Josiah Leming – Angels Undercover EP – Drops October 28

MJ, In your first sentence, do you mean Oct. 28th (not the 18th)?

Thanks for this info MJ. I am off to listen to the three songs now. Loved Josiah when he was on Idol. Hope he does well.

ETA: just listened to the songs and I love them! Will definitely be buying his EP and the album. Love that the music is a more alternative sound. Very different from a lot of top 40 songs and I really love that. I agree. This may be the best album out of the season. Josiah is very talented.

The EP and the full length album to follow in January could very well be my favorite Season 7 Idol releases.

I’m going to say the same. I pre-ordered the physical copy of the EP and I can’t wait to get the whole album.

I listened to the songs on his myspace a lot yesterday and cried every time “Angels Undercover” came up. So far, imo, Josiah is the best songwriter to come off of Idol. I’m very interested to see what Warner Brothers plans to do with him. They seem to have given him a lot of control, sent him to London to record, took their time, etc. He has so much potential, I really hope they give him the promotion he’ll need.

Thanks for posting this, mj. In this, my first year of actively following AI, I found Josiah to be intriguing and earnest. My daughter cried when he was kicked off. Now, thanks to your vigilant Idol coverage, I can make good on my promise to her that surely his massive talent would eventually lead to good things. This’ll be a great Christmas present!

Very, very nice. Hope Warner is able to promote and get his music heard.

MJ, In your first sentence, do you mean Oct. 28th (not the 18th)?

Yes! Grrr. I’ve been the typo queen lately. Thank gawd my peeps are here to play editor. :).

Yeah, I really hope WB promotes Josiah properly. He has so much potential

Does he have a full version of They Say up today? I’m at work and can’t access Myspace.

Thanks for posting this, MJ. I can’t wait to have this EP.

Never liked this kid but that is the result of two things, the fake accent when he sang on Idol and the horrendous “living in my car” back story that reeked of absolute horseshit to me.

I think that demographically he skewed a bit to close for comfort with somebody that Sony/BMG intended to sign from the word go last year, namely Archuleta, and was left out the top 24 strictly for that reason. Colton or Luke certainly could have been dropped for Leming.

I wish Josiah luck though because the music business is pretty damn brutal right now.

Maybe in 2009 he’ll be on the Grammy list?

Does he have a full version of They Say up today? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m at work and canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t access Myspace.

Yes, the full version is up, along with “Angels Undercover” and “Arctic Outcry Wind”

Echoing CRB here. Josiah irritated the hell out of me while he was on Idol. Fake accent. Crying like a big baby. Overdone (IMO) angst.

All that said, these are some good songs with appealing melodies and excellent lyrics.

I think that demographically he skewed a bit to close for comfort with somebody that Sony/BMG intended to sign from the word go last year, namely Archuleta, and was left out the top 24 strictly for that reason. Colton or Luke certainly could have been dropped for Leming.

Eh. I think the fact that he seemed to have a mental breakdown all week from the pressure as well as proving his inability to work with the band, even after Byrd pulled him to the side and tried to warn him, pretty much sealed his fate. Oh, that and the complete and total butchering of the final song Hollywood week. LOL. I don’t think that kid could have handled the semis, much less the big stage. If Brooke damn near melted into a puddle of goo, Josiah’s head might have exploded on live TV. He didn’t have the kind of voice that would have done well on Idol anyway.

That said, I think he’s talented and I love those songs on his MySpace. He is someone who knows how to write exactly the right type of song for his voice.

Not to be Debbie Downer or anything, but I don’t get the big deal over this kid. He writes well for his age and has a decent voice, but WTF with the constant British inflection when he sings? Take that away and he sounds just like this guy I went to high school with, who is also a struggling musician, also living in his car. Although he made that decision after selling off all of his possessions and leaving the Midwest to garner “life experience”. Srsly.

I wish him well, I just wish he hadn’t forced me to lose a lot of respect for him through his behavior on the show.

he’s definitely a good songwriter. i can say i like all 3 songs. i’m not sure how much of a singer he is but that’s not that important to be a recording artist is it? he is a little coldplay-esque – his songs and the way he sings.

Whatever impressions Josiah left during his truncated Idol run, he definitely left them. While the context of a competition wasn’t right for his psyche, it still provided a launching pad for him — and his tears. Did the same for David C, too, whose own tears revealed a part of his persona that many, including me, found completely endearing. True, Josiah’s tears were more of the trainwreck variety! But I think he’s got something to share, musically.

he is a little coldplay-esque – his songs and the way he sings.

