Joshua Lobsen, who goes by Shwa, graduated college and went on to succeed at his dream job of making music and now fronts a pop-rock band. This weekend, Shwa returns to AU, his alma mater, to perform for parents' weekend.
Lobsen graduated from AU in 2003 with a degree in international relations and a communications minor. He continued living in D.C. before moving to New York City in 2006. Lobsen has performed at many D.C. venues, including Iota, DC9 and the Black Cat. He performed his music at AU frequently when he was a student, but this will be his first official show as an alumnus.
Lobsen was inspired by his time at AU and incorporated many of his experiences into his music. One of his songs is titled "Tenleytown Bitch." The title doesn't come from any dislike of AU female students but more from the absurdity of people.
"I saw a high school girl outside of Starbucks drinking a frappuccino while asking for money," Lobsen said.
This song became popular around AU during Lobsen's four years. He was an active member of AU as a student, organizing many Eagle Nights, including getting Dustin Diamond, the actor who played Screech on "Saved By the Bell," to speak. Lobsen also studied abroad in Italy, where he was first paid to play regularly at a venue. He also played his own music in Kay, the Tavern and the Davenport Lounge. Lobsen even opened for the Capitol Steps one year but was kicked off the stage for swearing too much.
"There was never a busier time for me than at AU ... I had as good of four years as anyone could have," he said.
After graduation, Lobsen experienced the difficulties of finding an entry-level job in his intended field, so he continued playing music with old high school friends and others he met along the way. Soon he received more gigs and regular shows around D.C. He eventually decided to devote all his time to making a career out of music.
"It's hard to do it part-time, so you have to go for it all the way," Lobsen said.
Since college, he has refined his sound and devoted his life to making music. He releases albums independently and sells his music on iTunes. In 2004, Shwa released their first album, "Just a Thought." They then won a recording package and recorded the 2006 album "Click Track" at the Indie Music Studios in Philadelphia. In 2008 Shwa released "Chop Chop," which was recorded in Austin, Texas, and mostly written during the time Lobsen spent in London, New York and Philadelphia.
His music has an indie laid-back style. His songs have meaningful lyrics that keep the listener interested and wanting more. Lobsen aims to tell a story in every song.
"I try to write everyday ... the best stuff comes randomly when I'm on a train or in the shower," he said.
While his sound is most comparable to Elliott Smith, his influences stretch across everything from the Beatles to Radiohead and grunge bands like Pearl Jam, which he listened to as a kid. The album titled song "Chop Chop" is especially catchy and easy to listen to repeatedly.
Lobsen's plans for the future are to keep working hard and develop a larger fan base.
"Someday I would like to go to any town and have people know my music," he said.
His music has received some great reviews from The Washington Post and OnTap Magazine, and continues to be Lobsen's main source of income. You can hear Lobsen's music at www.myspace.com/Shwamusic or buy it on iTunes.
Shwa will perform in AU's Amphitheater Oct. 25 at 11:30 a.m.
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
