Josh Harty headlines Sundilla for the first time on Friday, September 30. Showtime at the AUUF is 7:30; admission at the door is $15, but advance tickets are just $12 and can be found at Spicer’s Music, The Market at Blooming Colors, and online at www.sundillamusic.com. Free coffee, tea, water and food will be available, and attendees are always welcome to bring their own favorite food or beverage.
Calling Josh Harty a first-time headliner at Sundilla is not a mistake. Josh first appeared on the Sundilla stage as a last-minute opener for Eric Taylor several years ago. The phrase “we were blown away” is overused, but we were. We immediately started trying to get him to play Sundilla on his own, but the closest we could come was an alternate-venue show at Spicer’s. So yes, this is Josh’s first headlining gig at the AUUF, and it’s something we have been working towards and looking forward to for a long time.
One reason it took so long to get Josh back to Sundilla is because he’s always on the road, and very often that road is overseas. Five years, 41 states, and multiple UK and European tours keep Josh busy; it sometimes seems he only stops touring so he can record.
That Josh Harty would be a successful singer-songwriter was almost never a question. Between the ages of five and eleven he sang gospel and country with his father at just about every Lutheran Church, Eagles Club and Senior Center in the Midwest. By age twelve Harty had made two records with his dad.
After playing in several cover bands during his teens, Harty starting his songwriting career when a local booking agent asked him if he could perform 45 minutes worth of original material for an opening gig. He said of course he could and set to work writing the songs that would become the material for his first album “Three Day Notice.” After just a week of writing and rehearsing these new songs, Josh received a standing ovation and encore request from the audience while opening for BB King!
His second solo project, 2008’s A Long List of Lies debuted at number eight on the European Americana chart (ahead of the latest Van Morrison album). In 2011 Harty released Nowhere, which was recorded at Base Camp Studios in Bozeman, MT by acclaimed performer, producer and engineer Chris Cunningham (Storyhill). 2014 saw the release of two duo albums Harty recorded between 2012 and 2013. 12 August with fellow Americana artist John Statz and The Attic Session with longtime collaborator Blake Thomas.
His new album, Holding On, features songs written on the road over the last 2 ½ years performed by a full band. Having the base tracks performed live in the studio, the album captures the feel and energy of a true Americana band.
Josh Harty’s unique blend of American music has become a must-hear for those who keep the tradition of country, blues and folk close to their hearts. The touring bug has never left him as he continuously travels across Europe and North America. More than just moving along, he’s spending plenty of time in the communities along the way, from Brooklyn to Harlem, from London to Portland. Harty is always looking for that balance between the rolling road and the people who inspire him, trading stories around kitchen tables and theatre stages. His live shows prove that good storytelling combined with journeyman musicianship is as American as music gets.
Josh Harty was destined to be a performing singer-songwriter, and he’s destined to become a Sundilla favorite, and probably one of your favorites, too. So don’t miss the chance to hear him again – or for the first time – on Friday, September 30, at the AUUF. Showtime is 7:30, and advance tickets are available at Spicer’s Music, The Market at Blooming Colors, and online at www.sundillamusic.com. We’ll have free coffee, tea, water and food, and attendees are welcome to bring their favorite food or beverage.