Josh Ritchie is a born performer. Ever since he could stand he's had a guitar in his hands and songs in his bones. Now a captivating performer, Ritchie commands the stage with the confidence of a seasoned front man. From the minute the kid walks on stage it’s obvious he was meant to be there, serving audiences larger-than-life, stadium-rock energy at every show.

 

Ritchie describes himself as an “impressionist singer-songwriter,” likening the principles of his craft to those of the impressionist painters of the19th century. He doesn’t spoon-feed you a linear story but rather makes an impression of a feeling or a memory, creating a unique connection with each and every listener. His music is both ambitious, bold and big enough to fill a whole room but at the same time technical and refined when you take a closer look.

 

As a young and ambitious person of colour, Ritchie quickly became fascinated with the relationship between art and activism. Growing up, he was influenced by bands and artists that weren’t afraid to make a statement with their art and he strives to do the same himself. In 2021 Ritchie put this into practice releasing a self-titled EP about his experiences growing up BIPOC in rural Ontario.

 

His second studio album Love at the End of the World, which further explored these themes, had a sold out launch event at Lee’s Palace in Toronto and went on to obtain attention throughout North America through such outlets as The CBC, Cashbox Radio, Canadian Beats, Record World International, Volatile Weekly and many more.
 

In 2023 Ritchie and his 4-piece band was finally able to hit the road on a mini-tour across Ontario with stops in Huntsville, Orillia, Toronto, Oshawa, Guelph, Peterborough and Owen Sound. He now heads to the studio with plans to release some of these new songs in early 2024.