Yes, very much like Coldplay.

I noticed that the pre-orders were being sold through Josiah’s myspace. Will I be able to buy the EP on the 28th on iTunes, or will it only be available through Josiah’s myspace? Thanks if anybody knows.

Josiah’s EP should definitely be available on iTunes on 10/28. There’s already a page for it on Amazon (excuse ugly link):

Angels Undercover

You can also preview the other two songs there (“To Run” and “This Cigar”). I pre-ordered the EP from myspace to get the autographed copy for little cheese’s stocking.

I think that demographically he skewed a bit to close for comfort with somebody that Sony/BMG intended to sign from the word go last year, namely Archuleta, and was left out the top 24 strictly for that reason. Colton or Luke certainly could have been dropped for Leming.

I agree, not taking any credit away from David A, I always thought letting Josiah go (and keeping Colton) didn’t make much sense. His music is quite good, I hope he does well.

Although I didn’t see Josiah on AI (I really didn’t pay much attention to AI this season until David Cook had me at “Hello”) I had heard about his fake accent and all the outrage when he was cut. I didn’t want to like his music, but after listening to him (fake accent and all), dammit, I think I do!!!

I showed up at the same time jpgrief did, so I don’t know squat about Leming. But these songs are pretty good. Definite Coldplay vibe. I might buy it.

I completely agree with you, MJ. He is an exceptional talent, perhaps a bit raw, but maybe that’s what draws me to him. After listening to the previews of the finished tracks, I’m pleased that his voice doesn’t sound as affected as it did when he was auditioning for Idol and that the tracks don’t seem to be overproduced as so many are these days. I also hope he gets the promotion he deserves.

Although I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see Josiah on AI (I really didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t pay much attention to AI this season until David Cook had me at à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Helloà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ) I had heard about his fake accent and all the outrage when he was cut. I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to like his music, but after listening to him (fake accent and all), dammit, I think I do!!!

It’s nice to hear that you gave the songs a chance even though you had heard negative things. I think that’s all anyone can ask for.

Cheese, I fixed your link…

Thank you for the Amazon link cheese, and a chance to listen to the other two songs. Loved them also. I can’t believe how much I am liking this EP.

After listening to the previews of the finished tracks, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m pleased that his voice doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t sound as affected as it did when he was auditioning for Idol and that the tracks donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t seem to be overproduced as so many are these days.

I think that is one of the reasons I am liking it so much. It is not overproduced!

I think the fact that he seemed to have a mental breakdown all week from the pressure as well as proving his inability to work with the band, even after Byrd pulled him to the side and tried to warn him, pretty much sealed his fate. Oh, that and the complete and total butchering of the final song Hollywood week. LOL. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think that kid could have handled the semis, much less the big stage. If Brooke damn near melted into a puddle of goo, Josiahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s head might have exploded on live TV. He didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have the kind of voice that would have done well on Idol anyway

Everything you said, tinawina. I don’t think there was any conspiracy revolving TPTB’s intentions to sign Archie. Josiah had a completely different vibe from Archie. I like him and his sound a lot, but that bit with dismissing the band, the breakdown in Hollywood, and not working well with Byrd was definitely what did him in. Byrd and the band have been around for a while and I believe they have some sway– if a contestant shows themselves to be difficult, and it’s the contestant vs. the band, guess who would stay? Besides demonstrating that he wasn’t a great team player (crucial for the competition), his apparent emotional instability probably had TPTB’s lawyers on edge. Who was that girl who blamed Simon’s criticisms recently for her downward spiral into drugs/alcohol? Yeah, I think Josiah got a pretty good deal– he didn’t have to go through the stresses of the competition, yet will benefit from the bit of exposure he got.

I love love love Arctic Outcry Wind!!

I actually thought he was british.
Anyway, about the music, he reminds me of Matt Kearney. I really like the first one, although I think it gets repetitive at some point.
I don’t care as much about the other two. But the good thing about him is that he’s young and I see lots of potential. I like the lyrics and obviously the piano.

He has a lot of potential really. I like They say and Angels undercover. Compare to David Archuleta and the differences in writing is sharp.

But when I read his Myspace page I found this:

“(this paragraph was once again written by Josiah Leming haha, I figured 3rd person sounded more professional.)”

His sense of humor is just like Archuleta.

In Angels Undercover I think the following lines are some of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard:

And even Jesus didn’t matter …
Cause our souls were filled with laughter….

