Winter storm warnings include northeast Twin Cities

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Minneapolis musician Josh Lavonn says his latest album came from one place: love. 

The Ponderosa frontman credits his wife and the relationships around him as the spark behind “Woman,” a retro-soul record built on devotion, vulnerability and long-term partnership.

1. Lavonn’s main musical inspiration is his wife

Lavonn doesn’t mince words: he credits his wife as his main inspiration. “Being with someone else and in a loving relationship is just the best thing,” he says. 

After more than a decade of marriage, their friendship gives him security and joy, even on hard days. He tried to capture that steady support in “I Feel Down Today” — a song that grew into an entire album.

2. It wasn’t just their relationship that inspired him

As he’s gotten older, Lavonn has watched friends build lasting relationships of their own. He named the album “Woman” to honor that kind of love — accepting, supportive and transformative. He says the differences between him and his wife make him better, and embracing that vulnerability became the catalyst for the album.

3. Lavonn chose retro soul to tell this story

Retro soul, pop soul and R&B are the foundation of Lavonn’s sound. For this track, he leaned into the blend of analog and synth textures, groove-driven bass and heavy drums. He fine-tuned the tempo to avoid being too slow and anthemic or too fast to feel intimate, landing on a balance that’s both soft and steady.

Lavonn says the song carries a simple lesson: “You don't need to fix one another or have all the answers, but just being there for one another.” Realizing he didn’t need all the answers brought a kind of liberation. And he wanted to share that through his music.

“I Feel Down Today,” from the album “Woman” by Ponderosa, is out now.

Arts and Culture

Music

NewsPartners

Homepage

Minnesota Arts

Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund

Anika Besst

Author

Minneapolis musician Josh Lavonn says his latest album came from one place: love. The Ponderosa frontman credits his wife and the relationships around him as the spark behind “Woman,” a retro-soul record built on devotion, vulnerability and long-term partnership.

Four facts about 'I Feel Down Today,' the new single from Ponderosa

Go Deeper.

Like this?