Josephine Luhman began releasing music as her artistic alter ego, Josephine, in 2022. From a handful of singles to the recent release of her debut EP, Leaning, this Chicago-based indie songwriter finds strength through the vulnerability in her songwriting and voice. Josephine began learning music in a Minnesota church where her mother was a pastor. As a child, she taught herself to play piano and sing. As a teen, she learned to play guitar and navigate GarageBand. Over time, these self-taught endeavors led her to begin focusing her solo career during lockdown in 2020. 

While Josephine is an extension of Josephine Luhman, she has an all-star team of talented individuals working behind and supporting her. Her band Emma McCall (guitar), Stuart MacFayden (bass), Kyle Mursiak (keys/guitar), and Sarah Weddle, Chris Deporter, or Ricardo Herrera on drums, as well as guitar on Leaning by Kristyn Chapman helps evolve the complete identity of Josephine. 

Leaning follows the emotional and personal arc Josephine experienced after a harsh break up. It explores the full story, from initial heartbreak to relief and clarity. Josephine hopes that listeners will find themselves in the emotions and be able to relate to its notion. On Leaning, Josephine shares, “Heartbreak is universal but it sure doesn’t feel like that when you're in the thick of it. … I think vulnerability makes a song 'human' and, in turn, able to relate to. You remember the moments when you’ve put your feelings on the line, you know?"

The warmly spacious “How I Love You” and hypnotic “Normal” gave listeners a first look into the driving guitars, lush harmonies, and romantic lyrics to expect in Leaning. Released on February 23, Josephine’s debut EP is out for your listening pleasure.

In the midst of all the excitement, Thirteen Magazine was able to chat with Josephine about Leaning, the shifts she’d made in her career, and what we can expect from this indie songwriter in 2024. Read all about it below!

THIRTEEN: Hi Josephine! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for us! Could you tell us a little bit more about who you are?

JOSEPHINE: Hi Thirteen Magazine! I’m an independent artist living in Chicago but I grew up in Minnesota. I’ve always been enthralled by music and trying to create with it since I was young. 12 year old me would come up with weird little songs about love or hardship without experiencing it yet. I believe I was trying to mimic the themes I heard in songs being played around me. I am someone who’s interested in the relationships between people and how we treat one another. We create stories together. That’s what I tend to write about. 

THIRTEEN: You announced your debut EP, Leaning, last fall and it’s almost here! What has the process been like?

JOSEPHINE: The process has been emotionally interesting. I started writing the songs while going through a break up, from being in the thick of it, to accepting it. Then bringing the songs to the band and playing them live at shows. It felt pretty scary at first to show people but I didn’t want to think about it too long because it felt good to get them out of my own world. Then started the recording process for How I Love You and Normal last spring, and eventually got around to Another and Only I Carried. The recording/engineering part of the EP took a lot of back and forth, adding a bunch of sounds and taking them out. It’s that stage of correction but not perfection because that’s not real. I had to get it right and at the same time, it had to feel right. Now that they’re all done, ready to be out, I feel proud and excited for where they’ll go and who they’ll reach. 

THIRTEEN: Could you expand a little more on the EP itself and its tracks?

JOSEPHINE: “Leaning” deals with heartbreak and all the feelings/stages that come with it. The first track “How I Love You" I actually wrote while I was still with this person and clearly very much in love with them. There was this disconnection looming in the relationship but I didn’t know why and thought that throwing all of myself into this person would help. After it ended, I added the bridge that says despite what they did, I still meant everything I said. “Normal" was written afterwards when I was really upset and exhausted from feeling like shit. I was so over being a mess, I just did not want to deal with it anymore. And I was annoyed that this person had so much control over how I felt. Just wanted to get back to myself, hence the chorus. “Another” is about whoever’s next. Will my ex treat them the same way? Is there a pattern? I think everyone has those questions about an ex. It’s also just about the pain of getting your heart broken and even though that’s a part of life that helps you grow, it hurts and sucks majorly, I don’t wish that on another person. Finally the ending track, “Only I Carried”. Sweet, short and still a little sad lol. It’s a song of realization, surrender and relief. It’s like opening the blinds. The relationship wasn't even, it wasn't fair, but it’s not mine anymore and that’s redeeming. 

