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Josh Savage isn’t your average touring musician. He likes to do things differently and hopes he encourages other musicians to try something new too. In 2015 he played in 79 living rooms across America and Europe over 5 months and has made a film about the whole adventure. We chat to Josh about what sparked the idea, how he planned it all…and any awkward moments.

How long have you been playing as a musician and playing live shows?
I played piano from the age of 4 and picked up trumpet, guitar and sang in choirs later on. I played my first gig at 17 but I didn't really throw myself into it until I was 21.

Where did the idea to tour stranger’s living rooms come from?
What's frustrating about gigs these days is that people don't seem to be there for music anymore. They text, get drunk or talk over the music so Sofar Sounds came up with a solution.

Sofar Sounds organise intimate shows all around the world and they are an effective way for new artists to play to new faces. You are guaranteed an attentive audience and I love playing Sofar shows so much that I've now played 43 Sofar shows worldwide. Even though you're playing to less people in living rooms, you are playing to more attentive ears and the experience is more enjoyable for both artist and audience. That's what inspired me to dedicate my tours in fans' homes and with Sofar Sounds.

So, you’ve played SXSW and Sofar Sounds shows…do you still get the same kind of buzz playing in people’s living rooms? 
They are different and both enjoyable in their own way. Living room shows are actually more terrifying than shows in live music venues because you are more exposed without the comfort of a stage or a microphone. However, it allows you to interact better and create a more meaningful connection with your audience.

What are the biggest and smallest living room audiences you’ve played to?
200 and 5.

How did the payments work with the shows? 
I put a hat round for donations and that tends to do the trick. Some music venues today are struggling so much that there often isn't any guaranteed payment. You may need to hire the venue and the sound engineer and for some gigs you're expected to bring a certain number of audience in order to cover costs. This isn't realistic when you're starting out, especially in new cities on tour.

At living room shows, you don't have that pressure. All you need to do is turn up and play and your living room hosts often feed you and give you a place to crash. Funnily enough, you sell more CDs to smaller audiences in living rooms than in live music venues.

What’s your favourite living room gig you’ve played so far and why?
There was a huge living room I played at in London. So big that I could comfortably fit my band and a small orchestra. There's a video of it here. 

Any weird or awkward moments?
Once in the middle of a living room show in Wakefield, two dogs chose a spot in between me and the audience to start humping each other. Pets are always unpredictable. In Nashville, we had to have a short interval after my first song because someone was locked in the toilet.

How did the idea to film it come about?
Talented videographer Duncan Trevithick, who I knew from college, approached me after my America tour and offered to make a film of me. I told him about this living room tour coming up and invited him out on the road. Pursuing anything creative for a living is tough and takes a lot of courage and we made this film to inspire people to take that leap of faith.

Who was involved in your touring crew, was it just yourself and Duncan?
Usually it's just me but Duncan joined me for mainland Europe and my sister Aniya Savage joined me for UK on my most recent tour.

The film was released this November, a year on from the tour - what have the reactions been like?
3 weeks in and the 15 minute film has been viewed 5,000 times and featured in the Huffington Post and Reverbnation. People have messaged me to say it's inspired them to go on their own little adventure and this means a lot to me and Duncan.

You’re spreading a great message to other musicians - to try something new and that you don’t need a label or booking agent to get gigs and exposure! What are your goals as a musician?
I don't plan too far ahead but eventually I'd like to tour the world with my band and a string ensemble. I'd like to have a team around me so I can spend more time on music rather than admin but I'm not too worried about that. For now, I'm set to release a new single and a new EP in 2017 and my goals are to finish writing my debut album and to keep an eye out for a manager.

You’re currently booking another Living Room Tour for January and February 2017. How is that going?
The tour is filling up quick and I have a few more dates left to fill. I invite fans to host a show on my living room tour via my social media and my mailing list and work a route around the offers.

What advice do you have for upcoming artists who are just starting to think about touring or even playing their first gig?
I highly recommend living room shows. When you're starting out, the key is playing as many shows as possible, learning from them and meeting new people. It's competitive out there so play to your strengths and do something different from the crowd. Give back to your musical community in any way you can. Most importantly, enjoy the journey not the destination.

Check out the film of Josh’s living room gigs below. In contrast to living rooms, Josh has a ‘proper’ gig in a music venue on 19th January; a single launch with his full band at 229 in London. Pick up tickets here. You can read more of his American adventures on Josh's blog here.

The Living Room Tour from Duncan Trevithick on Vimeo.

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