From a rainy summer evening at Kafé Himlavalvet to a reunion at Debaser Strand. Josiah and the Bonnevilles delivered a concert defined by heartfelt songwriting, a tight-knit band, and an exceptionally warm connection with the audience. The evening also featured an energetic opening performance by Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets, proving that Ireland’s rock scene has plenty more to offer.

Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets – Irish Energy with American Influences

Irish band Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets had the task of warming up the crowd at Debaser Strand in Stockholm on November 11. And they did so with an energy and enthusiasm that quickly set the tone for the evening.

Musically, the band operates in a space where the American rock tradition meets modern indie. The influences of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Fleetwood Mac are unmistakable, from their melodic approach and storytelling to their guitar-driven energy. There’s something refreshing about the way they combine these classic influences with a youthful sound of their own.

Dylan Flynn has a natural charisma as a frontman, and together with The Dead Poets, he radiates infectious enthusiasm. There’s both a strong sense of melody and a genuine desire to connect with the people in front of the stage.

I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Dylan just before Josiah was about to take the stage. He told me that a return to Sweden is likely, this time for a headline tour of their own. After their performance that evening, that’s certainly something to look forward to.

But there would be another appearance before the night was over. When Josiah and the Bonnevilles later performed Daisy, Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets returned to the stage to join them for the song. It was a lovely moment that also highlighted the sense of camaraderie between the musicians throughout the evening.

From Himlavalvet to Debaser – Three Years Later

On August 15, 2023, I had the pleasure of meeting Josiah Leming when he performed at Kafé Himlavalvet in Stockholm. It was a rainy and chilly summer evening, but also one of those concerts that stays with you. The intimate setting, the music, and a few lovely conversations with Josiah left a lasting impression.

Just over three years later, he’s back in Stockholm, this time at Debaser Strand with a full band behind him.

During those years, Josiah and the Bonnevilles have grown into an internationally recognised act, attracting an increasingly large audience and touring extensively. But it’s not just the size of the audience that has changed. His musical expression has evolved too, from stripped-back performances built around guitar and vocals to a much broader sound in which a tightly connected band brings new dimensions to the songs.

I had the opportunity to meet Josiah again for an interview before the concert. It was a warm and personal reunion, and we talked about just how much has happened since that evening at Himlavalvet.

Above all, though, the concert demonstrated how much he has grown as a live performer without losing what made him so special when we first met.

An Artist Who Truly Connects with His Audience

What impresses me most about Josiah Leming is his presence. He has an ability to create a personal connection with the audience that makes even a larger concert venue feel intimate.

It’s not about grand gestures or carefully rehearsed stage moves. Rather, it’s his natural manner, warmth, and ability to convey the emotions of his songs that make the distance between the stage and the audience feel remarkably small.

There’s a sincerity in his delivery that makes you believe every word. When he sings about love, loss, longing, and life’s setbacks, the stories come alive. He also has a voice that can move from quiet vulnerability to a far more powerful expression without ever losing its distinctive character.

The concert opened with Stolen Love, followed by Good Boy and Carolina Heart. These opening songs immediately established the musical character that would define the evening: a meeting between Josiah’s strong singer-songwriter roots and the larger, more dynamic sound brought by his band.

It’s clear how much he enjoys the interplay with his fellow musicians. The band adds both weight and movement to the music without overshadowing Josiah’s voice or the stories he tells. On the contrary, the songs gain additional depth.

And despite the bigger production, the same sense of closeness remains as during that stripped-back performance at Himlavalvet. Josiah has a way of making the audience feel involved, not merely as spectators but as an essential part of the musical experience.

Love, Vulnerability, and the People Behind the Songs

With Keeping Love Alive, Easy to Love, and Mountain Girl, the concert moved into a stretch where Josiah’s ability to portray human relationships took centre stage.

This is also where one of his greatest strengths as a songwriter lies. He can express deeply personal emotions while still leaving room for listeners to bring their own experiences into the songs.

There’s often a simplicity to his music that allows the stories to resonate without needing explanation. These are songs about love and longing, about trying to hold on to what matters, and about the conflicts that arise when life doesn’t quite turn out as expected.

It’s easy to understand why his music has found such a devoted audience. There’s something recognisable in the stories, but also a musical warmth that prevents them from ever feeling distant.

Josiah doesn’t seem primarily interested in impressing his audience. He wants to reach them. And that’s an important distinction.

Basic Channels and his personal interpretation of Justin Bieber’s Ghost also featured in the set. The latter serves as a reminder of how significant cover songs have been throughout his career.

