John Vincent III opens up about performing at High Water, new music, and more

PC: Adam Colwell

Ahead of his European headlining tour, John Vincent III has made a stop at the High Water Music Festival in Charleston, SC. The 30-year-old Los Angeles/Houston-based singer-songwriter has spent the past two years touring with various musical acts, including Noah Kahan, The Head and The Heart, and Stephen Sanchez, while working on new music.

His newest single, “Walking Through The Water,” was released on March 6 and is a welcome addition to his discography, a deeply personal track with heartfelt melodies.

In a pre-show interview at High Water with Melodic Magazine, John Vincent III opened up about performing at the festival, new music and more.

Melodic Magazine: I wanna jump in. First question: how are you feeling right now?
John Vincent III: Mildly nervous, but very excited. Yeah, and I love all the acts that are playing here, so stoked to see everyone play, see some friends

Is there anyone you’re particularly excited to see?
J: Very excited to see Sheryl Crow! Oh yeah, she’s probably at the top of the list. I’ve never seen her and I’m stoked to see Richie Mitch, Caamp, Peach Pit. All of it really. There’s a great lineup this weekend.

So how does it feel to play a big festival like High Water compared to more intimate venues?
J: Well, this is kind of like my first, I guess you could say, very legitimate festival or something. I’ve played one or two that didn’t feel quite like this, so I might be able to answer that better when I’m done. But it seems cool because everyone’s just here to see all types of live music and just have a great weekend. And so the energy is, it feels like a little less pressure in a way.

Is there anything that was on your survival checklist for this show compared to maybe some of the other shows on your tours?
J: Hmm. No, we kind of approached this the same way. We drove in from Nashville, so it wasn’t like a big fly-in thing. Got a good day at rehearsals in and yeah, same kind of things.

Is there any song you’re particularly excited to play for everyone today?
J: Yeah. I have a new song that came out not too long ago and it’s called “Walking Through the Water” that I have not played live since it’s come out, and I’m really excited to do that. And of course, “Next To You.” I hope everyone’s singing along for that one.

Oh yeah, I’m sure. I know I will be. Have you had a chance to explore the festival at all? I know you said you just drove in, but have you had a chance to check out the food vendors, all the other stuff going on here?
J: Not quite yet. We got here last night, we got into Charleston very late and were able to catch some of the Alabama Shakes show. So we were just kind of locked in on them. But today I’m gonna get some food for sure.

Is there a certain kind of moment you’re trying to create today for someone who maybe hasn’t heard your music before?
J: You know, growing up, coming to festivals, I just always looked forward to that weekend, like the whole year. So my only goal is to just make sure that everybody feels like my show was at least an exciting part of the weekend. And, yeah, just try to bring some good vibes and not hit any sour notes.

You’ve been touring pretty consistently over the past couple years. You just released your single, and you’re about to head to Europe, and you’re also gonna be playing the Summer Fest in Milwaukee. So I have to ask: what’s gonna be up next for you?
J: Well, kind of exciting. I have a new song coming out in May. And then as far as shows go, we got a pretty busy year, a headline tour in the fall. Some spot dates throughout the summer and just working on an album. So hoping that I can get a new album out this year and it’s looking very likely.

And we’re definitely all excited about that. Is there anything you wanna add?
J: Um, May, I don’t know if I can say a date, but I’m gonna do it. May 22nd. New song coming out, so, you know, mark the calendars and I hope you like it. Very exciting.