THIRTEEN: It’s noted that the EP is the result of a personal and emotional arc after a breakup. Is this one breakup in particular or any you’ve faced in your life?

JOSEPHINE: This is one particular breakup. For sure I’ve written songs about past relationships and their endings but nothing ever hit as hard as this recent one. This was my longest relationship in life thus far so it stung the most to find out the reason they were so distant was because they weren’t being, for lack of better words, faithful. 

THIRTEEN: If it’s someone specific, what’s one thing you’d want to tell them now?

JOSEPHINE: Listen to the EP. 

THIRTEEN: Do you feel the official release of this EP will allow you to fully let go of the emotions you experienced during the breakup and/or will it help you come to terms with them?

JOSEPHINE: The release and its whole creation has absolutely helped me come to terms with the emotions I’ve experienced. As far as fully letting go, I don’t think so. I know I will get to that point eventually in life but that’s going to take time naturally. I feel grateful that music is my outlet when it comes to healing. This EP did wonders that I’ll probably continue to reap its benefits as time goes on and in ways I haven’t discovered yet. I think in a way, Leaning is my “closure”.

THIRTEEN: If you wanted someone to truly understand the emotions of this EP, what song should they listen to?

JOSEPHINE: That is tricky. I think you do have to listen all the way through and go on its journey to truly understand the emotions. But I would say either Normal because of its more intense lyrics about upset or Only I Carried for its soft yet resolving sound. Even though the lyrics may seem a bit vague in the short song I think they’re telling of heartbreak and acceptance of it. 

THIRTEEN: It sounds like a lot of this EP was recorded at home. Why did you choose this route over professional equipment? What are the pros and cons to doing it on your own?

JOSEPHINE: So actually, the only recording done at home were the vocals and some guitar parts. I demoed all of the songs on my own in Logic at home then the actual recording was mostly done at Palisade Studios and our practice space with Alex Burns. There are so many pros to recording vocals at home, I can spend as much time on them as I like and explore. I can get out of my comfort zone vocally while being in the comforts of my bedroom. Con is that my room is not a soundproof vocal booth. And living in an old Chicago apartment my walls and windows aren’t insulated well so a mic will pick up a lot of noise. Thank you Alex for mixing out the sounds of cars passing by and the loud air turning on and off in my apartment. 

THIRTEEN: You are also quite self-taught in many aspects of music. How do you feel this helped shape your career into what it is now?

JOSEPHINE: Learning to create music on your own at first stems from pure curiosity and craving to make the sounds playing in your head. Once I started gathering those tools, there was this playground I was beginning to build. Eventually working with other musicians or producers taught me so much more and opened my world up even more. This helped me become a musician that isn’t afraid to ask for input or help. The curiosity and wanting to explore what I can do with music will always keep me playing. 

THIRTEEN: Previously, you went by Joz instead of Josephine. Why did this switch feel important to you?

JOSEPHINE: Going by Josephine was a product of lockdown and really wanting change. I think the  “Joz” part of my life/career was fun and explorative. I was 19/20 years old, the age where life isn’t serious and you’re living in this hilarious naive bubble. But after living in lockdown, I wanted to take myself more seriously and decided to go by my first name. The music became less pop and more indie.

THIRTEEN: Congratulations on Leaning, we are big fans here at Thirteen Magazine. What do you have planned for 2024?

JOSEPHINE: So far for 2024 I plan on recording a couple live video sessions, playing out of Chicago for the first time on a mini Midwest Tour, and beginning a new project. This new year has a good feeling about it. I’m going into it with open arms!