Credit: Eric Engel

Ahead of the release of his new album Imaginary Borders and his homecoming concert at Rockhal in Luxembourg-Belval, Chronicle.lu spoke to Luxembourg-based musician Josh Island (real name Josh Oudendijk) about his career so far, the influence of Luxembourg on his music and his plans for the future.

Chronicle.lu: Your new album Imaginary Borders was written and recorded in Luxembourg, Lisbon, Amsterdam and Athens. Can you describe how these locations inspired the album’s themes and affected the process in producing it?

I like to travel and it nourishes my inspiration for songwriting. I spent quite some time in Athens over the last two years because of my partner. Being in the mountains and by the sea and reading more about mythology sparked the inspiration behind songs Artemis and Little Boy On The Hill, as well as the visual direction of the album. We shot all the photos and videos there and it really shaped the album's identity. Then going to record the songs; Amsterdam and Lisbon was fun, Portugal, especially, as I have been going there for many years to work with local musicians, who are some of the finest I have ever played with. However, Luxembourg is home to me. It is where my parents live, where I started playing my first gigs. I like this melting pot of cultures and cross-border collaborations.

Chronicle.lu: Your first album, 2023’s In My Head, built on a series of singles and your 2018 EP ONE. How does the journey from that first EP to your first album compare to the experiences of building up to and releasing your second album, Imaginary Borders?

My music and craft has become much more developed. Between ONE, single Love Don't Come Easy and In My Head, I took massive leaps in my songwriting and vocal abilities, learning how to work in the studio and how to release music as an independent artist. I am older and more experienced. Now that that foundation is stronger, the steps are smaller and it is now about going underneath layers, more in-depth. It is a different kind of development. But, as is with all albums, the work is exhilarating, intense, exhausting and rewarding.

Chronicle.lu: Having supported artists as renowned as Passenger, James Morrison and Katie Melua, please describe how those types of performance compare and contrast to your upcoming headlining concert at Rockhal? And will your live band feature the same musicians as those that appear on the album?

I loved supporting these acts. The great thing is you have a huge new audience in front of you, many of whom have never heard of you before and you get to showcase your songs for 30 minutes. I have many fans today that I have met through those gigs where I was a support act and they went on to follow my own music. It is good because expectations are low, they often do not know who is supporting or whether there is a support act in the first place. And then, if it blows them away, you have won the match. But the performances are often stripped (I played solo for James Morrison and Passenger, acoustic trio for Katie). The drummer will be with me. The other musicians are from Luxembourg and from Portugal.

Chronicle.lu: You started performing around the age of fifteen and could now be regarded as a veteran of the Luxembourg music scene. What are your thoughts on how the music scene has grown and developed here over the past ten to fifteen years?

The development has been really strong. We have many artists professionalising themselves locally and abroad. There are support systems in place to help with touring and production, as well as representative bodies that defend our rights, such as FLAC (Fédération Luxembourgeoise des Auteurs et Compositeurs) and FAMIL (Fédération des Musicien(ne)s Interprètes au Luxembourg), along with a really healthy and supportive atmosphere amongst the musician community. We have a genuine music industry here and I think that is important but there is still lots of room for growth. Many of us are freelancers, we do not have consistent working conditions and fees coming in and we need to strengthen the cultural relevance of our artists and institutions in Luxembourg. But I think it is one of the best places in the world to be a working musician.

Chronicle.lu: What are your future plans to promote Imaginary Borders? Can we expect to see additional performances in Luxembourg or on the festival circuit?

After Rockhal we are going on tour in Germany and playing some summer festivals in Europe, including a few dates in Luxembourg that have not been announced yet. I already have more music and projects in the pipeline and we have just locked in a big date for 2027 already. So, you will not be getting rid of me anytime soon!

Josh Island will perform at Rockhal Club in Esch-Belval on Saturday 7 March 2026. Tickets are available at https://rockhal.lu/shows/josh-island/.

Imaginary Borders is released on Friday 6 March 2026 and can be previewed at https://joshisland.bandcamp.com/album/imaginary-borders.