Emerging indie talent Josie Proto releases “Burner” – the third single from her upcoming debut EP Pub Songs: Volume 1.
An intriguing young artist, “Burner” is another exciting window into the unique world of Josie Proto and her witty storytelling. Reminiscent of “Foundations” era Kate Nash, Josie’s lyrical style – conversational, occasionally tongue-in-cheek – shines across “Burner”’s blend of dinky pianos, sunny guitar strums and Josie’s quintessentially British vocal delivery.
Of “Burner” – written by Josie with Ben Matravers, brother of Easy Life’s Murray Matravers – Josie explains: “I wrote ‘Burner’ with Ben Matravers in March. A lot of false information was being spread about COVID-19 and we were both experiencing similar feelings of escapism. The song came about because we felt inclined to use social media due to its benefits, despite having to deal with its consequences. Jokingly, we wrote about the idea that the only way to escape social media was to ‘live in a cave’. Our intention was to write a song that felt like a release rather than an attack on social media. The video was created completely in lockdown. With a little help from my sister and my iPhone, I recorded and edited ‘Burner’ in my local field and my back garden! I wanted to create something that people would laugh at and enjoy watching. ‘Not taking myself too seriously’ was the idea I was going for!”
Garnering instant validation from Gen-Z internet, Josie’s debut song “BTEC Lily Allen” immediately went viral across Tik Tok to rack up over half a million views, thanks to the track’s universally relatable message of not giving in to hateful criticisms and learning to be your own biggest fan. The track also resonated with the real Lily Allen herself, who Josie now also counts as part of her rapidly growing fanbase.
With international support rolling in from tastemakers like CLASH Magazine and Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1, Josie has quickly accumulated 200K+ Spotify streams for her music, with her Tik Tok videos reaching almost 5M plays and countless cover versions of her songs popping up – proof that she’s a future emotional hero in the making for the younger generation with her sharp, amusing storytelling capturing everyday experiences and turning them into exciting, light-hearted forms of escapism.
Inspired by the vulnerability of Carole King and Nina Simone as well as the everyday relatability of Madness, at just 19 years old the British teen is taking all these formative sounds and experiences somewhere new. And like those song writing greats who inspired her, it’s Josie’s multi-faceted approach to her craft – where the production, visuals and compelling storytelling all go hand-in-hand – that make her truly exciting.
