Josh Kumra

{{short description|English singer-songwriter}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Josh Kumra | caption = | image = | image_size = | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|04|20|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Swindon, Wiltshire]], England | origin = | instrument = {{hlist|Guitar|vocals}} | genre = {{hlist|[[Pop music|Pop]]|[[Jazz music|jazz]]|[[Blues music|blues]]}} | occupation = {{hlist|Singer-songwriter}} | years_active = 2011–present | label = [[Sony Music Entertainment UK]] | website = {{url|joshkumra.com}} | associated_acts = [[Wretch 32]], [[K Koke]] }}

'''Josh Kumra''' (born 20 April 1991<ref name=bbc>{{cite news|title=I am 22|url=https://twitter.com/JoshKumra/status/325376844947922944|accessdate=22 April 2013}}</ref>) is an English singer and songwriter.

In 2011, Kumra co-wrote and provided vocals for English rapper [[Wretch 32]]'s highest-charting single to date, "[[Don't Go (Wretch 32 song)|Don't Go]]", which reached number one in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="metro1">{{cite web|last=Tarley |first=Rachel |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/music/873030-wretch-32-beats-emeli-sande-and-christina-aguilera-to-number-1-spot |title=Wretch 32 beats Emeli Sande and Christina Aguilera to number 1 spot |publisher=Metro.co.uk |date=21 August 2011 |accessdate=18 May 2012}}</ref>

== Biography == Kumra grew up in a family home in Swindon, Wiltshire.<ref>[http://www.joshkumra.com/#9be/custom_plain Biography]. joshkumra.com</ref> Kumra is one-quarter [[Indian people|Indian]] (his grandfather was from New Delhi)<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/apr/06/new-band-josh-kumra |title=Josh Kumra (No 1,245) |work=The Guardian |date= 6 April 2012|accessdate=22 April 2013 |location=London |first=Paul |last=Lester}}</ref> and started playing the guitar 12 years old,<ref name="lozzamusic1">{{cite web |url=http://lozzamusic.com/portfolio/josh-kumra-interview |title=Josh Kumra Interview |publisher=LozzaMusic.com |accessdate=18 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604063347/http://lozzamusic.com/portfolio/josh-kumra-interview |archivedate=4 June 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> which naturally led to him teaching himself to sing. Kumra is a former student of [[The Academy of Music and Sound]] in Swindon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.academyofmusic.ac.uk/case_studies/case.php?id=62&return=2%7c9 |title=Academy of Music & Sound – The UK's leading dedicated college for today's musician |publisher=Academyofmusic.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=5 April 2013}}</ref>

=== 2011: Breakthrough === In early 2011, Kumra moved from Swindon to London to pursue a career in music and in the first month, met [[Wretch 32]]<ref name="lozzamusic1"/> and together, they created the "[[Don't Go (Wretch 32 song)|Don't Go]]" collaboration which went on to reach number one in the UK charts.<ref name="metro1"/>

Due to the song's instant success, Kumra joined Wretch 32 to perform the song on one of the UK's only major music TV shows, ''[[Later With Jools Holland]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVG7rr8dYN4 |title=Wretch 32 feat. Josh Kumra – Don't Go (Later with Jools Holland) |publisher=YouTube |date= |accessdate=18 May 2012}}</ref> and at many of the summer's major festivals. Regarding his subsequent appearance at V Festival, he stated that it was one of his biggest highlights; "Me and Wretch performed Don't Go on the same day that it went to number one. It was an incredible feeling; they had to take away the barriers in the tent we were playing in because it was just getting rammed as there were a couple thousand more people than there should've been in there."<ref name="lozzamusic1"/>

=== 2012–present: ''Good Things Come To Those Who Don't Wait'' === Following his success with Wretch 32, Kumra signed to Sony Records,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/9337664.Big_deal_for_our_Josh/ |title=Swindon pop star Josh Kumra signs major record contract |publisher=Swindon Advertiser |date=1 November 2011 |accessdate=22 April 2013}}</ref> releasing his debut solo effort on 15 July 2012. The single, 'Helicopters & Planes' had its video premiere on [[Vevo]] on 18 May.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ybCLJGG0CI |title=Josh Kumra feat. K Koke – Helicopters & Planes |publisher=YouTube |date= 18 May 2012|accessdate=18 May 2012}}</ref> The track features [[Roc Nation]] rapper [[K Koke]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lozzamusic.com/2012/josh-kumra-feat-k-koke-helicopters-planes |title=Josh Kumra Feat. K Koke – Helicopters & Planes |publisher=LozzaMusic.com |date=18 April 2012 |accessdate=18 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111153940/http://lozzamusic.com/2012/josh-kumra-feat-k-koke-helicopters-planes |archivedate=11 November 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

He has supported many artists, including [[Gabrielle Aplin]] and in late 2012, Kumra joined [[Nina Nesbitt]] on her tour as a support act – he also supported [[Lianne La Havas]] in early 2013. In April 2013, he supported [[OneRepublic]] on their European tour.

