Santa Barbara Rising Star Drops New Track

Born in the Philippines and raised in Sweden, Santa Barbara–based artist Joveth describes his upbringing as one molded by the captivating harmonies. Enveloped in a patchwork of varied sonic influences, he was inevitably propelled to start producing his own music at a very young age. By 12 years old, Joveth was already creating records in a makeshift recording studio in his bedroom. Now, more than a decade later, Joveth has released his debut single with Voracious Records, “Say My Name,” and is in the process of rolling out his first EP, Lonely Boy. 

Live performances have always profoundly impacted Joveth, as perhaps best exemplified by his first live concert, seeing James Blunt at age 12. He recalled, “I saw James Blunt perform on the piano and I thought ‘I need to do that.’” This moment kick-started what has been an almost lifelong journey: to make music that connects with audiences in the same way that he himself has been moved by artists and their songs. And the more he has plunged into the music world, the more he has learned and broadened his music palette. Over the years, Joveth has leaned into a distinctive, genre-defying style of his own invention, one that blends pop, electronic, gospel, R&B, hip-hop, and more.

The turning point was when Joveth decided to move to the U.S. to further pursue his music. He explained that he had always dreamed of doing so, drawn to American music and culture in general. It was a bold move — Joveth didn’t have any connections in the U.S. and, instead, went out on a limb, chasing a precarious opportunity in Santa Barbara. He was only 20 and emigrated all by himself.

“One of my high school classmates went to SBCC,” he said, “And I saw him post a picture of a studio, so I asked him about it. He told me that he was in Santa Barbara and that one of his teachers at SBCC owned this studio. So I told myself ‘I’m going to move to Santa Barbara, go to school, and then go to that studio and try to intern there. I took the teacher’s class and basically asked him if I could intern at his studio for six months straight.”

Joveth has been in California ever since, delving fearlessly into the vibrant underground music scene that spans Southern California. He has performed all over Santa Barbara, initially with his band Surprise Me and, now, as a solo artist. He recounted his big break and how he was eventually signed by a record label back in November 2023.

“I was taking a singer-songwriter class, and David Paitch came in. He was listening to our material, and I sang him a song that I had written the day before. And he told me, ‘I want to produce that song.’ So I went and worked with David Paitch,” Joveth said.

He continued, “We recorded at the studio that I wanted to intern at, funny enough. From there, the rest is history.”

“Say My Name,” released on August 23, is Joveth’s debut single with Voracious Records. Characterized by Joveth as “dark slash inspiring,” this track is reflective of his tumultuous yet transformative musical career. The lyrics are vulnerable and deeply personal but, at the same time, optimistic and uplifting. It is a slightly dichotomous song — balancing raw introspection with catchy, lively melodies — but this duality works and feels authentic to Joveth.

He explained the concept of the song, saying, “I wanted to capture the idea of talking to myself in the mirror, talking to myself. The song is about trusting your instincts and knowing how to communicate with yourself.”

This emphasis on adversity and resilience is at the heart of “Say My Name.”

“I experienced hardship as a teenager,” Joveth went on, “I ask myself, now that I’m older, like, ‘Shoot, did I really go through that?’ Now it seems minor. But hardship doesn’t really end as you grow older. I wanted to remind myself about those hardships that feel minor now and that any current hardships will be minor in the future.”

Joveth noted that writing and producing “Say My Name” was definitely challenging, sharing that, at first, he didn’t feel über-connected to the song. He had created the backing track, which he shared with Voracious Records, not expecting instrumentals alone to be selected as the basis for his premier single.

“[Voracious Records] heard the backing tracks and they were mindblown. They told me, ‘This is your first single.’ And I thought, ‘There’s no way! I don’t have any lyrics yet.’ And so it was difficult. When making music, I like for it to be effortless. I don’t want to feel pressure to finish certain things,” he revealed.

“Say My Name” is just one track that is part of Joveth’s debut EP, Lonely Boy, a long-term project that centers on the obstacles and isolation that he has endured since moving to the U.S.

“Lonely Boy is about my adult life. My journey since moving from Sweden has been lonely. I came here by myself, so the loneliness was coming from all sides. I felt lonely for quite a while during the pandemic as well, disconnected from my family and the music industry,” he said.

Joveth and his team are currently releasing songs from Lonely Boy in single format, leading up to the grand premiere of the entire EP in early 2025. In the meantime, Joveth is working on his second EP and performing throughout Santa Barbara to promote “Say My Name” and, eventually, his other singles that are coming soon. Joveth recently performed at the Pacific Pride Festival at Chase Palm Park Field and will be hosting a single release party at Soul Bites on September 7 at 7 p.m.

To learn more about Joveth and his upcoming events, check out his webpage: joveth.com.