Joshwa’s “Out Of My Mind” Storms to Beatport #1 via Hellbent [Q&A]

Hey Joshwa! Congrats on landing the Beatport #1 spot with “Out Of My Mind!” How does it feel? And have you had a chance to celebrate yet?

Hello!! Thank you - it feels absolutely incredible, I genuinely can’t express to you guys how much this means to me (especially as it only took two days to get there)! To say you have the biggest dance track in the world right now is an incredible feeling, and something every artist in the electronic music scene aspires to have. This one is extra special to me as it’s all my own lyrics and vocal too!

When did you clock that this one wasn’t just another tool in the USB, and what’s been the wildest reaction you’ve seen when dropping it on the dance floor?

Seeing my best mates reaction when I showed him the basic idea (whilst sat on his sofa before I played at WHP) made me think I was onto something good… We often joke about putting that sofa in a museum! That being said, I didn’t actually think it would turn out to be my biggest record to date until I started seeing the reactions at shows and on social media. 

A lot of DJs began asking me for the track, it had early support from the likes of Michael Bibi, Max Dean, Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, and Franky Rizardo to name a few. It also went viral on TikTok - the combo of DJ support and social media traction made me think ‘okay, we might be onto something big here.' I played in the UK and also on Groove Cruise recently, and you can immediately feel a shift in energy in the room when people recognise the song. Everyone starts chanting the lyrics, going nuts and getting their phones out to capture the moment. It’s surreal experiencing that! There’s videos of people screaming the lyrics all over TikTok.

This release marks your debut on Hellbent Records. What made the label and Cloonee the right home for this release, and how did the collaboration come together?

Cloonee was actually one of the first to really back the tune, so it felt like the right home for me. I have a lot of respect for him, his label and the direction Hellbent is going in. I put up a video of me recording the vocal on my phone on Instagram and he sent me that asking for a copy - he played it at EDC Orlando, and signed it on the spot.

In fact, you and Cloonee just went back-to-back at Beatport #1, with “XTC” topping the chart before “Out Of My Mind” took over. What does sharing that moment say about the energy around Hellbent right now?

Hellbent Records takeover! We were joking around on Groove Cruise about how long my track would take to go to #1 (I think he actually said a few days, funny enough). When "XTC" went to the top spot, I sent him a message congratulating him and said something along the lines of “don’t get too comfortable, though!” which we laughed about. When you have two tracks at the top, it speaks volumes about the sound coming from the label, and I’m proud to be part of that moving forward. Sonically, the UK is definitely up at the moment, and I’m excited to see how this year progresses.

You wrote and recorded your own vocal for this one on your mate’s sofa. Can you walk us through that process and how stepping into that role shaped the final track?

Yes that’s true! It was actually the first time trying this and to this day, I’m still not exactly sure where the inspiration came from. I wrote the main melody first, then just started humming a vocal to follow it and the words just sort of fell into place. I wanted something that people could resonate with - perhaps it was me actually going insane thinking about the amount of demos I made over last year which never saw the light of day! It’s funny though, my two biggest tracks to date were made when I was working through my laptop speakers and not in a studio environment.

With your roots in London and now based in New York, how has that shift influenced your sound and studio routine? Do you notice differences in how crowds respond on either side of the Atlantic?

I would say my sound has matured significantly over the last six months, and I now have a clear direction of where I’m headed and the sound I'm pursuing. The music scene in New York is thriving at the moment and there are always shows on - I try and get out to as many as I can, as I always find I get inspiration listening to other people’s sets. I love both the US and UK crowds, and they’re both super into this sound which is really positive. The scene in the US is thriving - more and more people are starting to get into the UK sound.

You’ve recently touched down from Groove Cruise. Give us the honest report… highlights, chaos, dance floor magic, or any tracks (yours or otherwise) that absolutely detonated out there?

I absolutely love Groove Cruise, it’s one of my favorite events that’s now become a yearly tradition (that was actually my third year in a row)! There’s something super special about switching off for four days at sea, surrounded by all your friends and music. It’s a truly incredible environment and what Jason and the crew over there have created really is something special. Every time we disembark the boat it feels like we’re leaving family.

The b2b with Ranger Trucco was a highlight for me and playing the ‘Studio B’ stage (which is a 360 set-up in what is usually an ice rink) was definitely a highlight for me. Seeing my new track played in so many sets, and seeing the same reaction each time was incredible. Cloonee played it during a b4b with Ranger, Gorgon City and Max Styler which was amazing to see!

You’ve started 2026 swinging. What should we brace for next? Anything unexpected you’re cooking up behind the scenes, or things for us to look forward to?

A new direction with a clear vision. I definitely want to explore more tracks with my own lyrics and vocals after the success of this one. We’re sorting dates for tours in the UK, North America and Australia currently, so I’m super excited to share dates on these soon. More than anything though, I just want to keep enjoying the process and keep producing music that makes me happy.