His debut album ''Good Things Come To Those Who Don't Wait'' was released on 22 April 2013, featuring songwriting and production collaborations with [[Fink (singer)|Fink]], [[Emeli Sandé]], [[Naughty Boy]] and [[Mr Hudson]].

“We didn't have a brief, we just did what we wanted," says Josh. "We had total freedom to mix up soul, blues and gospel songwriting, sometimes with big hip hop beats. But there's no production for the sake of it. And ultimately it comes down to me, the bedroom singer-songwriter with a guitar in my hand. That's what I wanted to come across." The album is, he considers, "about my journey, which might sound clichéd, but it's true. The songs are about me, but also about things I've observed. They're love songs, mainly."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/10356445.Singer___s_on_track_for_chart_success/ |title=Josh Kumra hopes new single will be The Answer to elusive hit |publisher=Swindon Advertiser |date=15 April 2013 |accessdate=22 April 2013}}</ref>

Kumra released the EP Pull Me Back In in 2020, which includes the single Don't Know Why.

== Artistry == === Influences === Kumra cites Tracy Chapman's self-titled album, [[The Rolling Stones (album)|The Rolling Stones]] and [[Experience (Jimi Hendrix album)|Experience]] by [[Jimi Hendrix]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehouseofcoxhead.com/interviews/2012/1/4/introducing-josh-kumra.html |title=Interviews – Introducing: Josh Kumra |publisher=The House of Coxhead |date=4 January 2012 |accessdate=18 May 2012}}</ref> as his three most influential albums whilst growing up and says [[Eric Clapton]] is "God" to him and that he would like to duet together someday.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pingitore |first=Silvia |date=2020-04-12 |title=Interview with Josh Kumra, the boy who beat Christina Aguilera |url=https://the-shortlisted.co.uk/josh-kumra-interview/ |access-date=2021-07-23 |website=the-shortlisted.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref>

He describes his sound as "kind of 'singer-songwrity'".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lozzamusic.com/2012/lozzamusic-josh-kumra-interview |title=x SuchATune.co.uk – Josh Kumra Interview |publisher=LozzaMusic.com |date=7 February 2012 |accessdate=18 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528131249/http://lozzamusic.com/2012/lozzamusic-josh-kumra-interview |archivedate=28 May 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Discography== ===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col"| Title ! scope="col"| Album details |- ! scope="row"| ''Good Things Come To Those Who Don't Wait'' | * Released: 22 April 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Things-Come-Those-Dont/dp/B0076IIBLY/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1363871900&sr=1-1 |title=Good Things Come To Those Who Don't Wait: Amazon.co.uk: Music |publisher=Amazon.co.uk |date= |accessdate=5 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/good-things-come-to-those/602219676 |title=iTunes – Music – Good Things Come To Those Who Don't Wait by Josh Kumra |publisher=[[iTunes]] |date= |access-date=5 April 2013}}</ref> * Label: [[Sony Music Entertainment]] * Format: Digital download, CD |- |}

===Extended plays=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col"| Title ! scope="col"| Album details |- ! scope="row"| ''iTunes Festival: London 2012'' | * Released: 14 September 2012<ref name=":0">[https://music.apple.com/gb/album/itunes-festival-london-2012-ep/563917426 iTunes – Music – iTunes Festival: London 2012 – EP by Josh Kumra]</ref> * Label: [[Sony Music Entertainment]] * Format: Digital download |- ! scope="row"|''Pull Me Back In'' | * Released: 3 April 2020 * Label: ferryhouse * Format: Digital download |- |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Title ! scope="col"| Album |- | 2012 ! scope="row"| "Helicopters & Planes" (featuring [[K Koke]]) | ''Non-album single'' |- | rowspan="2"| 2013 ! scope="row"| "Waiting For You" | rowspan="2"| ''Good Things Come To Those Who Don't Wait'' |- ! scope="row"| "The Answer" |- |2020 ! scope="row"|"Don't Know Why" |''Non-album single'' |- |}

===As featured artist=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]] <ref>Peak positions for the featured singles in the UK: *For "Don't Go": {{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20110821/7501/|title=Chart Archive > 27 August 2011|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|accessdate=27 August 2011|df=dmy-all}} </ref> |- | 2011 ! scope="row"| "[[Don't Go (Wretch 32 song)|Don't Go]]" ([[Wretch 32]] featuring Josh Kumra) | 1 | ''[[Black and White (Wretch 32 album)|Black and White]]'' |- |}

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumra, Josh}} [[Category:1991 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:English people of Indian descent]] [[Category:English male singer-songwriters]] [[Category:Musicians from Swindon]] [[Category:21st-century English male singers]] [[Category:21st-century English singer-songwriters]]