Artist page » Josh Ritter

Josh Ritter was born in Moscow, Idaho on October 21, 1976 to two neuroscientists. Josh bought his first guitar from the local K-MART after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic Girl From The North Country. Josh started at Oberlin College with the intent to follow in his parents' scientist footsteps, but instead discovered songwriting, and the music of artists like Gillian Welch, Townes Van Zandt, and Leonard Cohen.

Josh Ritter was born in Moscow, Idaho on October 21, 1976 to two neuroscientists. Josh bought his first guitar from the local K-MART after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic Girl From The North Country. Josh started at Oberlin College with the intent to follow in his parents' scientist footsteps, but instead discovered songwriting, and the music of artists like Gillian Welch, Townes Van Zandt, and Leonard Cohen. He graduated and then moved east, favoring its close proximity to historic folk clubs such as "Club Passim" in Boston. On a shoestring budget he recorded his critically acclaimed breakthrough album Golden Age of Radio in 2002 at various tiny, one-room studios on the East Coast. He has continued to grow from there, further developing his sound on subsequent albums. Josh has recorded seven records (six studio albums and one live record) and five E.P.'s. They are (in chronological order): Josh Ritter (Self Titled) (2000) Golden Age of Radio (2001) Come and Find Me EP (2003) Hello Starling (2003) 4 Songs Live E.P. (2005) The Animal Years (2006) Girl In The War E.P. (2006) Good Man E.P. (2006) In The Dark: Live At Vicar Street (2006) The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (2007) Live At The Record Exchange Ep (2008) So Runs the World Away (2010)