By Going Offline, Josiah and The Bonnevilles' Music Is More Plugged In Than Ever
Growing up in rural East Tennessee, Josiah Leming saw the signs of hard work everywhere he turned. His father was among the most noticeable, putting in 60-70 hours a week at the local factory to support him and his eight siblings. Although Leming appreciated the fulfillment from a hard
Black News 
Growing up in rural East Tennessee, Josiah Leming saw the signs of hard work everywhere he turned. His father was among the most noticeable, putting in 60-70 hours a week at the local factory to support him and his eight siblings.
Although Leming appreciated the fulfillment from a hard day’s work, he had a different vision for putting it into action. After learning how to play the Casio keyboard his mom bought for him at age eight, he started writing his own songs at 13, and dropped out of high school to chase his musical dreams when he was only 17.
Gigging everywhere from clubs to coffeehouses, Leming picked up work at temp agencies along the way to stay afloat until he auditioned for American Idol in 2008. Despite being eliminated during the show’s Hollywood Week, he remains the only contestant in the show’s history not to make the final 24 that still went on to sign a major record deal, inking with Warner Bros. Records in 2008. But when his 2010 album Come On Kid underwhelmed, the label dropped him and Leming became an independent artist again.
It was then that Josiah and The Bonnevilles were born. The name stems from Lemin’s brief stint living in California, driving a 2000 Pontiac Bonneville, and performing in a band with the same name. That group separated amicably soon thereafter, be he adopted the name for himself when a fan asked how he could become a “Bonneville.” Naming his band The Bonnevilles therby became an ode to his fanbase, and all those who supported him along the way, as well.
“I’d been making music since I was 13, but never really had anyone there with me, so I remember really appreciating that connection and the weight of responsibility that comes with it,” says Leming. “I’m just excited people show up, so I want to play everything they’re dying to hear. They spent their hard-earned money on tickets in this crappy economy, filled up their tanks with $5 gas and drove a couple hours to see me, so I want to always give them everything I’ve got."
After hopping on and off of labels and releasing a few other projects throughout the decade, Leming stepped back from music in 2021 and began bartending and working at a nearby Amazon warehouse. Soon though he was back at it again, releasing demos on Patreon and sharing cover songs on TikTok. It was through that he began to amass a sizable following that contributed to 2023’s Endurance being his most successful album yet, with more than 100 million streams to date.
