Moosic: Do you have a story behind your artist name?
Joey Wit: I have been Joey Wit for as long as I can remember! Everyone from my teachers and baseball coaches to my best friends and my mother calls me that so I suppose it started early on at home. Our family name is Witkowski, but growing up in New England everyone has a nickname and my dad already was Wit, so they gave me Joey Wit! So it’s not so much a stage name, just my given name but a bit abbreviated!
Tell us a bit about your music journey. How has it shaped you?
I suppose like a lot of artists my journey started as a listener, mainly my parents record collection. Especially hearing and seeing The Beatles, specifically the 1968 “Revolution” promo video for the first time. We came from a very musical family. My parents themselves weren’t musicians, but massive rock n’ roll fans. My sister sang and played piano, countless cousins played guitar and drums, my uncle had a blues band that I would go see every weekend throughout childhood and into high school with my dad! So you could say I was always around it! With baseball taking priority early on, my guitars sort of sat in their cases, but I was still an avid listener. Once baseball came to an end I made it a point to start picking up my guitars more with a focus on creating and writing new music. I never had much of a desire to learn covers or other peoples songs, I admire so many great artists and songs, but I’ve always felt inspired to write my own material!
I was fortunate enough to have so many great and talented people around me that when it came time to record and perform live I didn’t have to look far. My cousin in law, Clay Selmont, is my right-hand-man on stage, through the writing process and in the studio. He is a constant in my live band (Joey Wit & The Definition). My cousin Nate Manware, also has performed with me on countless shows, as well as in the studio. It’s pretty wonderful to have such close family on stage and in the studio with me along for the ride!
The journey has been quite incredible, it’s given me so much gratitude and made me appreciate the beauty of this world and the friendships I’ve made along the way. I’ve been able to build some amazing relationships with so many beautiful people at so many shows here and abroad. I’ve been lucky enough to record with Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer, Ricky Byrd (Joan Jett & The Blackhearts) and Matt Starr (Ace Frehley/Mr. Big). In the past few years I’ve been really fortunate to play some amazing cities as well, this year will be my third UK tour where we’ll also be making a stop in Ireland! I’ll be opening for Joel Hoekstra and Brandon Gibbs in some of Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland’s greatest cities!
How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar with it?
I usually say we land somewhere in the middle of the sonic Atlantic Ocean [laughs]. There’s an equal measure of both American and British influence, so while it’s familiar it’s also uniquely my own new music. I write everything on an acoustic guitar, so there’s the traditional singer-songwriter element, but in the studio we were able to get creative, try new things, and add a progressive twist! I perform both solo and with a full band, so audiences can experience both the stripped down versions and more driven and layered versions of the songs.
What drew you to the genre / instruments you’re playing right now?
The Beatles, John Lennon specifically. The first time I saw that promo video for “Revolution” it completely blew my mind. I was very young when my dad showed me that the first time, probably when Anthology was released in the ‘90s. I still get the same chills hearing the intro to that song. From there I was always attracted to the guitar, not just as a tool to perform and write, but also as a piece of artwork. The machines themselves are beautiful. I’m a bit of a collector at this point, with some vintage instruments and amplifiers, but my number one is a cherry red Gibson ES-355 that I used all over this latest record. I think the ever-changing sounds of The Beatles and how they used their gear and the studio at Abbey Road had a massive influence on me wanting to write the style of music I do.
What inspires you to write music?
Absolutely everything. Lyrically, like most writers I do rely on personal experiences and past events to create storylines. Truthfully I think I’d be writing these things even without the guitar. It’s a genuine outlet and release for me to put pen to paper. I’m just lucky to have the instruments to complete the puzzles! However, as I’ve grown and gotten deeper into songwriting I try to keep an open eye and ear to look and listen for things the majority of people might just pass by. From a musical standpoint, I’m not a “trained” musician in that I didn’t go to school or take any sort of regimented music lessons. Since the first time I picked up a guitar my goal was never technical proficiency or mastery, rather it was to always write or create something new! I think that is what really pushes me, trying to find a cool chord or something that I haven’t discovered yet in the 12 notes.
Would you tell us about your current project, album/EP, or song you’re promoting?
