, it's very real. Having co-produced Prince's latest opus, HITNRUN, their gift is now shared with the lift. To get a peek into how Prince made his 36th album, we talked to Joshua about life in Paisley Park, what makes Prince tick, why he's so impulsive, and why they chose to drop it on Jay Z's streaming service, TIDAL...
What can you tell us about your involvement in the record?
We are quite collaborative, so I've done the music part and he's also contributed to that, but how it works is that if Prince says he wants a certain swag or a certain style, he'll say 'Joshua, can you make something like this' - then I'll give him a track and he'll go work in Studio A while I'm in Studio B, write the lyrics, then he'll come back and pick it up. He can play any instrument, but if you hear a guitar or a bass, then you can assume that's definitely Prince.
We've been told HITNRUN is quite an experimental album for Prince. How would you say this pushes boundaries for him, and what territory does it go into that we've not seen from him before?
What's cool about Prince is that he's a creative. You get a chance to hear him just enjoy himself in each round. You might dance, you might chill back and relax, you might shout for joy, you might shed a tear. I think that you'll get all types of emotion and that when you see Prince live, you kind of go on an emotional rollercoaster anyway. It's overwhelming sometimes, so hopefully you get the chance to experience that in your ears with this album.
Would you say that there are some sounds on this record that fans might not have heard from Prince before though?
Yeah, I would definitely say that people will put this on and say 'I have never heard this sound on a Prince record before'. I've heard that said. There's definitely some stuff that will tickle your ears a little bit.
What weird influences would you say have crept in on this record?
Well, interestingly enough I listen more to CCM - that's Christian Contemporary Music. That keeps me inspired and what really intrigues me when it comes to making music. But really, I don't really listen to a lot of different people - I try my best to just go with the integrity of the music. You don't want to go in there, make a track with Prince and end up with it sounding like somebody else. I didn't want to take that chance. I try my best to stay inspired, just kick it with Hannah and when it's time to go make some music, see what happens.
How would you describe the character and 'spirit' of HITNRUN?
Hmm! What's fun for me is that each song has its own personality. There are 11 tracks on the album so it's like having 11 kids. You'll definitely love each track for its own different reasons.
Would you say it's a completely different journey to Art Official Age then?
Well, really it's a continuation. That's the cool part about it. Even while Art Official Age was being released, Prince and I were already working on new music. It was an interesting transitional period because I had never put out a record with anybody before. He was the first person I'd ever produced an album for so I never knew what to expect or experience. At first, Art Official Age was a cool picture at that time, but if you fast forwards then this is a cool picture of where we're at now.
So where does the journey go from here?
Well we take every day as it comes. Our relationship goes far beyond the music, so I see him and I always doing something together - whether it's albums or just going 'hey, what do you think of this?'
It's also been said that this record is just relentless hits. What would you say it is about these singles that makes them sit alongside those classic Prince singles?
Like I said, you'll get up and you'll dance. If you've ever danced to a Prince record add that song to the list, if you've ever grooved to a Prince record add that song to the list. Prince is a creative, so it's not like he's going to constantly create the same thing. There's new inspiration - it's constantly moving. I don't think people have heard him in this light before, but you'll definitely be able to turn it up loud and get your groove on to it.
Seeing Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL live, it's clear that they just bounce off each other's energy - but how would you describe the chemistry between them when they're writing and recording?
When they write and record, it's always been fun to watch. Obviously my wife is the drummer so we get a chance to hear how it is, coming from her perspective, but then I watch it and see what it's like from my perspective. I think that it's a very strong energy that couldn't have been if there wasn't a genuine love for each other. It roots from the passion of loving music and each other - and that comes out in everything.
On Plectrum Electrum, you were just watching them all and you were like 'oh wow, this is how it's done!' It's a mastermind at work.
Obviously, Prince has been releasing music for decades and that changes the context of things. How would you say the digital age has impacted on the way that you and Prince write together?
For nine months, I was here and I was just supporting Hannah. I wasn't making any music with them and then I didn't know what I could do. Him and I had very deep conversations about God and Jesus and got a chance to know each other as people. When we started to work on music, it really came out that way and got a chance to know his personality and what he listens for. When I got the chance to mix this record, I got a better understanding of the genius of Prince. I got to hear his voice by itself, then the harmony that he chose for the melody, then the breath that took and his timing in the pocket of a track. I've got to see a true recording artist and learn up close and personal. It's really a great experience because we genuinely love each other. Anything like love and passion will always translate well into culture.
Prince has always taken very special care over the way that music is delivered to his fans. What can you tell us about the decision from Prince and the team to release this album through TIDAL?
We believe in high quality music, we believe in artists coming together, we believe in artist ownership, we believe in people and we believe in community. The fact that TIDAL was willing to even pay for the album what Prince felt it was worth, that just showed the appreciation that Jay Z has for music and for Prince. TIDAL were the only ones who said 'we're going to pay you directly for the work that you do'. It was a beautiful decision that Prince made, based just on relationships. I don't think it took Prince long to make the decision, and fortunately Hannah I met with Jay Z at a listening party. He's a really great guy, and the level of greatness that he brings to the table just adds to the great cause.
Do these songs 'feel' like they're designed to be played live and do you think they'll be touring soon?
You know what? That's a good question! 3RDEYEGIRL didn't play anything on the record, so I think that it's definitely more a digital-sounding record because it's just Prince and I. Donna played a guitar solo on one of the tracks with 3RDEYEGIRL doing backing vocals. But Prince can take anything and make it into music, and make it live.
- HITNRUN is out now, exclusively via TIDAL.
