Joshua readies himself for the arrival of Ryan, making sure his home is tidy and welcoming for his guest. He is by no means a slob but Joshua wants everything to be perfect. While Ryan is someone Joshua considers himself friendly with, having spoken to and joked around with online, he is still one of his biggest inspirations. It's a big deal having Ryan Ross Hernandez in his home. When Ryan was out there; selling millions, touring the world and cementing his iconic status, Joshua was still very much in school. He's pretty sure RRH's first album dropped before Joshua's own voice did. To have him enter his home is a fairly bizarre prospect. The man whose CDs sat in Joshua's old teenage bedroom would literally be sat on his couch in a few minutes. Joshua isn't exactly nervous as that's not his style, but he's very conscious of the fact that he has to make a good impression. The last thing he wants is for one of his favourite artists to think his home is a dump.

Joshua's gorgeous home resides in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. It's not exactly Beverly Hills but it's still a lovely area and Joshua is a NJ boy through and through. There's no way he'd ever leave...unless a bad decision is made in November. In that case, he has some brochures ready. Joshua's place is almost like a mini mansion; two-stories, beautifully landscaped, on a semi-private road and the size suggests that he has money without being too flashy. He sits on the couch, awaiting Ryan's arrival.

Joshua hops up off the couch to walk to his front door. The bizarre idea of opening his door to one of his favourite musicians plays over in his head as he walks down the hallway, letting a little chuckle out. This stuff only happens in dreams or MTV prank shows from the 2000s. Lord, he hopes this isn't the premiere of a revived series of Punk'd. That'd just be all kinds of cruel. Thankfully when he opens the door he is greeted with the familiar face of Ryan and no cameramen seem to be lurking in the bushes. "Hey, man!!" Joshua smiles gleefully, unable to hide his admiration and fondness for this guy. He reaches out and gives Ryan a friendly handshake and pat on the shoulder. Joshua stands tall in the doorway at 6' 3" - another reason why some are intimidated by him and forget his pretty tender age. He's a big bit of boy. "I couldn't have picked out a better outfit, sir!" Joshua says with a chuckle, looking at Ryan then back down at his own clothing as they've gone for a very similar look minus the denim jacket. "Come in, come in before that Jersey air knocks you out!" Joshua loves his home state but the air pollution is something he'd gloss over if trying to sell this house.

"Go 'head, make yourself at home!". He makes way for Ryan to enter his home. It's very cosy and welcoming. A lot of celebrity homes tend to have a very cold, clinical, modern design. A lot of huge windows, white walls and furniture. Joshua's is definitely more homely and warm. There's a nice autumnal feel with a lot of rustic browns, creams and oranges as well as some candles on the go. With the chaotic life he leads, Joshua needs peace and quiet in his own home. Joshua glances down at the bottle of malt and nods his head in approval. "Nice touch. Is uh...is that for us or was it a dangerous drive over here?" Joshua asks with a little laugh. He still can't believe Ryan is in his home, talking to him. If Joshua wasn't so cool, he'd totally have his dad on the phone right now. "Can I get you anything?"

"Well, if we are the same person then maybe you could fill me in on what's to come for me over the next twenty years?" Joshua asks with a chuckle. In all honesty, he doesn't mind the RRH comparisons. There's worse people to be compared to. It also puts a little spring in his step knowing that he's unintentionally just like one of his idols. All this charm and style is natural. "Seriously though, if you would like to forewarn me or give me some advice regarding the next two decades, it'd be much, much appreciated," Joshua jokes and clasps his hands together. He's certainly had a turbulent few years in the industry and he's only 22. Lord knows what's around the corner for him.

Joshua takes the bottle from Ryan graciously and nods along as he speaks. "Uh, this is birth place of Jersey Shore. Anything goes! You wanna torch my car? That's not an offence, that's social media gold in these parts!". Joshua smiles and looks at the fine bottle of liquor. "Wow, this looks kinda like the stuff my boyfriend buys. He's much more refined than I am. Bordering on a young connoisseur. Me? Well I just sound funny when I say "connoisseur"," Joshua says with a shrug in his thick Jersey accent. The way he pronounces his "o" sounds is quite something. He gingerly taps on the bottle. "Since this is your favorite, should we just start on this? I don't know if I have anything remotely of the same calibre. Definitely no White Claw though!" Joshua shakes his head and chuckles. He hasn't been legally allowed to drink for long and doesn't have much experience with booze...but even he wouldn't touch a claw. "How do you take yours?" he asks, holding up the bottle.

