Life & Work with Joshua Bonnett of Los Angeles / OC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Bonnett.

Hi Joshua, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised during my early childhood in Phoenix, AZ. From a very young age, I fell in love with music. Hearing elders in my family play music from iconic artists such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Brandy, Chaka Khan, Boyz II Men, Aaliyah, Usher, and so many more definitely shaped my love for music, especially R&B and Soul. I began to foster a love for singing at the age of 6, when my older brother helped me discover that I could actually hold a note. He would record my other brother, himself, and me singing Michael Jackson, Usher, and Tyrese songs on a cassette tape recorder (I know, super throwback!). As I got older, I kept exploring my voice and continued to grow my love for singing. At the age of 9, I started writing my own songs in a notebook and would frequently rehearse the songs in my room, as if I would be performing them in front of crowds of people someday.

When I was 10 years old, my mom gave me a tape recorder that I’m pretty sure she bought from a yard sale. I immediately put it to use and started recording myself singing all the songs I had been writing in my notebook. I remember pretty much writing an entire album’s worth of songs and recording them on the tape recorder. I even wrote a full song list, gave the album a title, and even went as far as coming up with a record label that the album would be under. I let my Dad hear the album, and he was very impressed with it. He was really good with computers and technology and somehow was able to transfer the recordings from the tape recorder to his PC and burn them onto a CD for me to have. I felt like a real, legit artist, having my music on an actual CD. I even asked my Dad to make a few extra copies so I could give them to some friends and family. Funny enough, a few of those songs I wrote back then, I am planning to revisit, modify, and re-record them for an upcoming project I’m working on. That’s how good they were! Shortly after my 11th birthday, my older brother bought me my own recording equipment, including a studio mic, an audio interface, and my first DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), which was called Cool Edit Pro (now known as Adobe Audition). He taught me how to record myself and edit my own vocals. He helped me write multiple songs and record some of the songs I had on that tape recorder. My brother was definitely one of the driving forces that helped foster my passion for music and inspired me to keep pursuing it. He believed in me from day one, and still does to this day. I give him his flowers for not only being an amazing brother, but also one of my biggest fans and supporters.

When I was a freshman in high school, I continued to refine my craft for singing and started dabbling in rap as well. My aunt, who also has a great talent and ear for music, helped me form a group with two of my close cousins. We were called 3HB (3 Hot Boys). We actually started the group when I was in the 8th grade. My brother went to college in LA and stayed there after graduating, so my aunt drove my two cousins and me from Phoenix to LA one summer to record a short EP at my brother’s apartment in Burbank. I remember him taking us to see all the sights, such as the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, Rodeo Drive, and the Santa Monica Pier. I felt like a superstar being in LA as a teenager with my singing group, recording our first EP. Eventually, one of my cousins decided to leave the group (he was more interested in sports), so we added one of my close friends from freshman year in his place. We wrote and recorded new songs and continued growing as young artists. My aunt discovered that we had a distant relative who was an independent record label owner. He lived in Vegas and invited us to come out, do a radio interview, and perform at a showcase at the Plaza Hotel, right on the Strip. I was 15 years old at the time. We drove to Vegas with my aunt, my brother, and two of my cousins. My brother and one of my cousins who came with us were also on the lineup to perform at the event. We were all super excited and felt like this was a huge opportunity that could potentially lead to us getting a record deal. The radio interview was a great experience, and the performance was super fun. However, nothing else ended up transpiring from that trip. Even though we didn’t leave Vegas as signed artists, that was still a super memorable experience for me.

Later on in high school, I started exploring my faith more and ended up helping form a Christian Hip-Hop group called RARE (Rhythm & Rap Evangelists). I lived in San Antonio, TX, at the time, and we actually made a pretty decent name for ourselves locally in the city. We were frequently invited and requested to perform at multiple church events and other events, such as banquets and community events. We even performed at a couple of different school assemblies. At one event in particular, we caught the attention of two brothers who owned an indie label. They were impressed by our music and talent and also appreciated that we created positive and uplifting music about our faith. They expressed interest in wanting to sign us to their label. We had multiple meetings with them to discuss their vision and a game plan for creating our first potential album under the label. I was super excited because I was so close to finally being a signed artist, like I always dreamed of being. Unfortunately, my parents ultimately decided not to allow me to sign the deal. I was in my senior year of high school, and they wanted me to focus on graduating and going to college rather than signing a record deal. Since I wasn’t 18 yet at the time, I had no choice but to comply. The other group members ended up signing the deal, and I parted ways with the group once I transitioned to college, although I still maintained friendships with members of the group. The group went on to record one studio album with the label before realizing they had sold them a bunch of empty promises. There was very little marketing and promotion behind the album, and the little revenue that was made didn’t reach the pockets of anyone in the group.

