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oshua Burnside is an experimental folk songwriter, singer and producer. He takes
influence from alternative electronica and Irish traditional song heritages, chopping and
blending them with a mixture of found sounds, world music and unorthodox production
methods. His music lives against the grain, in both style and spirit. Raised in the north of
Ireland between the lush drumlins and hills of Strangford Lough, and the narrow entries
and alleyways of East Belfast, Joshua’s music has defined and defied the post-conflict
society of his home. Taking in the economics of existence, family, trauma and renewal,
while set against a backdrop of tense electronica and lush Irish folk and traditional
songwriting.
His fourth album, "It’s Not Going To be Okay", was released in 2026 and is an
unflinching portrayal of a man on the tightwire between grief and acceptance. Written in
the aftermath of the tragic passing of Joshua’s close friend Dean Jendoubi, the album
navigates the twisting, jagged road of Joshua’s recovery, told through a medium of
stripped back finger picking, raw and brutal lyricism and his signature experimental
production.
It has had heavy press and radio support including BBC 6Music playlisting. This
followed Joshua’s critically acclaimed 2025 “Teeth of Time”, which was selected one of
the BBC 6Music Albums of the Year, nominated for multiple awards including 2025
Choice RTE Irish Album of the Year, 2025 Folk Album of the Year, RTE 1 Folk Awards
and the NI Music Prize for Best Album (where he was also nominated for Single of the
Year and Live Act of the Year), and received glowing support from the likes of MOJO,
Uncut, Songlines, Irish Times, KLOF Mag and, The Thin Air, Nialler 9, Hot Press, BBC
Alba, BBC Radio 2 & BBC 6Music.