Song Premiere: Joshua Espinosa, “Me or the Whiskey”
The Twin Cities artist’s deceptively simple waltz is one of an intriguing collection of songs from his upcoming album Americaña. Hear it first here!
Joshua Espinosa. Photo credit: Sam Wagner.
Despite his years in the music business, you might not have heard of Joshua Espinosa. Not surprising since he spent that time “bouncing around the fringes” of the music scene in both California and the Twin Cities. That’s all going to change, I suspect, with his upcoming debut album Americaña.
The accent mark is a little hint that while the record contains lots of country and roots elements, it’s by no means a straightforward Americana album (if there even is such a thing). It’s the kind of genre-blending collection that includes entry points for many types of music lovers, whether you’re into country waltzes, jazzy barroom blues, 70s rock, 90s alternative, or modern alt-country. There are slow songs, some sad and some sweet, and there are more uptempo ones about the lure and the regrets of a hard-partying lifestyle.
What ties all these eclectic sounds together? Espinosa’s plainspoken lyrics and immensely appealing vocals, for a start. His unrestrained tenor moves between a fluid vibrato and a cracked tremble that lends tension and emotional weight to his delivery. There’s something both reckless and vulnerable about such a voice, especially hearing it applied to so many different song styles.
The impressive team behind its creation deserves a large share of credit for the album’s cohesion too; it was produced by the legendary Kevin Bowe, an accomplished musician and acclaimed songwriter himself who’s written songs for three platinum records and two Grammy winning albums. An array of celebrated musicians contributed to Americaña, from Scottie Miller to Tommy Barbarella.
Americaña comes out this Friday, October 17, 2025, with an album release celebration on Saturday afternoon at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater in Minneapolis. But you don’t have to wait to get a taste of the record: We’re pleased to present an exclusive premiere of one of its songs, “Me or the Whiskey,” today!
The track’s deceptively simple lyrics, easy-tempo waltz rhythm and acoustic arrangement create a sandbox for intricate playing. Espinosa layers in his own guitar, fiddle and mandolin; Tommy Vee adds upright bass; and Peter Anderson (Maygen & The Birdwatcher) provides subtle percussion. “The music behind it is rooted in some Carter Family techniques,” Espinosa says. “I wrote it at my in-laws’ place in the woods up north, the perfect place to write a back porch pickin’ song.”
Espinosa’s voice is the most understated on this track out of any on the album. (Once you hear him let loose on a couple other songs, you can tell he’s holding back here.) The master stroke on “Me or the Whiskey” was bringing in Sarah Morris for backup vocals. The interplay of her dulcet-toned harmonies with Espinosa’s reined-in rocker voice on melody is like the satisfying dance of sweet and bitter on your tongue when drinking a well-balanced cocktail. “Sarah just made the whole song, in my opinion,” he says.
The lyrics, appropriately, touch on the sweet aspects of drinking (“It warms my bones and settles my soul”) alongside the bitter (“takes me to places that I shouldn’t go”), and wonder about the root of the problem in the aftermath of a night on the town, punctuated by the refrain “Is the demon me or the whiskey?”
“‘Me or the Whiskey’ is basically a hard look in the mirror about my chronic self-destructive behavior,” Espinosa explains. “It usually impacts those closest to you, and I carry guilt about that. We’ve always been told that alcohol makes stuff like that even worse, and that’s definitely been true in my own experience, but also, to what extent is it simply my own deficiencies as a person? This song is me wrestling with that concept.”
Listen to “Me or the Whiskey” now!
Joshua Espinosa celebrates his album release in a matinee show Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater in Minneapolis. Doors open at 1pm and the music starts at 2pm with Tom Lieberman opening. Get your tickets today!
Americaña Album Credits
Recorded, produced & mixed by Kevin Bowe in the Kill Room, Minneapolis, MN
Mastered by Bruce Templeton at Microphonic Mastering
Art direction & design by Christopher Kornmann for Spit + Image
Vocals, guitars, violin, keys, mandolin, ukulele – Joshua Espinosa
Bass, guitars, percussion, harmonica, organ, banjo, backup vocals – Kevin Bowe
Drums – Peter Anderson
Piano – Scottie Miller
Wurlitzer & Hammond B3 – Tommy Barbarella
Pedal Steel – Ken Wilson
Trumpet – Paul Odegaard
Upright Bass – Tommy Vee
Tuba & Trombone – David Budimir
Backup Vocals – Monique Blakey & Sarah Morris
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carol Roth. Photo credit: Dan Lee.
Adventures in Americana co-founder Carol Roth is a novelist who publishes both under her name and the pseudonym T.A. Berkeley in a range of genres, from horror to thriller to YA. She loves to play guitar, sing and occasionally write songs. Her wide-ranging passions also include vegan cooking, personal finance, watching queer romance TV/movies and learning to speak Thai. By day she’s a marketing writer/brand strategist.
