Billboard talked with Joshua Radin about Onward and Sideways, his recently released new album.
Your sixth album, Onward and Sideways, debuts at No. 49 on the Billboard 200. What inspired the making of the record?
This album is about a very special lady who I met about six years ago. We were platonic friends for about five years. This is the way I decided to get her to try to fall romantically in love with me. Every day she would come home from work and I’d try and have something new to play her to express the way I feel. I’m not incredibly good at making myself vulnerable when speaking with someone.
Exclusive: Listen to Joshua Radin’s ‘Beautiful Day’ Featuring Sheryl Crow
The album features “Beautiful Day,” a duet with Sheryl Crow, which was originally released as a solo track on your previous album. How did that come about?
I had recorded the song for [2013’s] Wax Wings. When I heard that Subaru wanted to use it for a car commercial, I wanted to rerecord part of the vocals as a duet. I’ve always been such a big fan of Sheryl since opening for her on tour years ago. She did it in one take over a Skype session, and boom — done.
After years on Mom + Pop you released this album yourself. Would you ever go to a label?
Yeah. Every deal is different, and times change constantly. I would never say never, but I love where I’m at right now, being able to call all the shots and control 100 percent of my creative output. I don’t have eight guys coming into the studio and saying, “What about this?” and none of them are musicians.
This story first appeared in the Jan. 24 issue of Billboard.