The current single we’re promoting is called “A Point of No Return” which will be out on March 29! It’s the first single from a record called Rose Gold that we’ll be releasing later his year on H1 Massive records. It sort of came about in two parts, the main skeleton of the song, the lyrics and chords, were written separately from the driving riff that listeners will hear throughout the number. They fit so well together, I’m really pleased with how they meshed! It’s a song based on personal experience; a couple days in New York with a lost love, and reminiscing on certain details from that time. At its core it’s sort of a traditional singer-songwriter, guitar and vocal tune, but we added tons of layers to take listeners on a genuine sonic experience. It’s a great starting point for Rose Gold, a record with several memorable twists and turns that I hope will excite listeners and entice them to press the repeat button!
What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your music?
For me music has always been a way of feeling like I’m not going through life alone. In both life’s brightest and heaviest situations throughout this journey there has always been a soundtrack that brought inspiration, understanding, wisdom, empathy, and/or peace. If it reaches an individual and can make them smile, or keep going, or takes them to a place where they can forget about the daily grind for a few minutes and lose themselves in the songs, that to me is the ultimate take away.
But once I release these songs, they don’t really belong to me any more. They’re for everyone else to listen and dissect and enjoy. It’s actually quite beautiful that an individual can find something so personal to them in a song that I might have written about something completely different. That’s really where the meaning comes from though once the songs are out there, the listeners’ experiences, not mine. As a songwriter, I may not have any idea what someone who is listening to my music may be going through, but how it affects them and what they take away from it based on their life experiences is what the song becomes about. That’s what makes this such a gorgeous art form.
Who are your top three artists right now? If that’s not a fair question, what’s your favorite song right now?
I love this question! So I have my historic top bands that are always on the record player, and some new favorites that I’ve been really enjoying. Like I mentioned it all started with The Beatles, so they’re sort of above the top ranking for me; let’s talk about some other favorites. Doves out of Manchester, England was a massively important band to me growing up, specifically the Lost Souls record. Also, Wilco! I’ve probably seen them more than any other band, and I don’t think there’s a band that has worked harder to achieve their success and longevity! Radiohead is certainly another band that I love, and, like Wilco, how they’ve reinvented their sound several times over their history is so inspiring.
One of my favorite new bands is a group out of Lincoln, UK called LaVire. We happened to play a show with them last year in London and were completely blown away. They’re just phenomenal people and bring this high energy heavy rock to their songs. We’ve remained friends and I’m hoping we can share a bill together in the future. Jamie Webster is another artist I love out of Liverpool. He’s an absolute inspiration, and has been putting out songs that are instant classics the last couple of years.
What’s the easiest way for fans to connect with you?
I would love to connect with new fans on Instagram or Facebook! My Instagram handle is @joey_wit and FB is facebook.com/joeywitmusic, but all of my social media links are accessible via joeywit.com
Homepage: https://joeywit.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Joey_wit
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joeywitmusic
H1 Massive Artist Page: https://h1massive.com/artist/joey-wit/
What’s next for you?
I have a very big and busy spring ahead! We’ll be putting out five new singles leading up to the Rose Gold record release this fall. I’ll also be hitting the road/airways in support of Joel Hoekstra (Trans-Siberian Orchestra/Whitesnake) and Brandon Gibbs (Devil City Angels/Poison) on a UK & Ireland tour this May and June. After that we’ve got some domestic dates planned, as well as a ton of new material to record. We’ve also got some incredibly fun live dates in brand new cities that are still being worked out for 2024/25 that we’ll have lots more information to share soon on the socials!
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
I’d just like to say thank you for the great questions! I am excited to connect with some new listeners and for all the new music coming out this year. I hope to see you all at some of the live shows.
Bio:
With a story as unique as his sound, Joey Wit’s journey has been one of unrivaled adventure. After a tragic injury derailed his professional baseball career, Joey turned his focus to his greatest passion; music. Drawing on influences from classic rock n’ roll to modern alternative, Wit’s songwriting skills are steeped in story with timeless stops and lyrical journey. For the American singer/songwriter there is no greater thrill than performing his songs to a live audience. Featuring the single “Reconsider,” his debut record Eastern Standard has garnered extensive radio play on the indie rock circuit. Having already achieved a Radio Indie Alliance top 75 single with “Leave It To Me”, Wit’s anticipated sophomore effort Rose Gold will be released in 2024; including contributions from 2015 Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ricky Byrd (Joan Jett & The Blackhearts) as well as Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, Mr. Big).
