Pigeon Opinion Featuring an Interview with Frank Joshua

Recorded in the heart of London, "Turn To Your Soul (Reimagined)" captures the essence of a bygone era while infusing it with a fresh, modern twist. This track exudes raw emotion and authenticity, drawing listeners in with its heartfelt lyrics and infectious groove.

Interview with Frank Joshua

“What inspired you to reimagine “Turn to Your Soul” and give it a fresh, modern twist?”

The song never really left me. We used to play it live as an encore years ago, and there was something about that version, the looseness, the shared energy in the room, that stayed with me. When I revisited it, I wasn’t trying to modernise it for the sake of it. I was trying to recapture some of that live feeling, but through the lens of where I am now. It felt like an opportunity to let the song grow up without losing its soul.

“How did you approach blending retro soul and jazz-pop with contemporary elements on this version?”

This track was produced by Charles Connolly, which made the process quite different from my usual work with Tony White. I played Charles a very old recording of the live version and that was the starting point. I was amazed I could still sing in the original key by the way! Charles built from that energy rather than from a demo constructed in a studio. The retro soul and jazz-pop elements come naturally from that approach - they’re embedded in the way the song breathes and moves. The contemporary feel comes from restraint rather than gloss, keeping it immediate, but grounded.

“Can you describe the recording process in London and how the city influenced the sound of this track?”

London has always shaped how I make music. There’s a kind of emotional understatement here, intensity held just below the surface, and that suits this song. Working from a live reference rather than a polished demo helped preserve that feeling. It allowed the performance to feel lived-in rather than over-designed, which is very much how London feels to me as a city.

“Your music draws inspiration from artists like Elbow, The Blue Nile, and Bowie. How do these influences shape your songwriting?”

They’ve all given me permission in different ways, if I can put it like that. Elbow showed me that intimacy can still feel expansive. The Blue Nile taught me the emotional power of space and patience. Bowie showed me that revisiting or reshaping your work isn’t revisionism, it’s curiosity. That mindset made it feel entirely natural to return to this song and ask what else it might want to say.

“With 46 releases in under five years, how do you maintain creativity and originality across so much output?”

It’s 48 now, with the new album and single “Passionate Eye”! But I don’t think of it as output, I think of it as attention. Each release reflects where I am emotionally or psychologically at that moment. Revisiting an older song like this wasn’t about repeating myself, it was about acknowledging that the same idea can mean something different over time. As long as I’m honest about where I’m coming from, the work tends to stay fresh.

“What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take away from “Turn to Your Soul (Reimagined)”?”

I hope it feels reassuring rather than instructive. It’s not telling anyone what to do, it’s more of an invitation to pause and listen inwardly. If it reconnects someone with a feeling they recognise, or gives them a moment of calm reflection, that feels like enough.

“How does this collaboration compare with your work with Tony White?”

Most of the new album “Fertile Mind” is produced by Tony White, who I’ve worked with for over twenty years. That’s a very deep, intuitive partnership at this point, we almost speak in shorthand. This track sits slightly apart because Charles Connolly approached it from a different angle, rooted in memory and performance rather than construction. I like that contrast. It reflects different chapters of my musical life coexisting on the same record.

“Which elements of retro soul and jazz-pop do you feel are most important to preserve in a modern reinterpretation?”

The human feel. Slight imperfections, dynamic shifts, the sense that someone is inhabiting the song rather than assembling it. Those qualities are what made those genres resonate in the first place, and they’re exactly what I wanted to protect when revisiting this track.

“How has your songwriting changed since you first started releasing music, and what have been the biggest lessons?”

I’ve learned to say less and trust more, both the song and the listener. Early on, I tried to explain myself too clearly. Now I’m more comfortable leaving space. Reworking this song really underlined that lesson. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is let the emotion speak without over-translation.

“What can fans expect next from you in terms of style, themes, or upcoming releases?”

Across 10 tracks the new album “Fertile Mind” brings together different strands of my musical life, long-term collaboration, newer explorations, reflection, and movement. The thread running through it all is curiosity rather than reinvention for its own sake. More music is coming, and it continues that idea of being emotionally open, thoughtful, and quietly searching.

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out Frank Joshua on the Pigeon Opinion Playlist