During college, I ended up meeting three other students who were all a year older than me. The four of us formed a super close-knit friend group, discovered we all had a love and skill for music, and eventually formed a group called E5 Krew (the E standing for Ephesians, chapter 5 in the Bible). It was during this time that I started seriously getting into the production side of things. I produced several tracks along with another group mate who was also getting into producing. We remained a group pretty much throughout our entire time in college and recorded about three different albums. Once we all graduated, naturally, we ended the group, as the four of us went on different life paths. I still have pretty solid relationships with most of the group members to this day. After the group ended, I decided to keep creating music as a solo artist. I got heavier into producing and was producing my own songs, as well as beginning to produce tracks for other local artists. I got married not too long after I graduated college, and my wife at the time and I moved to Denver, Colorado, to start our lives together and pursue our careers. I worked in the education field, teaching and mentoring youth in the inner city, while still trying to create and put music out. In 2016, my first daughter was born, and life got really busy (in a good way!). Working full-time and now being a new Dad didn’t allow me a lot of time to make music, but I still found time to create. I wanted to do more and get out there more, but my main priority was my family, so I didn’t invest as much into my music as I could have. Throughout my 20s, I kept making music, but it was more of a side passion and pursuit for me at that point in my life.

A few years later, we moved to Amarillo, TX, and my second daughter was born in 2020. I was still doing music up until then, but not to the capacity that I desired. But 2020 was a pivotal year, not only in my life, but as a music creator as well. For all of my 20s, I had been doing the kind of music I felt everyone expected me to do, but it wasn’t truly and authentically me. I had gotten to the point where I was less of a singer and more of a rapper. I was creating Christian Hip-Hop music as a solo artist, which was cool, but it wasn’t really who I knew I wanted to ultimately be as an artist. This is not to say that it was all fake. The music I made speaking about my faith in Christ was real, but I knew deep down I didn’t want to solely make music about that. I started out writing and creating R&B music, but when I gave my life to Christ, I was pretty much discouraged from making that type of music because it was too “secular” or “worldly.” So, being the people pleaser that I was, I naturally stopped making music that wasn’t directly about my faith in Jesus. However, in 2020, I experienced an awakening that forced me to unlearn a lot of the toxic and somewhat manipulative theology I was taught as a young believer in the faith. After that, I slowly started allowing myself to get back to creating the kind of music I was naturally wired to make.

After moving to Los Angeles in 2024 and recently going through a divorce, I have had to persevere through many unexpected turns and life transitions. It definitely hasn’t been easy, but through all of my experiences, I have learned to better love and appreciate who God created me to be, not only as a man, but as an artist and creator. Even while being a father, working two jobs, and taking care of all the other responsibilities I have, I still make time to invest in my craft. I have been fortunate enough to break into the sync licensing world and have landed over 100 placements across multiple TV networks and streaming platforms. I also dropped a new single recently titled “I Can’t Read Your Mind.” I am currently working on a handful of new tracks that I plan to release in the near future as well. My ultimate goal is to make music my full-time career in the next three years. I am working one day at a time to reach that goal, and I know I will because I have a huge amount of drive and determination. Here’s to the journey, continued.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As an independent music artist and producer, who is also a parent and works a full time job, my biggest obstacle has been finding the time to still create and pursue my passion for music. My goal is to eventually replace my 9-5 income with income from my music. To be able to quit my traditional job and have the privilege of creating and sharing my music with the world for a living would be a dream come true. I know I will get there, and I am determined to make that happen. However, the road is not easy. I have to intentionally make time to create music and put myself out there as an artist and producer. Some days, after working a full day, all I feel like doing is resting and doing something that doesn’t require me to use much brain power. Despite feeling drained sometimes, I still push myself to produce tracks for TV and film, Produce for other artists, and write and record my own songs as an artist. Some days are easier than others to stay motivated, but I always try remind myself of my end goal, and why I am striving to get there.

Another thing that is challenging for me is the amount of rejections vs the amount of yes’s or approvals. I get far more rejections than I do approvals. It never feels good when you put in so much time and effort into creating something for an opportunity, only to be passed up for it, or told no. There have been times where the rejections have caused me to question my ability, and if I am even capable of making my dreams come true. I have not allowed those things to defeat me, though. More often than not, I try to use the rejections to fuel me into going harder after everything that’s mine!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an artist (R&B and Pop Music), as well as a producer/composer for artists and TV and Film. I love to create music. From producing the track, to writing the song, to recording the vocals, to performing live. Music is always on my mind, and I’m always hearing melodies, harmonies, and rhythmic patterns in my head!

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Thankfully, it wasn’t difficult for me to find a great mentor to guide me towards reaching my goals. My older brother Kevyn has always been my biggest mentor since I decided I wanted to pursue music. He has helped me grow into the singer I am now, through coaching, wisdom, and encouragement.

Pricing:

• Contact Me Directly For Pricing

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshua_b91
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-bonnett-698b7a84/