eightball.ie proudly presents Josh Ritter

Monday, May 20
University of Limerick

www.joshritter.com

While his name might not be on the tip of everyone’s tongue in his homeland, folk-leaning singer/songwriter Josh Ritter has benefited from numerous positive reviews and a loyal fan base. Born in Idaho, Ritter bought his first guitar after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic “Girl From the North Country.” While attending college in Oberlin, OH, Ritter got his first listen to Leonard Cohen and Gillian Welch. He fell in love with the songs instantly and dropped his neuroscience major in favor of the pursuit of music.

With classic folk venues like Club Passim, Boston was the place Ritter chose to follow his dream. He recorded and released self-titled debut in 1999, but it was 2002’s Golden Age of Radio that got him noticed. Selling copies on his own funded touring, which funded more albums and so on. Signature Sounds Recordings soon picked the album up, gave it exposure on a national level, and the four- and five-star reviews started rolling in.

The HBO series Six Feet Under grabbed a track from the album for their end credits, while Ritter received an offer to open for the Frames on a tour of Ireland. Soon his single “Me & Jiggs” was in the Irish Top 40, a headlining tour of the country was sold out, and a tribute band named Cork was playing nothing but Ritter material in numerous Irish pubs.

www.myspace.com/joshritter

www.dougrice.net/joshritter

www.bluecollardistro.com/joshritter