Melbourne artist San Joseph today releases his new single ‘How To Miss You’ and its accompanying music video. Receiving its First Play on triple j’s home and hosed with Declan Byrne, the alt-pop artist’s third official release arrives while San Joseph is supporting UK breakout artist Tom Grennan on his Australian Tour. 

‘How To Miss You’ is the work of a musician who is carving a cohesive sonic lane for himself. The song is a refreshing take on the aftermath of heartache, one that sheds negative energy amidst a wave of rejuvenating sounds. 

“It represents new beginnings and just generally feeling amazing,” San Joseph says about the song, which is appropriate for a year that has followed a period of global turmoil with music of optimism and recklessness. It’s both an escape for the listener and a reminder to harness those moments when equilibrium returns. “Sometimes the monotony of heartbreak can become a tedious pain in the ass, so I wanted to make something to celebrate the shedding of all that dead weight,” he adds.

‘How To Miss You’ follows on from previous singles ‘Blink Twice’ and ‘Everything In The Room’, opening his musical soundscape more than ever. On the surface, the song is a generous earworm, but dig a little deeper and you’re rewarded with rich soundscapes and vivid lyrics. 

The accompanying music video was directed by Charles Buxton-Leslie (G Flip, ASHWARYA, Yergurl) and sees San Joseph dancing with light-hearted, elation along to his nostalgia-inducing Walkman as well as watching a figure skater perform. It embodies the sentiment of the track and that hit of happiness experienced when an emotional weight has been lifted. 

Charles explains, ” We wanted the video to be fun and light. like the track and really encapsulate the feeling of what the song is about. San Joseph brought so much character and energy to his performance, he was confident and willing to try bold things. Shooting on 16mm film meant we had a limited amount of footage for each scene, but San Joseph nailed incredible moments in every single take.”

‘How To Miss You’ was written with LA-based production duo PARKWILD (Griff, Morgxn). Their fast-paced working nature meant there was no time for overthinking, and it led to direct, stream-of-consciousness song writing. The song was then produced by Dylan Nash (Meg Mac, Gretta Ray), with the pair taking their time to capture the energy of the original writing session within the production. The composition melds warm acoustics with engaging synths that pulsate the song along. It somehow manages to sound both blissful and triumphant. 

“[We] tried to balance acoustic/electronic elements while making something that really hits listeners in the soul,” San Joseph notes. “The tug of war between sincerity and ‘vibe’ was something we spent a lot of time trying to nail.”

San Joseph is eager to take it to the “next level” now. He’s been writing a lot of new music and is currently eyeing the release of his debut EP which is being worked on in London with Nash.

SAN JOSEPH

SUPPORTING TOM GRENNAN

Thu 22 Sept – Max Watts – Melbourne VIC

Sat 24 Sept – Factory Theatre – Sydney NSW

  Sun 25 Sept – The Triffid – Brisbane QLD

Watch ‘How To Miss You’ Official Video Here:

ABOUT SAN JOSEPH

It may be early days for the San Joseph project, but music has been at the centre of his universe for a while now. He started playing music when he was 13 and even toured with a pop-punk project while he was in high school.

With just a few releases to his name, the praise is already mounting for San Joseph. triple j presenter Declan Byrnedeclared that he was “ready to explode” while tastemakers Pilerats, Purple Sneakers, and NME have also been enamoured by his initial drops. His previous track ‘Blink Twice’ was added to triple j rotation and has amassed over 600k streams. 

San Joseph is attracted to artists who sit just outside the fringes of pop’s epicentre. He’s inspired by Rina Sawayama’s live show and counts MUNA, The 1975, and Remi Wolf amongst his favourite recent releases. Akin to these artists, his music delivers slippery hooks and immediate connection, while still challenging what it is to be a pop song.