An anchored mindset that has led this Texas country music rising star from a drifter’s adolescence to the jeopardous game of the rodeo circuit to the punishing toil of the Texas oil fields, and on into the fickle arms of the music business. Some might argue whether it is having nine consecutive #1 hit singles in Texas under his belt that has garnered him staying power, or that he is killing it in the social media world with over 2 million views on YouTube and over 3 million streams globally on Spotify. Maybe it’s his 3 venerated album releases, or maybe because he can not only bat a full house on a 200 plus dates a year touring average, but also rope in crowds on a first time performance in an unfamiliar town. While impressive, all those distinctions can come and go in the world of music. The reason for his staying power turns out to be quite a simple one. And that is because Josh Ward is country music blood to bone, and both Josh Ward and country music are simply not going to go away.
Josh spent 2017 heavily touring off the strength of his previous album “Holding Me Together.” All six radio singles hit the #1 spot on the Texas Regional Radio Chart and Ward quickly found himself going from opening act to the headlining spot in a matter of months. But in the midst of his growing popularity, he gladly bent the knee to fellow country music artist and comrade Cody Johnson who introduced Ward to his West Coast audiences. Getting the chance to be endorsed by Cody Johnson and perform at sold out shows in brand new markets is the kind of opportunity music artists chomp at the bit to have. When Ward and his band returned to those areas a few months later all by their lonesome, he simply could not have guessed at the reception he would encounter. “When we went back to the West Coast by ourselves, it was sold out shows. I was literally blown away.” It was at that very point while far away from his familiar stomping grounds in Texas with new fans slapping him on the back that Ward knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his music was catching on in a big way.
The culmination of his radio success and his victories out on the road can easily be attributed to the actual man behind the music. In life, sometimes a person gets dealt a lean hand and has to choose his family from strangers along the way, people who make a conscious choice to take you under their wing and help guide you through life. Ward considers himself a very lucky man despite some rough teenage years. The love and support of his extended family and his chosen family was the concrete foundation he built
his life on, and his fans are a big part of that. It’s why they are drawn to him through the speakers, because he is what he sings. It’s why they are drawn to him from the stage, because he’s an old friend who’s come back to visit. He’s the animated truth of all he stands for, a self-made family man who always has a welcome smile and an open spot in the family. To his loyal fans he feels he owes everything. “Words can’t describe the emotion that gets put into these runs and the work that we do. And these people pay their hard earned money to see it every night. Thank you. Every time I step on stage, you guys remind me that I have more than I deserve.” And so his brand new album, so aptly named, is Ward’s dedication to his growing family.
“More Than I Deserve” marks Ward’s fourth full length album release and it will greet the fans on May 4, 2018. With the philosophy of “don’t fix what isn’t broken,” Ward went right back into the Rosewood studios where he recorded all his previous releases and joined producer Greg Hunt once again behind the board to create the next dimension of Josh Ward country music. The new album is 11 tracks strong featuring the signature instrumentation from guys like John Carroll (Cory Morrow) on guitar, Nate Coon (Aaron Watson) on drums, Milo Deering (The Eagles) on acoustic guitar, steel, dobro, fiddle, viola and mandolin, and Terry McBride (McBride and The Ride) on backing vocals and also writer of three of the tracks. The album is classic Josh Ward style on every front with just a little more gusto and a little more miles on it. Full bodied and emotionally fragrant, every song jumps out kicking up the kind of country music nostalgia Ward is revered for. The first single “All About Lovin’” (written by Brice Long, Terry McBride and Chris Stapleton) tells you everything you need to know about this album, a sexy tonkafied driver of a song that guarantees you’ll be lacing up your dancing shoes by the time you hit the chorus. “Home Away From Home” is country piled on top of more country, and is, as the song says, “a two steppin’ juke box heaven.” While Ward has never been afraid to sing other people’s songs due to his belief that a good song simply needs to be heard, his own savvy for the art just so happens to be represented on three of the most powerful tracks. “A Cowboy Can” is the true grit of this album and is what Ward says best describes himself. “One More Shot Of Whiskey” is a sobering tale told with 90 proof conviction, and then there is “More Than I Deserved” ringing out with its vulnerable steel and head hanging resolve. “More Than I Deserve” is country music addiction in its purest form. Josh Ward did not reinvent the wheel here, but damn, it’s polished surface sure rides smooth.
Josh and his band will be seeing a lot more of the country this year hitting a lot of new places on his never ending tour. It’s still hard for him to believe he has come this far and he doesn’t take one mile of it for granted. “I never thought I would be rolling down the road with one of the hottest bands in Texas playing shows across the United States. I’m happy to be here.”
The Josh Ward band is Josh Ward (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Steve Cargill (bass), Justin Cogneato (drums), Woody Woodruff (lead guitar) and Glen Shankle (steel guitar).
What I'm Doin'
Josh Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At someold interstate
A thousand miles from no where
A million miles away
Thinkin' about that girl
That always on my mind
Oh I wonder what she doin' to night
Maybe she's out on some dance floor
Or in her Houston high rise slipping on a dress
That fits just right
Well maybe she thinking about me
Lovin' on her mind
Oh I wonder if she's wonderin' what I'm doin' to night
It is Sunday morning
I'm up and gone with the sun
But last night was the third night
Of this old four day run
I know this time tomorrow
I'll be back by her side
Oh I wonder if she's wonderin' what I'm doin' to night
Maybe she's out on some dance floor
Spinnin' in the neon lights
Or in her Houston high rise slippin on a dress
That fits just right
Maybe she's thinkin' about me
With lovin' on her mind
Oh I wonder if she's wonderin'
What I'm doin' to night
Oh I wonder if she's wonderin'
What I'm doing to night
The song "What I'm Doin'" by Josh Ward is a classic country song that speaks to the longing and wonder in a relationship. As the singer travels alone on an old interstate, he finds himself thinking about the girl who is "always on his mind." The distance between them, both in physical and emotional terms, is palpable, as he reflects on what she might be doing that night. The use of imagery throughout the song, from the bright neon lights on dance floors to the skyline of Houston, helps to paint a picture of the girl's life without the singer. Despite the miles separating them, however, the singer wonders if she is also thinking of him and what he might be doing that night.
Line by Line Meaning
Starin out this windshield
Looking through the car's windshield
At some old interstate
Traveling on a long and deserted highway
A thousand miles from no where
Being in a remote location, far from civilization
A million miles away
Being mentally distant and preoccupied
Thinkin' about that girl
Contemplating a specific woman
That always on my mind
Someone whose thoughts always linger
Oh I wonder what she doin' to night
Curiosity about the activities of the woman
Maybe she's out on some dance floor
Possibility of the woman dancing
Spinnin' in the neon lights
Imagining the woman under bright neon lights
Or in her Houston high rise slipping on a dress
Fantasizing about the woman in Houston putting on fashionable attire
That fits just right
Perfectly fitting attire
Well maybe she thinking about me
Considering the possibility that the woman might be thinking about the singer
Lovin' on her mind
Feeling of affection and love towards the singer
Oh I wonder if she's wonderin' what I'm doin' to night
Reflecting on whether or not the woman is curious about the singer's activities
It is Sunday morning
It's early on a Sunday
I'm up and gone with the sun
Leaving early in the morning
But last night was the third night
Last night was the third night of a long performance run
Of this old four day run
Being in the middle of a four-day long performing tour
I know this time tomorrow
Being certain of a particular time tomorrow
I'll be back by her side
Being close to the woman once again soon
Oh I wonder if she's wonderin' what I'm doin' to night
Contemplating once again whether the woman is curious about the singer's current activities
Maybe she's out on some dance floor
The possibility of the woman dancing at a specific location
Spinnin' in the neon lights
Imagining the woman under bright neon lights once again
Or in her Houston high rise slippin on a dress
Fantasizing again about the woman's fashionable attire in Houston
That fits just right
Once again emphasizing the perfectly fitting attire
Maybe she's thinkin' about me
Mulling over the possibility of the woman thinking about the singer
With lovin' on her mind
Expressing the woman's feeling of love and affection towards the singer
Oh I wonder if she's wonderin'
Continuing to ponder the woman's curiosity
What I'm doin' to night
Reflecting on the singer's current activities
Oh I wonder if she's wonderin'
Reiterating the singer's pondering
What I'm doing to night
Once again reflecting on the singer's current activities
Writer(s): randall clay, josh ward
Contributed by Alexandra O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.