Curbstomp The Predator is Joshua Croslin. Josh is a solo musician and songwriter using his talents to swarm the internet and determined to impact the world through his music. The core of this project is directed specifically for victims that have suffered sexual abuse of any kind. A vocalist, guitarist, bassist, drummer, and songwriter, Josh is on a mission to impact and change the world.
- How long have you been going and how did you get the moniker Curbstomp The Predator?
Joshua Croslin aka Curbstomp The Predator: Well that is a question now isn’t it? Technically speaking, I have been going on strong since the end of 2015 by another name. But I have only recently been known for my rebranding name Curbbstomp the Predator. Let’s just say, my old name didn’t fit what my project actually stood for too well and it confused a lot of people… Which I totally understand the old name definitely was a bit confusing. But to answer your second question, I had a bit of the help from my fans with creating the new name so I got to give shout out to them and credit where credit is due! definitely.
- Which musical influences initially pushed you towards your chosen genre?
Curbstomp The Predator: Well believe it or not I have always been a hardcore music and deathcore music fan. In a matter fact, I used to play in a downtempo hardcore band. But I have always had a love for the deathcore genre with bands such as Oceano, Whitechapel, Molotov Solution. But I also listen to a ton of jazz such as Frank Sinatra & David Benoit just to name a couple.
3. Which bands are you currently listening to and who, more than any other, would you like to share the stage with?
Curbstomp The Predator: I’m actually listening to a lot of Animals As Leaders and Plini right now. But if Curbstomp The Predator was a live band. I would love to share the stage with Angelmaker, A Night In Texas, Oceano, Fit For An Autopsy.
- Straight off the cuff, what do you feel is the one element Curbstomp The Predator still needs more than anything else, in either its production, marketing and/or distribution strategy to make it a highly relevant act in Deathcore?
Curbstomp The Predator: I would say more promotion opportunities because that’s the only way you’re going to make it in the music industry is promoting it as much as you can.If you can get your music and promotion into the right hands then you get a you’ll get the right people looking at you and talking about you.
- Where do you do most of your recording and production work?
Curbstomp The Predator: I do all the recording production, composing, video work, you name it right here in my home studio in Southern California.
- Studio work and music creation, or performing and interacting with a live audience, which do you prefer?
Curbstomp The Predator: Actually I prefer a little bit of everything listed above. Even if that means I’m just live streaming from the studio. I don’t know how to explain it but there’s nothing like connecting with your audience and being supported by those who you support you and everything you do.
- Which one of your original songs gets your adrenalin pumping the most, and does it have a special meaning for you?
Curbstomp The Predator Oh that’s a tough one, probably “The Plot”. And I’m pretty sure that everybody else’s favorite song too. Well the thing about my music is it all it’s all based on a true story about what goes on in my head so this first album will be released as a concept album. So yes, every song is actually going to have deep emotions and deep lyrics.
8. On which one of your songs do you feel, you delivered your best performance so far, from a technical point of view?
Curbstomp The Predator: Again, I would have to probably say this best song I have released so far is probably “The Plot” as far as technically goes.
9. How essential do you think video is in relation to your songs? Do you consider visuals an important extension of your creative processes?
Curbstomp The Predator: Absolutely, in fact most people are using videos as an essential tool to most of their single releases and their album stream videos.
10. I read somewhere that the core of the Curbstomp The Predator project is directed specifically for victims that have suffered sexual abuse of any kind? Don’t you feel that statement is in contrast with the overall gory imagery attached to deathcore?
Curbstomp The Predator: Well that’s the point, that’s exactly the point! I’ve taken a huge step forward singing against one of the most common things that the deathcore genre talks about and instead creating awareness. The Blood, The Gore, The Guts and all the other deathcore elements are still there believe me. Just wait until you hear the full album.
- Who put together the cover art together for “The Punishment” and how does it connect to the music?
Curbstomp The Predator: that would be my boy Scotty Bates album artwork and design. He help me make the artwork as personal as I could possibly get it. To what the album is actually about and literally I guess from a third person point of view the guy holding the knife is technically me gutting and killing a rapist. Ha ha brutal right?
- Were there any bumps along the way in getting “The Punishment” finished and ready to go?
Curbstomp The Predator: Yeah, I remember I was rendering of the single out with After Effects because I was presenting The Punishment as another stream video and I feel like the render took a couple of tries to actually get it rendered.
- If you could change one thing about how the music business works today, what would that be?
Curbstomp The Predator: That it wasn’t so hard to reach your entire audience on all platforms. .
- Do you think there is still any sense in recording Eps and Albums, when almost everybody seems to be purchasing and downloading only their favorite songs from the above mentioned streams now?
Curbstomp The Predator: That’s why it’s so crucial to have all your albums on all streaming platforms because your audience may hear a song that they haven’t heard before and might dig it. However it will always be viewers and listeners choice to do what they see fit and how they go about listening to your music.
- Do you consider Internet and all the social media websites, as fundamental to your career, and indie music in general, or do you think it has only produced a mass of mediocre “copy-and-paste” artists, who flood the web, making it difficult for real talent to emerge?
Curbstomp The Predator: Oh definitely! Especially for myself being an internet independent solo artist. I literally have to depend on the internet as my number one resource on all social platforms because that’s how I reach out and connect with my audience.
- As you work your way through your career, which more than any other fires-up your spirits – A Grammy award, Multi-Platinum music sales, or some other tangible milestone we don’t know about, besides fame and fortune?
Curbstomp The Predator: Well I can tell you right now I’m definitely not looking for fame and fortune or Grammy nominations or anything like that. The one thing that fires me up more than anything is being able to connect with the fans that I can relate to the most and help they out anyway I can with their situations. Trust me within the last few singles I’ve had so many people reach out to me to help and guidance and that’s all I could have ever ask for.
- What is the best piece of advice regarding the music business that you actually followed so far, and what is the advice you didn’t follow, but now know for sure that you should have?
Curbstomp The Predator: Make sure you are everywhere on all social media platforms and all streaming services and above anything else stand out among the rest.
- Some bands are trying to be the best they can be artistically, others are simply trying to win the masses over and sell as many records as they can. There are of course a handful of bands able to do both. In your opinion, is art separate from entertainment or are they one in the same for you?
Curbstomp The Predator: In my opinion, they’re one in the same for me, I try my best to utilize both. Again being an Internet solo artist it’s kind of a given.
- Of all your achievements what do you think can be considered as being a high point for you so far?
Curbstomp The Predator: for me, getting last few singles out so people can kind of see what I’m about and what the project itself stands for.
- Anything else you’d like to add?
Curbstomp The Predator: Thank you for your time, keep up to date with me and all of my socials be sure to scope out the three singles I have out at the moment and trust me there’s plenty more to come this is just the beginning for a lot.
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