"Stupid shit that gets me in hot water...hmmm..." Joshua pauses and looks off into the distance. "Well, a LOT of people in this country think that I say stupid shit anyone so I guess I'm nearly there!" he says in a very jovial manner, glossing over the fact that so many vehemently hate him. Joshua was far from the first celebrity to get political but in terms of this modern movement among musicians speaking up and out against this Republican government, Joshua certainly was a trailblazer for it and got a heap of backlash for his troubles. Now everyone is begging for their idols to speak out against injustice and reaffirm their stances but back in 2016, this Grimmie kid was told to "stay out of politics". When Ryan tells him not to do many interviews he laughs and nods along. "Yeah, they're pretty much just set ups at this point. I'll let you interview me, though!". Joshua was very keen on the "artist meets artist" kind of conversations.

Joshua leads Ryan through to a room off of the kitchen. It sort of doubles as a dining room and a snug, chillout conservatory area. Again, it's very warm and homely. The glassed roof extension houses a big window seat with some plush chairs and beanbags surrounding it meant for hangouts with his friends but with the state of the world lately, this little seating area hasn't been allowed to fulfil its purpose. "I have a plethora of seats for you to choose from..." Joshua gestures out towards the extension. "Yeah, Jersey through and through. There's no hiding it!" Joshua states while furrowing his eyebrows, well aware of how strong his accent is. "Don't know if people tell me to shut up because of my stances or my voice. Maybe both?" Joshua opens the malt and gets the glasses ready while Ryan makes himself comfortable. Joshua closes his eyes and shakes his head, cringing at the idea of what must appear when someone Googles him. "If I could ask Ryan Ross Hernandez for ONE favour, it'd be for you not to Google me. There's uh...there's stuff on there. Don't think you would have turned up tonight if you read all that shit," Joshua quips with a little laugh as he brings over the glasses. Ryan has his on the rocks while Joshua seems to take it neat. From sensationalised stories regarding his break-ups and breakdowns to THAT infamous beach picture, there's a lot that could paint Joshua as...a tad unstable.

"Thanks for coming over. I-I really can't believe I'm sat here with you, man," Joshua confesses as he takes a seat next to Ryan.

"I'm...slowly learning that," Joshua says with a slow nod and a sly smirk as Ryan advises him to cut out the noise. While Joshua is a sweet boy at heart, he does have a fiery temper and a big mouth. He has started to learn that anger breeds anger and has taken a lot of time away from social media. When he debuted, Joshua was an easy target for trolls and even some nasty people within the industry. They enjoyed poking the bear and getting a reaction. Joshua was always quick to bite back with cutting remarks but it ultimately never ended in his favour. The vicious cycle just continued. His eyes light up upon hearing that the show is close to becoming official. "That's great, Ryan! I can't wait for you to sit down with some of these people in the business. Believe me." Joshua mischievously raises an eyebrow as if hiding a secret. He knows a bunch of "artists" who wouldn't have the knowledge or depth to talk to Ryan about their "process". A lot of it is handed to them on a plate but their egos would make you think it was all hard-earned.

"To be quite honest, I don't think I've ever really googled you or anyone to much extent. I was always a fan of you for your music and what I read in your interviews. When you start to look at gossip articles, music forums, Twitter, even the comments section of YouTube - that's where it all unravels. All these opinions and theories and shit. I bet you have some colourful articles and pages dedicated to you, Mr Hernandez." Joshua isn't the most clued up when it comes to pop culture but he knows enough of Ryan and his past association with certain women and drama in the industry to understand that a lot of people will get hung up on it and sensationalise aspects for their own gain. "People seem to love writing about me so I'm kind of starting to control my own narrative. Instead of being thrown to the wolves and be torn limb from limb, I'll dangle the meat and make them beg instead. Own that shit. Sometimes you just have to get on stage at the FCA and throw the faceless people on the internet a bone, you know?".

Joshua rubs the rim of his glass with his thumb, looking down into the beverage and softly smiling as Ryan speaks. He's trying to compose himself and not go all red faced in embarrassment. One of his favourite musicians sat in his own home and complimenting his craft? It's like a teenage wet dream. "Well, thank you. That's a HUGE honour coming from you. I guess being a fucking loudmouth with shit to say pays off in the artistic integrity and acclaim stakes, huh?". Joshua always has a story to tell, an opinion to air or even a lot of clever wordplay to show off. There's never going to be anything vapid within his music. "It has been a long time coming indeed. Cheers to that." Joshua raises his glass in unison with Ryan.

"Fuck. This is good stuff!"