I think Josiah would have survived making the Top 24 just fine. He probably would have chosen to play all of his songs on piano or guitar without the band. If they had wanted to keep him, they probably just would have edited out “Stand By Me.” Despite all he crying, I don’t think he’s mentally unstable or anything. Just an emotional kid with an abundance of raw talent and lot of stress in his life. I don’t think he would have dug the cheesy group songs, though, lol.

Since Josiah seems to be making some new fans today, here are two (pretty amazing) old songs which probably have a good chance of making the album:

One Last Song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbjc3ypUfO4

Bad News Baby:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuUgrNH9qgE

I like “They Say”…………………his vocals….youll have to acquire taste for it…i didnt like it on the show live but he sounds better in these songs………in that way i guess processing was involved…….

Since Josiah seems to be making some new fans today, here are two (pretty amazing) old songs which probably have a good chance of making the album:

One Last Song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbjc3ypUfO4

Bad News Baby:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuUgrNH9qgE

One Last Song is one of my faves. I hope it made the cut.

his vocalsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.youll have to acquire taste for it

I think you’re right. He also suffers from vocal strain which makes him pitchy. For a couple of months after he was booted, he could barely sing. His voice sounds a lot stronger in these recordings, though.

I think that is one of the reasons I am liking it so much. It is not overproduced!

It is fast becoming a pet peeve of mine – it makes everything sound the same. I just want to hear a great guitar riff, drums and a piano, damn it.

MJ, thanks for pointing me to the full version of “They Say”. It is really, really good. I loved his raw version of it, but this is even better.

Also, re: Josiah’s accent. For the most part, he sounds like he’s from East Tennessee to my ears. I’m from East KY, and he sounds pretty normal to me. His singing accent is slightly affected, but it’s not that far off what I’ve grown up hearing.

The first thing I thought of when I listened to the songs is Wings era Paul McCartney. But then I thought, yeah it does sound a little Coldplayish. Which then lead me to ask, is Coldplay a Sir Paul rip-off with fancy production? In the end I ended up liking the songs but wondering how they would sound with someone else singing them. His voice isn’t my cup of tea. I actually don’t like Coldplay for the same reason. Good songs, but I don’t want to listen to Chris Martin. (Which is why I downloaded Brooke White’s version of Yellow.) I do think he has a definite future writing.

Within a narrow range, Josiah has an Oasisesque quality to his voice. But he needs to stay OUT of his upper register. And his falsetto may be the worst I’ve ever heard in life.

He is, though, the best musician who has ever come from AI, I think.

ETA:

Cheese–

“So far, imo, Josiah is the best songwriter to come off of Idol.”

Bo Bice? David Cook?

The kid is talented, but I think Bo and Dave can hold their own against him.

The kid is talented, but I think Bo and Dave can hold their own against him.

We’ll see. David certainly wasn’t writing stuff like “One Last Song” at the age of 17 and imo, still hasn’t written lyrics that are half that poetic. I hope David’s new stuff blows me away.

I think Josiah has an amazing gift and his songs just have a big emotional impact on me personally. I even like his crappy upper register. (my own tastes lean more in the direction of alt rock and mopey British stuff than the mainstream pop rock that DC is likely to make) Like anything else in music, it’s subjective.

“The first thing I thought of when I listened to the songs is Wings era Paul McCartney. ”

I think this was right on the money……………..hence the fake brit accent? His songs are cool nonetheless

I liked the raw songs Josiah posted. There are quite a few I found both melodically and lyrically memorable. For someone so young he is prolific, he already has more than20 songs. Some written when he was 16 and 17. I love TheySay, Artic Outcry Wind, You and I, Over and Over just to name a few. To compare Josiah to both Davids is like comparing dissimilar entities. Only future will tell who has a bigger impact on music scene. I like Amanda Overmyer, go figure. Getting the ep and the album.

Something I find amazing is all the covers of Josiah’s songs already on YouTube. He hasn’t even officially released an album, yet his songs already have a large, International fan base.

There is something very primitive about his songs – kind of a throwback to the late ’60′s.

I was a fan of Josiah during and after idol but then lost interest. He also got a little annoying and arrogant and weird at times which kind of reminded me of Blake. But I have Blake’s album and love it. So it is really the music that counts. After listening to these 3 songs, I am a fan again. He is an incredible writer and it’s so Brit Pop, which I love. He isn’t even British, lol and I love his taste in music. I think he is going to have a very successful career. I really love all his songs and I agree with MJ, this may be the best to come out of idol this season.

Here’s a cover of Ray LaMontagne’s “Burn” by Josiah (no video). I like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsyjLRqBwrM