Josiah Leming has paid his dues. As a teenager from East Tennessee, his devotion to music led him to hit the road, where he lived in his car and played for anyone who would listen. That took him all the way to a major record deal when he was only nineteen. When that ended, he refused to give up and became an indie artist, relying solely on the music and his undeniable gift for crafting relatable songs that led to a devoted fan base he calls the Bonnevilles. He appreciates them so much that he includes them in his artist name. “They’re the reason I’m able to make music,” he says.

2024 saw Josiah and the Bonnevilles reaching new heights, completing a headlining tour of thirty-three sold-out dates followed by a slew of international stops that proved his global following. He has become known for raw emotion and a profound connection to his audience. This newfound attention has led to much anticipation for his new album — and As Is lives up to the expectations.

“I knew I had a responsibility to try to become a better writer, a better artist,” he says. “One day that feels like a blessing, and the next it feels pretty intimidating.” Instead of reproducing his popular sound from the self produced “Endurance”, he decided to expand it. “I think it would have been hard to keep my excitement to go out on the road with another kind of acoustic record.”

His tenth studio album finds him going more electric than ever before, even as he unplugs from the digital world. “I feel like a grizzled old veteran at this point,” he says, even though he is only thirty-six. “I’m desiring quiet, a work space away from the internet…I felt like it was important to pull back this last year and try to understand what’s on my heart.” What he found there resulted in an album focusing on joy, sorrow, and working-class issues that feel very of the moment in a time when so many Americans are struggling to make ends meet.

Leming comes by his empathy for working people honestly. He’s one of nine siblings, born and raised in Morristown, Tennessee, right in the heart of Appalachia. He taught himself piano when he was eight and was writing songs by thirteen. As a child he was intently aware of his community and intensely proud of his people, something he thinks about even more in these trying times. “I look at my I look at my folks in East Tennessee and very few of them seem to be winning in this new world,” Leming says. “Being a regular person, working, trying your best. I think that’s something to be proud of.”

His records have always been intensely personal. But on As Is he wanted to step away from being the main character and instead use vignettes to express essential truths he has learned. “I want anyone to be able to put it on and not think about me when they're listening. I want them to be in the emotion.” Because of this he made a conscious choice to not include himself on the album cover.