INTERVIEW: Josaleigh Pollett Throws Away the Map

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With the recent release of If I Let it Quiet, Josaleigh Pollett marries folk, indie pop, and ambient music into a thoughtful sound collage exploring all of the thoughts that get in our own way. Pollett has spoken with Rainbow Rodeo before, and this time around they tell us more about their inspirations, approach to songwriting, and feeling seen by a kind fan.

Who are some of your musical influences?

My producer Jordan Watko (Crowd Shy) and I are deeply influenced by the band Low - the way they married folk and acoustic music with interesting sonic textures and electronic production really paved the way for how we create music. I have always found a lot of inspiration in Laura Stevenson as a songwriter/lyricist, also. She approaches songwriting in such a unique way that she helped me really look outside of traditional song structures to express myself.

How do you feel your queer identity ties into your performance style or music?

Both Jordan and I are queer individuals who grew up in the deeply religious state of Utah. Music was always a way to express ourselves and find like-minded folks in our communities, and find places to gather that weren’t connected to the dominant religion. Personally, my queerness influences every part of my identity. I am constantly exploring the corners of myself and my identity through my songwriting.

Feeling connected to my understanding of my own gender (I identify as genderqueer/nonbinary) and sexuality allows me to feel more connected to my ideas and more free to explore what feels new to me. Our newest record is so deeply about allowing ourselves to change, about throwing away whatever map or script you’ve been given that keeps you stuck. I would not be able to let my relationships or my art grow into whatever shapes they might take without first understanding my own capacity for change, especially as it pertains to gender and sexuality. Queerness is throwing away the map and writing your own.

Have you ever been given something remarkable by a fan?

A few days before our release show for our 2023 album, In The Garden, By The Weeds, my beloved cat Rudo passed away from cancer. I was really sad that week and had posted a lot about losing him. At the show, an incredibly sweet fan in my hometown of SLC brought me a small cat figurine and gave it to me before the set. I set it on my amp and it made me feel so seen and cared for. I still have it in my home.

Tell us about the first song you wrote.

When I was very small, maybe four or five, I remember being on a fishing trip with my family when my mom caught a rainbow trout. I wrote a song about the rainbow trout using words I had made up that sounded nice in my head and good in my mouth. I repeated it for days and days. The melody is still in my head somewhere.

Recent release you cannot stop listening to?

I’m sure Rainbow Rodeo is all over it, but that new Andrew Sa record is the most incredible queer cowboy music I’ve ever heard. So moving and beautiful. It feels like an immediate classic.

Josaleigh Pollett – Instagram, Bandcamp, TikTok, Bluesky, Spotify