Joshua Cremer is reshaping the face of the Folk genre with his indie rock past. For most of his life, Cremer was always one of a collective of fellow indie/ punk rockers up until three years ago when he decided to rebrand his sound and pursue a solo music career in Chico.

“I’m still trying to figure out how to describe my music,” Cremer said. “I would say it’s a mix of folk, country and rock with emo tinges.”

Cremer’s unique fusion of genres has produced a catchy sound influenced by the Indie rock group The Lumineers, and Brand New, a band belonging to the punk rock genre. While it is useful to label an artist’s genre, it would be easier to say that Cremer’s sound defies genre and instead serves as a pure extension of himself.

“I am coming out with a new EP soon called ‘Bury Your Name’. All of the songs are about impactful moments that have happened within recent years. ‘Michael’s Song’ is about a friend struggling with addiction but listening to it now, it is more about being unable to help your friends when you yourself struggle with the same issues.” Cremer said.

Unlike many linear-themed albums, Cremer’s EP exemplifies the pendulum of life, the progression and regressions of personal development.

“Music helps me process what goes on around me. I’ll sometimes write and not know what the lyrics mean until later when I reflect back on them and realize what my issue is.” he said.

While creating music serves as Cremer’s outlet for self-discovery, it is one of his greatest challenges as well. When his passion became the pinnacle of his focus, his studies and job fell to the wayside.

“Music sometimes tends to control all aspects of my life,” Cremer said, “Inspiration does not always strike me between nine to five. At 3 a.m. sometimes I have to work on music and that takes a toll on my school and work life.”

Even though Cremer often feels spread too thin, he embraces the reward of his dedication when performing. As someone who has also seen Cremer perform, it is evident that he genuinely enjoys his work and so does his audience.

“I would tell any aspiring musician that once your raw talent and dumb luck runs out, keep working hard at what you’re doing. Even if people do not accept your music, know that you made something good.” Cremer said.

Cremer’s next performance will be at Local’s Night at the Maltese within the coming months, at Gogi’s Café March 7 at 7:30 p.m., the Torch Club March 8 at 7 p.m. and at Ironsides at 10 p.m in downtown Sacramento.

His music can be found at noking.bandcamp.com, poorplacerecords.bandcamp.com, and on Facebook @NoKing. Keep an eye out for his EP Bury Your Name which will be released early April.

Anisha Brady can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_arts on Twitter.