Video Premiere: Andrew Joslyn Debuts 'Desiderata'

Seattle native Andrew Joslyn is a composer, orchestral arranger, violinist, and producer who has a stunning resume of musical contribution work: Some of his highlights include songwriting and composing credits on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s The Heist, as well as numerous other recordings including Tom Chaplin of Keane, Mary Lambert, The Augustines, and many others.

Joslyn recently released his first solo endeavor, Awake at the Bottom of the Ocean, which shows off his facility with genre bending. Yahoo Music is pleased to premiere the video for the single “Desiderata,” which features vocals from fellow Seattleite, Queens of the Stone Age/Screaming Trees’ Mark Lanegan.

“Desiderata was a poem that hung in my parents’ house for years, and I would always wake up every morning to it, and read it. Over time, it became an internalized mantra of sorts, and I’ve revisited it many times since I’ve left my parents,” explains Joslyn. “The message of it — written by the poet Max Ehrmann back in 1927 — resonates so deeply, and spiritually for me…. essentially it had to be represented on my record in some way. The song — along with Mark Lanegan’s world weary, and deeply calming voice — is the spiritual anchor of the record. At the bottom of the ocean, there is always hope, balance, and the simple pursuit of happiness.

“For the video, I had my brother act as the lead. Our parents are both Zen Buddhists, so having him involved only brought the entire project and its message full circle.”

If you’d like to keep up with Joslyn’s schedule, check here.