Josh Strawn

Josh Strawn is currently one half of the electronic duo Azar Swan and the lead singer of the moody metal supergroup Vaura. He was closely involved with the now-defunct Wierd Records label and party, at which time he fronted the post-punk band Blacklist and played in the psychedelic doom folk band Religious to Damn with Azar Swan co-conspirator Zohra Atash. He has contributed written works of political and cultural commentary to various publications including Flavorwire and Slutist.

(photo credit: Jason Rodgers)

Bio

Formerly the core members of orchestral goth project Religious To Damn, Zohra Atash and Joshua Strawn turn their once instrumental ensemble into a sprawling electro-encased duo whose narrative is framed by noise and driven by drum machine. Two parts hard percussion and shimmering ambience, and one part majestic yet pointed vocals, the shift was sparked by a two-fold realization from Atash and Strawn who were looking to consolidate the writing process by eliminating the unnecessary weight that comes with coordinating multiple musicians, combined with a mutual revived interest in electronic music and hip-hop beats. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Talks

Waking Up from the Music Industry’s Complacency Nightmare

By Josh Strawn | September 20, 2016

Waking Up from the Music Industry’s Complacency Nightmare

Josh Strawn (Azar Swan, Vaura) goes deep on supporting musicians in the digital age.

Don’t Let Your “Alt” Identity Sabotage This Election

By Josh Strawn | July 29, 2016

Don’t Let Your “Alt” Identity Sabotage This Election

Josh Strawn (Azar Swan, Vaura) talks getting over identity politics in the interest of the greater good.

Santigold’s 99¢ Is a Powerful Social Statement that Sounds Like a Party

By Josh Strawn | February 26, 2016

Santigold’s 99¢ Is a Powerful Social Statement that Sounds Like a Party

Josh Strawn (Azar Swan, Vaura) breaks down how this hooky record tackles narcissism, the death of counterculture and a world on the brink of war.

Josh Strawn (Azar Swan, Vaura) Talks Killing Joke’s Pylon

By Josh Strawn | October 22, 2015

Josh Strawn (Azar Swan, Vaura) Talks Killing Joke’s Pylon

What makes music timeless? Listening to Killing Joke, we might just have the answer.