London to LA. The singer on how an encounter changed his life, and his move into fashion.
You were very successful in London, how come you decided to move to LA?
To be honest the move was an accident. As soppy as it may sound I fell in love with this amazing chick who is now my wife. She had work commitments in LA so she couldn’t move to me and we didn’t’ want do the long distance thing. I was very lucky that I could live wherever I wanted due to the nature of my career so I thought ‘fuck it’ and moved! After that year we both enjoyed the weather and food so much that we didn’t end up moving to London which was the original plan.
What would you say are the most surprising differences between London and LA?
The music scene is very different. I find it a lot more difficult to find good new bands here. As a Londoner I’ve been spoilt with great music and great music venues without even really realising it. Another surprising and big difference for me was the struggle I have in finding a decent roast dinner (unless of course its thanks giving). With no disrespect intended, the people of California can’t make a good roast for shit!
Music is a huge part of your life now, is that something that you always anticipated?
Absolutely, family and music have always and always will be the main things in my life.
Who are your main musical influences?
I love this question! I get asked it a lot yet I still struggle with an answer that isn’t 10 pages long. To name a few I would have to say Nirvana, Ray Charles, Jack White, The Beatles, Bob Marley, Jeff Buckley, Paul Simon, Deftones, Led Zeppelin & Elton John but that’s a really stripped back list of my musical influences .
Is there anyone in the music industry that you would love to work with?
Yes, I would love to work with Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl, for completely separate reasons.
A move to Nashville is on the cards, what’s the appeal?
It’s real! It’s more real than any big city I have ever been to. I love it.
You’re married to Shenae Grimes. How did you meet the actress best known for playing Annie on 90210?
We met through a mutual friend in NYC. Long story short the night we met changed my life and there was no going back for me. We just clicked, no doubt.
Is Shenae your muse?
Hell yeah she is. She inspires me every day and I hope I do the same for her. She is so much more than an actress; she is incredibly smart and very creative. A lot of people would say we were pretty young to get married but for me it’s not too young at all. Now I have the pleasure of watching her grow.
Two Halves is a brand that you and your wife work on together. How did the brand come about and what is it like working together?
Working together is a wish come true. We really bounce of each other’s ideas which really helps when working on a project with someone. Also getting to spend all your time with your best mate is an added bonus! The name of the brand came from us both having half signs tattooed behind our ears. Read into that what you will.
How do you anticipate the brand will evolve?
We are already evolving which is great. We are starting to work with denim and leather now so hopefully we can start selling pieces from those materials in the store in the future.
How much of your personal style is reflected in Two Halves?
Big chunks. We wanted everything we design and sell to be garments that we would rock all the time and that if we saw our garments in a store we would want to buy them. There is really no point in having a brand that you can’t relate to or don’t think is cool, is there?
What else can we expect to see in the future from Josh Beech?
I am now working on a solo record and plan to tour the USA and UK early next year. More details on that to follow through my social media shortly. I am also beginning to write songs for other artists which is really exciting and a new way of song writing for me.
Interview & grooming by Amanda Bell
Photography by Andrea Vecchiato
other models: Andrew Hussey @ Next, Amber