But what makes his interpretations interesting is, above all, the way he approaches the material. He doesn’t simply reproduce the originals. Instead, he filters them through his own musical identity. In his hands, Ghost becomes a song that sits comfortably alongside the Americana and singer-songwriter traditions that shape his own music.

A New Chapter with As Is

With Another Day at the Factory and later Redline, material from his latest album, As Is, also featured prominently during the evening.

The album explores love, loss, resilience, and people’s attempts to navigate everyday life. These are stories about people carrying their experiences with them, who may have lost their way at times but are still trying to find a path forward.

There’s a clear connection between these themes and Josiah’s musical expression. He has a gift for bringing everyday experiences and larger existential questions together without losing the human dimension of his storytelling.

Redline is one of the album’s most interesting tracks, and with the band behind him, it gains a power that reinforces the song’s sense of movement and looking ahead.

It’s also here that the development from the more stripped-back performer of 2023 to today’s Josiah and the Bonnevilles becomes particularly apparent. The music has grown, but the stories remain at its heart.

When the Rock Takes Over

One of the evening’s greatest strengths was the contrast between the intimate moments and the more powerful performances.

With Kings of Leon’s Pyro, alongside his own Please, Hell Without the Flames, and Going Gone, the concert took on a more pronounced rock edge.

It’s a development that can also be heard on As Is, where Josiah has moved away from some of his earlier stripped-back arrangements in favour of a bigger and, at times, more electric sound.

The band brings an energy that works particularly well in a live setting. The guitars have more room to breathe, the rhythm section creates a stronger drive, and the arrangements add a dynamic quality that complements Josiah’s expressive vocals.

At the same time, there’s a fine balance between power and restraint. The music is allowed to grow when needed, while still leaving space for the quieter passages where Josiah’s voice and storytelling take centre stage.

It’s precisely this variety that makes the concert so engaging. Josiah and the Bonnevilles move effortlessly between Americana, folk, and rock without losing their musical identity.

Springsteen, the Mandolin, and a Powerful Finale

After the main set ended with Going Gone, two encore songs followed, beautifully capturing the musical range of the evening.

First, Josiah returned to the stage alongside Juan Solorzano on mandolin for a stripped-back interpretation of Bruce Springsteen’s Atlantic City, from the 1982 album Nebraska.

Springsteen’s original is built around a sparse, acoustic sound in which the story and its almost desolate atmosphere take centre stage. Josiah and Juan preserved that intimacy while giving the song a distinctive musical character through the interplay between the vocals and mandolin.

It provided a beautiful contrast to the bigger, more rock-oriented sound that had defined parts of the concert. With only Josiah’s voice and Juan’s mandolin, the song’s narrative was given room to breathe, while the mandolin added a particular warmth and a clear connection to the Americana tradition.

It’s also a song that fits Josiah’s musical world remarkably well. Springsteen’s story of people trying to find a way forward through hardship and difficult choices closely reflects themes that recur in Josiah’s own songwriting.

Towards the end of Atlantic City, the audience joined in a singalong, and the rest of the band returned to the stage. It became a wonderful transition, as the intimate atmosphere gradually gave way to a broader sense of togetherness, with the audience and musicians united by the song.

From there, the band moved into the night’s final number, Blood Moon. After the understated opening of Atlantic City, the music now blossomed into a powerful, electric finale, with the energy and chemistry of the entire band taking centre stage.

The contrast, but also the natural progression between the two encore songs, provided a particularly fitting conclusion to an evening that had continually moved between the stripped-back and the powerful, between the solitary songwriter and the joy of making music with others.

An Evening That Was About More Than Music

As I left Debaser, it was above all the sense of togetherness that stayed with me.

Josiah Leming is an artist who has experienced both success and setbacks. He has worked hard to find his audience, and in recent years, he has seen his music reach people around the world.

But what impresses me most isn’t how large his audience has become. It’s how he still manages to create the feeling of a personal connection with the people in front of the stage.

There’s a warmth and humility in the way he performs that brings the music close. He lets the stories speak for themselves, generously shares his energy, and shows a genuine joy in being on stage with his band.

Three years ago, he stood alone on stage at Kafé Himlavalvet, at the beginning of a new chapter in his musical career.

On November 11, 2026, he stood at Debaser Strand, surrounded by his band and an audience who had come to share his music.

A great deal has changed since then.

But the warmth, humility, and desire to create a genuine connection with the people in front of the stage seem to be exactly the same.

And perhaps that’s where true success lies.