Growing up
Josh was born and raised in Canada to parents already familiar with the music industry. His father, in particular, was a seasoned veteran and still is to this day – his current role being the Senior Vice President of Global Touring for Live Nation, Los Angeles. This connection to the industry cultivated Josh’s love of music throughout his childhood, leading him to build a successful award-winning career in later life.
Beginnings
Josh started his music career in 2007 while he attended Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. By booking artists and promoting club shows and venues, he managed to garner an impressive list of artists that he worked with locally and across Canada, including LMFAO, Deadmau5, Avicii, Steve Aoki, Tiësto, Mstrkrft, Wolfgang Gartner, Porter Robinson, Crystal Castles, of Montreal, Down with Webster, RJD2, and Zeds Dead.
Somehow, he still had the time to graduate with a degree in Business Management in 2011… and raise $30,000 for charity.
Next steps
Encouraged by his father, Josh started working as a Live Nation Tour Rep, living on a Tour Bus and traveling across North America with artists such as Pitbull, Kesha, Black Sabbath, Prince, and LMFAO. During that time, he built his own management company and transitioned into artist management after founding STRVCTVRE in 2012. Some of the first acts he worked with included DVBBS, Bogeous and Down with Webster.
Building momentum
From there, Josh went from strength to strength, which eventually catapulted him into the mainstream with DVBBS as a production/DJ duo, building a discography that awarded them group Platinum sales across dozens of countries and online streaming services. However, the road getting there wasn’t easy. The group built their audience organically through road-trips, living out of a truck, and playing to growing crowds in each city they visited, but it was the EP ‘Inito’ and the chart-topping single ‘Tsunami’ in 2013 when they finally got their big break.
Making it
After the hit EP, Josh and DVBBS toured non-stop, performing at festivals and nightclubs in over 70 countries. In part, their success came from Josh’s incredible marketing skills, which has seen the platinum-selling ‘Tsunami’ single remixed and featured with English rapper Tinie Tempah. It then topped the UK Singles and UK Dance charts, which means DVBBS is one of only thirteen Canadian artists to chart at #1 in the Official UK Singles Chart.
With these impressive credentials, it’s no wonder Tsunami received a Juno Awards nomination for Dance Recording of the Year in 2018. However, that isn’t the only success Josh has achieved. Not only is he a five-time Juno Nominee, but he also won the DJ Award for Best Electro/Progressive House in 2015, CMW 2019 Indie Awards Single of the Year, and the Best New Group Canadian Radio Music Awards 2018.
Recent projects
Not one to stay idle, in 2015 Josh managed and launched record label Kanary Music, which was DVBBS’s record label for that time. In September 2017, he opened a nightclub in Toronto called Liar Liar, winning the Night Club of the Year from the Notable Awards. In the same year, he partnered his company STRVCTVRE with Patriot Management, which is a Live Nation Company who currently manage DVBBS alongside other artists such as Swedish House Mafia, Skrillex, Pharrell Williams, Backstreet Boys, One Republic, N.E.R.D., The Offspring, and Jordan Solomon.
Now
Some of Josh’s ventures include Daisy, a Toronto cocktail lounge that turns into table service in the evenings. His move into the hospitality industry comes as he looks to turn his attentions to other passions and interests, and we can expect to see more from him in this field in the future.
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.