Despite it being his debut album, Brandon Joseph is looking to shake up expectations with Before You Go. “When people find out I’m a musician, their first assumption is that I rap, or make R&B music, based off of the way that I look,” the California-based artist known mononymously as Brandon shared upon the record’s initial announcement last month. “But I want to inspire kids who look like me to make whatever music they want.”
For Brandon, that sense of freedom has manifested itself in a highly contemporary offshoot of R&B that may have more in common with some of the acoustic indie-pop previously released by his new label home of Secretly Canadian. Before You Go’s second single “September” even has a hint of emo to it between its visceral lyrical longing and the noodling guitars heard deep in the spectral mix of ambient sound the track is steeped in. “‘September’ is about moving into the unknown,” the songwriter shares. “There can be so much uncertainty in relationships. I think sometimes dwelling in uncertainty can make you go crazy. Trying to control the outcome of things you don’t have control over won’t get you anywhere, but all you can do is have hope that things don’t change—and if they do, they change for the better.”
The haunting sound of the single also informs the mood of its video, which sees Joseph alone in a dimly lit house as his vocals mournfully anticipate the imminent end of a relationship. Check that out below, and pre-order Before You Go here.
