A Rising Star

Words:  Amelia Norman

Images: Sarah Perrins

The first time that musician Josh Keating (Ngāi Tahu) was up on stage for a musical performance was before he was born.

“I’m pretty sure I was at the NZ Gold Guitar Awards in Gore when I was in mum’s tummy,” laughs the now 19-year-old singer, song-writer and guitarist. “I’ve been going to those awards my whole life.”

He’s not kidding. A couple of years after that initial appearance on stage he was back at it, singing a nursery rhyme in the Tiny Tots section, aged three. Then, aged 10, he took out the novice section of the Nelson Country Music Awards. “I remember that being pretty cool,” says Josh, with his typical modesty.

Family trips to country music awards up and down New Zealand form a solid part of Josh’s childhood memories. With a mother, father and grandmother all performing for decades, and three younger brothers all nipping at his musical heels, it would seem that Josh’s musical destiny was written in the stars. But there’s an obvious drive and nous that Josh brings to the table, which has seen his star rising in recent years.

After more than 10 years competing, and taking home various accolades from numerous competitions, including the big one in Gore, 2024 saw Josh step out on stage in a new capacity. “I still love going to the Gold Guitar Awards, but I realised that competing wasn’t really the focus for me anymore. So, this year I grabbed a few of my mates from the country music community and formed a backing band. I thought this would be a cool way to stay in the awards without competing. We put in a tender, and we got it!”

Each competitor at the NZ Gold Guitar Awards has a backing band allocated to them, who provide the backing music during their performance. “The band is given a chord chart and they have to learn the song quickly, with no practice at all,” explains Josh. “I think we did about 250 acts across two days. It was incredible! This was something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Making it even more special was the presence of Josh’s nana, Sharon Russell. A country music star in her own right, this year Sharon was joined on stage by Josh’s brother, Liam, at one point. With Josh in back on guitar, it was very much a family affair.

“My nana has had a lot of influence on me. I’ve always been very connected to her, musically. When I was little nana would sometimes take me to some of the country music awards because Mum had us four boys and Dad would be working in the backing band. So we’d have nana/grandson weekends together which was always a blast.”

Sharon’s Māori heritage is something else that Josh and his wider whānau have embraced. “My culture has had a big influence on my music,” he says. With the help of his uncle, Josh has translated and performed a number of songs in te reo Māori. “I think there’s something special about singing in Māori. Something about the sound… it just flows.”   

Josh and his band ‘Dynamics’ so enjoyed the backing band experience in Gore that they’re keen to repeat it in coming years. The experience has also opened more doors for Josh who has been approached by other awards organisers to back events in Auckland, Tauranga and Gisborne.

Despite his passion and obvious talent for the country music genre, Josh is branching out.

With regular weekend gigs at popular Christchurch bars he’s been focusing on more well-known songs, enabling him to do pop and rock covers for the night-time crowds. “I love playing some of the bangers from the likes of Jon Bon Jovi or Queen,” admits Josh, who seems to be able to turn his hand to almost any genre.

His experience getting a crowd going is sure to set him in good stead this summer as he gears up for his biggest performances yet, at two high profile concerts.

In December he’s performing alongside The Jordan Luck Band at Kaiapoi’s Sounds of Summer, followed on New Year’s Eve by an appearance at Mackenzie Summer Sounds in Twizel. “The organisers just called me up one day and said ‘We’ve got Dragon, Zed, Jordan Luck, Hello Sailor, and we want you.’ It was pretty incredible. I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s going to be very, very exciting.”

By summer, Josh will have his first year of study at Canterbury University behind him, where he’s undertaking a double degree in Commerce and Law. Whilst he says his plan is to one day use his law expertise to work for Ngāi Tahu and give back to his whakapapa, we have a sneaking suspicion there might be a different, more musical path in store for this rising star.