Joshua Roberts, frontman for the red-hot pop-punk act Magnolia Park, released his debut solo EP, Good For You, on Epitaph Records today. The EP strays away from Magnolia Park’s pop-punk aesthetic into alt-pop and alt-R&B territory.
Magnolia Park member Vince Ernst co-wrote and produced most of the songs on the EP, helping Roberts focus on a different kind of vocal performance than what he does with the band. “It was a different process because I had to be more of a nuisance withmy voice because ofthe style prerequisites,” Roberts explains.“I believe that it definitely showsthe distinctionofwhat I do with theband versus what I do with my solo work.”
“What inspired me to create this EP honestly is the motivation to always push myself,” Roberts continues.“I felt like at the time of my artistry I wasn’t fulfilling my roots by creating something that I grew up listening to. So this EP is something born of nostalgia but it’s also something that meets uncertainty and different sides of myself that I haven’t truly expressed yet.”
To commemorate the release of the EP today, Roberts put out a new music video for the opening track “Father.” The heart-wrenching music video is cinematic in its scope, depicting Roberts in the desert with a ball and chain around his ankles, symbolically emphasizing what it was like to grow up without a father figure in his life. “I wrote ‘Father’ for those who are going through similar situations,” he says. “I hope this song gets to them in a positive way.” Check out the video, directed by Evan Draper, below.
You can listen to Good For You here. Follow Joshua Roberts on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for future updates.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Griffith
