Josh King - The Compass: UK

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Trip start
March 29, 2026
Josh King - The Compass: UK Josh King
88 Keys 🎹
March 29 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
Starting the journey right here in Charlotte. It’s the 88th day of the year—World Piano Day—and it felt like the only right day to begin.

From years as an airport pianist to the American Idol stage, it’s been a wild ride. But today, I’m closing the lid on the piano for a while. I’m taking off out of Concord to see my grandparents first. Remember to visit your family when you can. 😊

I wasn’t going to share this journey at first. I thought about just disappearing into the work. But after talking to family and some of you guys, the encouragement changed my mind. I decided to bring everyone along.

I’m heading out with nothing but a suitcase, guitar, a harmonica, and a mobile studio in my bag. I want to challenge myself mentally and physically. I’m looking forward to conversations with strangers that change my perspective and the family stories I haven't heard yet.

I’m leaving the 88 keys behind for now. Maybe I’ll find some along the way in a pub, chapel, or stranger's living room. Maybe not. I’m not just trying to write a record. I’m trying to find the man who's supposed to sing it. I can't promise a finished album at the end of this, but I am promising to find the truth behind the sound.

Why FindPenguins?

I wanted a place to be raw. No algorithms or filters. Just a digital trail of the struggle, the miles, and the music. If I catch a sound I like, I might share it here first. If you want to see how a sound is actually found, follow the footprints.

I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for yet, but I’ll know it when I hear it. 🗺️🎙️🎸Read more
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Josh King - The Compass: UK Josh King
The Most Important Stop
March 29 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F
Touched down in Lakeland, Florida. Of all the miles I’ll cover on this journey, this was the most important stop I had to make.

My grandfather and mom were there to pick me up at the gate. There’s no better way to spend the rest of World Piano Day than with the people who grounded me before the music ever took flight.

The 88th day of the year started in the air, but it’s ending exactly where it needs to be.Read more
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Josh King - The Compass: UK Josh King
Boarding
March 30 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F
You might think that someone is lucky if they get to leave home and travel. I am. But for me, I’m constantly bouncing thoughts back and forth in my head. Should I actually travel and potentially get a new experience, or is it just a waste of time?

A lot of trips I’ve made in the past have amounted to nothing, and I don’t want this one to just be another one of those pointless endeavors when I could’ve been home saving money….especially in an uncertain world like this one, and also when gas is like $4 a gallon right now.

I was standing at this bridge, ready to turn back. There were a thousand logical reasons to stay. But there was one unknown reason telling me I had to go. I don't know what it was, but it was stronger than the fear of wasting time.

So, I'm getting on this plane. See you on the other side.Read more
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Josh King - The Compass: UK Josh King
London Gatwick Airport
March 31 in England ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
I’m not really able to sleep on flights. I can doze off for half an hour or so, but that’s about it.

After we landed and picked up our luggage, we went down to the car rental to pick up our vehicle, and like every single other rental car company in the world, they just love to give the car you reserved… to somebody else. But they took care of us and upgraded us to a Mercedes, which is an unfathomably wide car, especially in England and especially since I have never driven over here before. It’s a smooth ride at the very least. I’m still a Toyota fan through and through. German engineering will never win me over. Plus, it’s expensive.

I digress.Read more
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Josh King - The Compass: UK Josh King
Five Bells and a Sign
March 31 in England ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
After almost 2 hours of driving, we finally made it to the inn. I hadn’t slept for nearly 24 hours, and it was pretty nice to just pass out and recoup for a couple of hours. The Five Bells Wickham, a 17th century free house, provided the perfect spot to rest before heading further west.

The UK relies heavily upon privately run inns, and almost every single one of them doubles as a pub. If there is one thing the British enjoy more than tea and football, (not the American kind), it’s gathering together in a local pub.

We went down later that evening for dinner, and even in a different country, I can’t escape “Piano Man”. It was the first song playing over the pub’s PA as I sat down.

The English countryside is one of the quietest places on earth, so quiet that I can hear my tinnitus. But it makes for some straight, undisturbed sleep.

Back to it tomorrow, but for now I rest.Read more
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Josh King - The Compass: UK Josh King
Hot Sauce
April 1 in England ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
It's morning at the Five Bells, I noticed details I missed last night.... like the three bells on the door for Room 3

We are headed to a house sit today, so the first stop is to a grocery store. As a lot of food tends to be bland, I need hot sauce. The clerk led me to a bottle of hot sauce but warned me, "It’s not actually hot." Ok. Thanks. Moving on.

Driving into the Cotswolds, we stopped when we saw these "pillboxes" in Inkpen. I was curious. Apparently, these are fortified structures from WW2 just sitting by the bridges. They were built hastily when a German invasion in 1940 seemed imminent.

When we arrived, the homeowner was out back scraping moss off the yard. They’ve had so much rain it’s been suffocating the grass. We don't have ground moss like this back in Charlotte, but it felt like a symbol for this whole trip. Basically, you have to clear away the stuff that’s grown over you just so what's hidden can breathe again.

This is home for the next few days, and it's got a piano.Read more
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Josh King - The Compass: UK Josh King
Empty House
April 2 in England ⋅ ⛅ 39 °F
Found some actual hot sauce in the salad dressing aisle at Tesco. So, this month is saved. A lot of us lived on hot sauce while on American Idol because a lot of the food options we had needed flavor. I’ll take the win over here. One of the UK's greatest assets is the Tesco meal deal.

Norse also canceled my return flight home, no warning or reason. Didn't rebook me either. Checking new airfare this late was a shock...over $1,200! I have a gig in Mount Holly, NC on May 2nd, and I have to be back in time to prepare for that. I’m hoping Norse responds to my help requests, but right now, I’m just waiting and trying figure out what to do.

Now the house is empty and the chaos is gone. I’m beginning to feel once again that it was a mistake to come, but I’m here. Pumpkin the cat is no longer hiding under the bed and decided to hang out with me and I'm grateful for that.Read more
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Josh King - The Compass: UK Josh King
Jet Lag
April 3 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
I'm pretty jet lagged right now. But here's a couple photos of the cat.

Still no word from Norse.

Don't fly Norse.
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Josh King - The Compass: UK Josh King
The Bombers
April 4 in England ⋅ 🌬 57 °F
So, the house I am staying at is pretty close to RAF Fairford where a bunch of B-52s and B1 Lancers are based out of. Needless to say, those are incredibly loud birds, and they fly over multiple times a day. It's quite surreal knowing where they're going, and how peaceful it becomes once you can no longer hear them.Read more
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Trip end
April 28, 2026