Born in Woodstock, NY, steps from the site of the world's most famous concert, Josh the Word grew up in not just the shadow of upstate's notorious woods, but also that of musical acts remembered for their willingness to break the status quo. Following their lead, in a town known for hippies and acid rock, Josh stayed true to the sounds that moved him, replacing Grateful Dead records with J Dilla and Doomtree, finding his song somewhere between the fiery swells of the soul era and the powerful lyricism of Minnesota underground hip-hop. He is a rapper, a poet, a scholar and something of a gentleman who enjoys fat horn lines, hard snares, and favors a good house party to a dance club any day.
With his 10-piece ensemble, The Concert G’s, Josh proved time and time again what it means to be at capacity – both for the venues he filled and the fans he inspired. Now, after moving to Brooklyn and distilling the energy of the big band down to a leaner, tighter 4 man crew called THE RIOT ACT, he is gearing up for another run of shows and new music.
Josh the Word’s debut album Of Mics And Men, produced exclusively by Jared Paul, was released in 2010. His second record, The Reach EP, was recorded with his 11-piece live band at the legendary Dreamland Recording Studio in upstate New York in 2011. He released Analogue in 2012, written and recorded in collaboration with cellist/singer-songwriter Mel Hsu. Looking to the future, Josh will be releasing a mixtape EP called Sixtape in 2014, and continuing working on his next full length with a crew of his nearest and dearest.