Joshua Bassett
Biography Joshua Bassett
Joshua Bassett
When you know yourself, you can open any door. Joshua Bassett may sing, write, act, and play multiple instruments, but he identifies himself in the most simple, succinct, and straightforward fashion.
“I’m just a kid from San Diego who loves music,” he observes. “I hold onto that as I navigate the world. I’m always learning and crafting, but this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I’m able to be Joshua in my songs.”
Long before starring in the Disney+ original series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series which has generated millions of streams and garnered widespread international acclaim, Joshua, described by many as an “old soul,” grew up surrounded by music in the Southern California suburb of Oceanside.
His Dad played piano professionally and gigged tirelessly alongside his mom. While introducing Joshua at an early age to icons like Billy Joel, they began to encourage Joshua’s musical discovery by introducing him to the first instrument he ever learned — drums. Soon enough, Joshua found himself playing the kit at church at only 7 years old.
During an adolescent grounding, he managed to convince his parents to leave him alone in his room with a guitar. He began to teach himself how to play, emulating more modern musical icons like Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, and Sara Bareilles who he idolized. After the passing of his late grandfather, he received a cherished gift, the family ukulele which he added to his growing line up of instruments.
His musical household was amplified even further by four sisters, all who were homeschooled alongside Joshua. Never a quiet moment while home, Joshua began to strengthen his voice as a singer in local theater productions.
“One time, the whole family joined a production of Annie—including my dog,” he laughs. “At any given moment, you could hear all of us singing a different song in our house. It was awesome to have such a musical family.”
At 15, he penned his first song. His dream homecoming date already turned down three potential suitors, so he performed the tune on ukulele at her house with flowers. She said, “Yes.”
“Driving home, I remember being like, ‘If I was able to write a song so quickly and it worked, how much more might I be able to do when I spend more time and focus on it’ he recalls. “That was the beginning of my belief in my ability to write.”
After appearing on television in Dirty John, Lethal Weapon, Grey’s Anatomy and more, he landed the lead role of ‘Ricky’ in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, one of the flagship originals used to launch the Disney+ streaming platform in November 2019. Simultaneously, he feverishly wrote music. Inking a deal with Warner Records, he unveiled his solo debut “Common Sense” in 2020. Within a month, it tallied 5 million total streams and received praise from Idolator, Pop Sugar, and E! News who called it “a home run on his very first at bat.”
On its heels, the single “Anyone Else” illuminates his vocal and instrumental range. He personally performed everything, handling the guitar, bass, cajón, and drums. Over lush acoustic plucking and finger-snaps, he tries to solve the puzzle of an unrequited romance. As piano shimmers on the bridge, he croons, “I promise if you would, I’d love you better than he ever could…we’d have it good.”
“It’s about falling in love with somebody you can’t be with,” he explains. “You don’t know how you’re supposed to think about anyone else. It’s a genuine story.”
In the end, this authenticity defines everything Joshua does as he readies more music.
“One of the things I try to do the most in my songs is be honest,” he leaves off. “There’s something about being unapologetically honest about how you feel, whether it’s your insecurities or anything. When you listen to me, I hope you are less afraid to be honest. I don’t ever try to overcompensate for anything. I’m just a kid who loves music and is excited to go on this ride,” he reminds with a smile.
Joshua Bassett may sing, write, act, and play multiple instruments, but he humbly identifies himself as “just a kid from San Diego who loves music.” Long before starring in the Disney+ original series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, generating millions of streams, and garnering widespread acclaim, he grew up surrounded by music in the suburb of Oceanside, CA. Described by many as an “old soul,” he played drums in church, taught himself ukulele, guitar, and piano, and wrote his first song for his homecoming date at 15. In addition to being homeschooled alongside his five sisters, he was able to strengthen his voice as a singer and actor in local theater productions. After various television parts on Dirty John, Grey’s Anatomy and more, he landed the lead role of Ricky in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series which premiered in November 2019. Simultaneously, he feverishly wrote music. Inking a deal with Warner Records, he unveiled his solo debut “Common Sense” in 2020. Within a month, it tallied 5 million total streams and received praise from Idolator, Pop Sugar, and E! News who called it “a home run on his very first at bat.” On its heels, the single “Anyone Else” illuminates his vocal and instrumental range and hints it even bigger things on the horizon.
