by Josh Ritter
Ritter hails from Moscow, Idaho. The son of two neuroscientists, he was on his way to follow in their footsteps when he discovered Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan's Girl from the North Country in high school. He has since released five studio albums and has been recently named one of the 100 greatest living songwriters by Paste Magazine, alongside Dylan, Springsteen, and Neil Young. Joan Baez has covered one of his songs and Stephen King named one of Ritter's albums the best of recent years. He has blogged for the Huffington Post while on tour. His debut novel, Bright’s Passage, was published by Random House last year to wide acclaim.
Ritter's constant touring has established a robust, fanatical base both in the US and overseas. He has performed with the New York Pops and the Boston Symphony Orchestra and many critically acclaimed artists have requested Ritter to share their stage. This list includes Swell Season, Ray LaMontagne, John Prine and Rufus Wainwright. In fact, Ritter first toured Australia in 2005 in support of Martha Wainwright. His fans have a special, unique bond with Ritter that goes beyond that of other singer-songwriters; he is always there at the merchandise desk after shows, hugging fans and signing records.
His latest album, So Runs the World Away, is ambitious and literary and reveals him to be the perfect touring partner for Simone Felice. Both artists are published authors in addition to being acclaimed singer-songwriters.
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