Joshua Bassett Opens Up On Returning To His Theater Roots And Writing His Most Vulnerable Project Yet

Is there anything you can tell us about potential new music?

You know, I’m always working on music. I feel like I’ve struck gold in terms of my evolution and my sound — so right now, we’re trying to figure out the next steps. But currently, my main focus is definitely on my book.

You’ve described Rookie as your “most vulnerable and terrifying piece of work” to date. Where did the inspiration to write it come from?

So I was “no schooled.” I was homeschooled, I say in quotation marks, but really, I was “no schooled.” I spent my childhood just being creative. When I was 14, I taught myself how to play guitar when I got grounded. I also taught myself piano and ukulele, and just started writing. The first song I ever wrote was actually to ask a girl to homecoming.

I started going up to LA when I was 16. I lived in my car and started going to Hollywood events that I wasn’t invited to, but pretended that I belonged there. I realized that even the people invited feel a bit like frauds, and everyone’s kind of faking it.

Eventually I got cast in High School Musical [The Musical: The Series], and there was a day before we shot the finale in Season 1. I was having a mental breakdown and Tim Federle, the showrunner, pulled me aside and asked, “What’s going on?” I was like, “I’m a fraud. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. You guys hired me, and I’m supposed to deliver, and I don’t think I can do it.”

He told me, “Every day I show up on set, I’m worried people will find out that I have no idea what the hell I’m doing.” It made me realize, if he feels like that, then I’m fine, you know what I’m saying?