Students relax to SHWA music at Coffee House

By Nicole Lord
Staff Writer

Joshua Losben, also know as SHWA, played to an intimate crowd March 29 in the U.C. as part of the Coffee House Series.

SHWA took the stage and performed songs from his debut solo album “Tender.” The audience sat comfortably in couches set up in front of the stage.

Between his songs, SHWA talked to the audience about his album, and the inspirations for his songs.

The show included a couple of SHWA’s more provocative songs he calls “ear muff” songs. “Bad things I want to happen to Erin” was the title of one of the “ear muff” songs performed. SHWA wrote the song about a good friend of his who he said asked him to write the song.

“Erin loves the attention,” SHWA said.

Another “ear muff” song called “My Kristen” was about a girl SHWA dated a couple of times that never called him back. “My Kristen” was an audience favorite prompting one girl to call a friend on her cell phone and let her listen to the song through the phone.

One of the last songs performed was a Spanish version of Britney Spears’ “Hit Me Baby One More Time.” The song stemmed from a college Spanish project that SHWA misinterpreted.

“Even though I did the project wrong, I still got a good grade,” he said. “If you play an instrument in front of a teacher, they can never fail you, they don’t wanna hurt your feelings.”

SHWA is from Washington D.C. and is a 2003 graduate of American University in D.C. He has been playing the guitar for 10 years and has been professionally touring for only a year.

Before graduating from American University, SHWA ran an entertainment night known as Eagle Nights. The weekly show featured various activities including karaoke and the battle of the bands.