Event

Joshua James + Cory Chisel

Indie rocks tree has deep folkie branches. The stark strum of an acoustic guitar is often the foundation for layers of musical exploration in the genre. Joshua James launches his delicate, expansive ballads from that foundation in a way which aurally recreates the windy Plains geography of his Lincoln, Nebraska upbringing. Variety calls Joshua a young Midwestern singer-songwriter who writes hard-bitten songs of family tragedies and sings them in a voice thats as sun-bleached and wind-battered as a Nebraska cornfield.

I never sang growing up, Joshua says, When I started, this voice is just what came out. That voice tumbles out in hushed sincerity, but distinctively cracks and keens during moments of heartfelt irony. Its not all black and white, Joshua explains. I do enjoy intricacy in my storytelling, but leaving the gray area there for the audience to draw from often means more.

At the age of 19, after street skating in and around Lincoln for the better part of his teenage years, Joshua packed his bags and traveled through South America, spending most of his time abroad in Venezuela. The perspective of travel inspired him to start writing poetry and songs upon his return to the U.S., and in his twenties, Joshua picked up a guitar for the first time. Joshua set up a mic and mixer at home and began posting his songs on myspace and other internet networking sites. The music found its way to L.A.