Waxing Lyrical

Warrior Poet - Josh Lisiuk

You may have read the poetry of young Warrior Poet, Josh Lisiuk, in Eduzine Spring Issue. Josh has a unique style both in terms of his literary/lyrical work and his haunting, yet waxed & polished Cash/Morrison/Cave inspired vocals. Eduzine caught up with Josh after watching him perform live at Manchester’s Tiger Lounge earlier this year. Our memo writing services were overworked this time, but all issues were eventually solved.

Josh’s musical performance on stage was impressive to say the least. The melodious tunes still flowed through the room as Josh sat down, looking every bit the star quality performer. Indeed, Josh made it clear from the outset that this was to be his article, in his words … something we were pleased to hear. Eduzine is intended to be the voice of young people, about young achievers, in their own words and self-penned articles are very much something we would like to publish. Therefore, please enjoy Josh ‘Warrior Poet’ Lisiuk in his own words:

“I stand before you a young man just on the cusp of adolescence. My name is Josh Lisiuk, I am currently 22 and I am a poet and a musician currently living in the vibrant city of Manchester. I grew up in a small town called Prestwich just North of Manchester. I come from humble origins; however I am incredibly lucky and grateful for the opportunities I have had and the life that I lead. My father is a very skilled joiner and works his hands in wood; he practically built the house where I grew up. He also flirts with several art forms from painting, stained glass window making and of course music. My mother works for Manchester University and binds our family together. I also have two beautiful little sisters with the most fantastic names of Eden and Annielle.

I am very proud of my heritage and my surname, Lisiuk. I feel just like the city of Manchester I am a cultural melting pot as I have family that spans the length of the globe. The origin of my name comes from my Grandfather, who was originally from a small town in the Ukraine and during the second world war, when the Nazis invaded he was captured and taken to work on a German farm to produce food for the German war machine. After the War was over he was liberated by American troops and told that his family were all killed and he could not return home, so like many eastern Europeans he came to England, where he was put to work in a factory as cheap labour. It was here he met my Grandmother, who descended from the Italian foothills of Naples.
Now you know about my origins, let me tell you about my education and how it has defined me as the person I am today. I attended Park View Primary School, which is a quaint little school overlooking St. Mary’s Park in Manchester. My favourite subjects at school were always PE and Science. Quite ironically, I always disliked English, as I have always had slight dyslexia and problems with spelling. Maybe this helps me to be poetic and weave words together, but growing up I did really struggle with reading and writing. I then attended Philips High School where I was forever playing football. Whilst the other boys were chasing girls, I was still chasing a ball! If I had a spare minute we would have jumpers for goal posts and break out into a football match. I have to explain that, growing up in Manchester, football is a religion second only to the music scene which I thrive off today. It was at Philips High that I continued my fascination with PE and science. I like to think I was a good student, I was in the top set for everything and I worked hard so that when I finished I had 10 good GCSE’s. I then went on to Holy Cross Sixth Form College where I studied psychology, PE and biology. This set me up to go to University where, due to my hard work and studies, I received a Scholarship. I am incredibly appreciative of the University of Leeds for granting me the scholarship as it allowed me to study away from home and to be the first person from my family to ever go to University. At University I continued with my love for sport and biology by studying Sport Science and for 3 years I learned about the human body. I like to tell people that Leonardo da Vinci also started out by studying anatomy! I also had the best time imaginable in Leeds, where I made some life long friends and I fell in love for the first time. Unfortunately, during my time in Leeds, I discovered playing the guitar and I probably dedicated a bit too much time to music rather than studying. However I cannot state how privileged I feel to have had such a great education and the chance to go to University.

So after I graduated I returned home, to my beloved city of Manchester, where I have fallen into and been enthralled by the music scene. It really is like no other city in the world. Every other person here is in a band or plays an instrument. Every pub holds regular nights where you can just turn up and play. I believe there are at least 3 venues to play every evening here, so that’s what I do. I have been working hard on playing as much as possible; you could say I crave the attention of the stage but if you have ever had a full room of people applauding a poem/song you have written and performed you can see how it becomes easily addictive. I have recently started running my own events as well. I believe that if you want something in life you have to go out, take control and follow your dreams. That’s what I am doing. By running my own gigs for myself and my friends to play at, I can’t explain how satisfying it is to have people attend and have a good time. My events are always free and recently I have set out working planning my own 2 day festival. It really is an exciting time for my life and my music.

So now you know about me, let me tell you about the Warrior Poet and my music. The Warrior poet is the stage name that I use, as unfortunately no-one can pronounce Lisiuk. When I perform I like to tell poems to introduce myself and my songs. It’s quite difficult to define your own style as you never get to see your self perform live however I would say I play Rock’n’Roll. I have quite a distinct style and voice and I often get likened to Morrisey and Ian Curtis. Perhaps I just have that Manchester sound. I am a consummate music lover, I listen to anything and everything but I always return to music from the 60’s with my major influences being the likes of the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. As for my poetry, I am forever writing. I try to post a new poem everyday on my Facebook page. My biggest influences are Jim Morrison from the Doors and the poetry of William Blake. I have an obsession with classical literature and all the old Greek stories such as the Odyssey, as well as ancient magic and mythology. I have even attempted to re-write a few of these stories in my own style. The majority of my songs and poems are about my experiences in life and I like to write songs about magic, girls that I meet and the wild adventure that I find myself in. It’s a great feeling when people tell me that they can connect with something that I have written, but ultimately it’s just an expression of my soul and all I want to do is spread peace and love by making people smile.

Josh's Message

My message to anyone reading this article; what would I like to tell people? That anything really is possible. If you believe in yourself enough and you are willing to work hard that you can make your dreams come true. Just set out your aims and start working towards it and the Universe will provide the rest. To any younger reader I cannot express enough how hard you should work in school and you will set yourself up for the rest of your life. Try and live for the day and don’t have any regrets. Also learn to play a musical instrument its so rewarding and such a great outlet for creativity and so much more constructive than video games and television. I still have a long way to go with my music and poetry and I’m not sure where I am going to end up or where it’s going to take me, but one thing is for sure … I am going to enjoy the journey!”

A huge thank you, from Eduzine, to Josh for his honest article. If you have not seen Josh perform, we suggest you add the experience to your wish list. If you are a fan of The Doors, Johnny Cash, The Smiths, Morrisey, Joy Division, Nick Cave or similar sounds, you will love The Warrior Poet!

Are you a young artist, musician, actor, dancer, sculptor, sportsperson, entrepreneur or indeed any trade or profession? Do you want to promote your work, talent, achievements? Please email [email protected] and tell us your great story.