October 18, 2018

Meet Joshua Serrano

Local Stories

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

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born in and raised in Austin, Tx. My older brother bought me my first guitar when I was 10. It changed my life. After that, I played in hardcore punk bands mostly. One year, a friend recorded our band in a garage and played us back the tracks. I remember wishing the recordings sounded different. I thought if I only knew how, I would make them punchier, heavier, more in your face.

I grew out of that phase, mostly, and eventually learned how to navigate a digital audio workspace. That was around the time I was graduating high school. I would record my sisters talking to one another and have their conversations play along instrumental tracks. I didn’t know it then, but I had begun sampling.

My interest in music exploded when I got to college. I could stay up all night in the dorm, working on beats, recording folks in the hall, and even producing my own songs. This was all just for fun. Until I stopped playing in hardcore bands altogether, and the pressure of becoming an adult started to catch up with me.

I was kicked out of the University of Texas San Antonio because of a zero-tolerance policy. I did well in school, but that didn’t matter. So I applied to UNT and moved to Denton. I had known I wanted to play music and that was a good town to do it. I made friends, sure, but I wasn’t exactly in a healthy state of mind. A lot of personal things were happening, and I felt like I losing control over my life. Long story short, I withdrew from school and ended up back at my parents’ home in Austin. I was 19. I think it was 2012. I must have worked three different jobs, while I making up my mind about school.

Back home, I had a high school best friend who had also gotten interested in production. If he wasn’t in Austin with me during that time, I’m not sure I would be where I am today. We collaborated on a lot of music together. We learned a lot from each other about production and life. We got to watch the explosion of chillwave and spun a lot of 80’s revival, French house, hip-hop, rap, and r&b. The guy taught me side-chain compression.

Learning audio production, engineering and being able to get something from my head into somebody else’s was instrumental in getting my groove back and figuring out what I wanted from life. I went back to UNT, changed my major, made a lot of great friends and connections, started bands, played a ton of shows, saw the DFW scene for what it could be. Through all that, the best time I had with music still came from recording and producing in privacy. I would record late after parties, in the mornings when I should have been in class. You get the idea. It became an obsession, a way to sort through my problems and express myself. I’ve spent the years since writing and recording hundreds of songs, really learning the industry and honing the technical aspects involved in audio engineering, production, and recording. The term lo-fi used to follow my music like a shadow, but those days are long gone. Enter Coach.

Please tell us about your art.
I produce pop music. I use synthesizers, keyboards, and samplers and record in my studio built into a walk-in closet at my North Dallas apartment. Music has always been a way I’ve been able to feel understood by people. I was a shy kid. I learned people liked being entertained. Not that I make music as a means of validation, but I have a skill, and I want to use that to bring people together. If there’s anything I want for my art to project, it is the idea of togetherness. I want to bring people together, and showcase people’s skills, I want to have fun and try my hardest to make something genuine and show people that I believe in myself and that I believe in them.

My loved ones are my greatest inspiration. I feed so much of the emotions of others. Unfortunately, I don’t feel so great at articulating my feelings. It can feel like a lot of weight sometimes, but making tracks has always solved that issue. I hope my songs resonate with people; I want to make a song that makes them feel closer to me when they hear it. I also want people to have fun. That’s second most important.

What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
The internet is flooded with talent. Collaboration, getting a platform and developing a brand are easier than ever. A lot of people see that as a reason to get competitive and shoot shots at artists who are just after the same thing they are. I feel blessed that I can make music on a computer. That I’ve always been able to. That I have the luxury to explore more analog methods. That my iPhone shoots 4k and has a wonderful mic for sampling. Dallas has so much talent on the come up. It blows my mind. Really, I extend that to DFW; I just think artists need to support one another more and create safe environments for people to enjoy their craft. I can’t wait to work with more artists and creatives. I want others to share my excitement.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I just released my new album “Fantasy Violence” last month. The response has been great and I’m excited for more people to hear it. You can find it on my Bandcamp, where merch will soon be available after the drop. Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, wherever people stream music.

I stay in close contact with anyone who follows me. Having people who support me, makes all of this have a purpose. I’m already getting ready to drop new singles. I don’t plan on slowing down.

Contact Info:

Website: ccoach.bandcamp.com
Email: coachpopstar@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachpopstar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachpopstar
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachpopstar
Other: soundcloud.com/coachpopstar

Image Credit:
Daniel Alexis Martinez

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

2 Comments

Mariah Santos

October 18, 2018 at 3:58 pm

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Joshua. As one of your Austin fans, your story and music alone make us feel close to you. Your music not only draws people together, but cities too in this case. Thank you for expressing yourself so articulately in your writings and in your beats. I loved what you said about artists needing to support one another. That is EXACTLY what this world needs. You are a true gem to Texas, this nation, and society in general. Keep making music. The world needs to hear what you have to say.

Reply
Kelly Mata

October 19, 2018 at 3:08 pm

Josh is talented, kind & humble. I love that his first guitar came from his big bro- I also love that his family is his biggest cheerleader. I live that his relationship with his HS friend helped him in a gap time. Way to go & Way to show Josh – it’s your time to Glow!

Reply