The Let Go

Collection Contents

#		Title	Length
1		You	3:43	Play
2		Don't Be Still	3:24	Play
3		Some Get Lost	3:50	Play
4		Broken	3:46	Play
5		Light Up The Dark	4:04	Play
6		Soul	4:19	Play
7		Letters	2:51	Play
8		Hawaii	3:07	Play
9		Reason (Let Me Go)	4:03	Play
10		Thirteen Days	3:17	Play
11		Hallelujah	4:59	Play
12		Popular	4:11	Play
13		Epilogue	1:49	Play

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Description

From the windy plains of South Dakota comes an intense presence of a singer/songwriter who wants to be your background music.

While the journey from small-town boy to big-city artist isn't rare, the talent surrounding this rising star is something to behold. Classically trained on piano from 5 years on, musical prowess seems to simply reside in Josh's blood. "Honestly, I can't remember not playing the piano," Josh muses. "I think that even before I started with lessons, I wrote a song... I'm pretty sure it was a lame rip-off of 'Heart & Soul,' but what do you expect from a 4 year old boy?" he laughs.

Early beginnings gave way to an intense love for music that would steadily consume more of Josh's attention. Entering middle school, he added "Band Geek" status to his credentials and picked up a shiny silver trumpet. Alongside choirs and pep bands, however, Josh's love for good pop music never diminished. "I was raised on some of the best pop music from the 70's & 80's: stuff like Billy Joel, Simon & Garfunkel. I must have listened to their Concert In Central Park album thousands of times," Josh remembers.

Years of training and Josh's passion for pop and were simmering, combining into a unique musical vision. In high school, he dug out his mom's old acoustic guitar from the basement, determined to add another instrument to his repertoire. In 1998, Josh's family made the move from rural South Dakota to the "big city" of Loveland, Colorado, where Josh's senior year of high school was met with a school size bigger than that of his entire hometown. Energized by a new environment, Josh labeled himself the resident singer/songwriter.

Moving to Denver after high school, Josh's college years saw the formation and breakup of a new band, a host of new songs, and a semester program on Martha's Vineyard where he was finally given the chance to focus on songwriting, performing, and recording his own material. "I can't even begin to describe the effect that semester had on me as an artist," Josh reflects. "More than any other time, I can point to it and say THAT is when I learned who I really am."

After college, Josh decided to strike out truly on his own, attacking stages with just his voice and his acoustic guitar. Working with St. Louis-based SoulThink producer J. Benjamin Kesler, Josh also decided it was time to put his ideas into a debut full-length independent release called All The Acoustic Pop You Can Drink, which was released in November 2004. This album, along with his dynamic live show, led to his signing with Big Mountain Productions management company in the fall of 2005. Adding his original instrument of piano back into the live set provided a striking new dimension to Josh's stage talents, and Josh began work on the next record: The Let Go.

In order to create the sounds for The Let Go, Josh played nearly every instrument, sang almost every part, and even recorded it all himself. Recorded over a period of only a couple months, The Let Go is the natural extension of Josh's musical vision, an all-encompassing landscape that celebrates the ultimate experience of creative freedom. "It was just me and the voices in my head this time around," Josh says. "It was incredibly refreshing to be able to experiment and follow wherever the music took me, without having to try to translate the song's colors to someone else."

The ability to weave complex structures into singable tunes is not a task Josh takes lightly, combining elements of his classical piano background with deft percussive guitar and soaring dynamic melodies influenced by tinges of the grandiose world of musical theater. "I think that with The Let Go people will see a side of me they maybe haven't before; it's very dark and moody and all about letting go... or about being the let go."

"I'm hopeful that these songs will find a place to connect with people; so when they're driving in their cars or reading on the couch, maybe I will be fortunate enough to be part of their life's soundtrack."