UK born, Nashville based, troubadour Josh Okeefe is back on these shores amidst a run of festival dates and tour gigs including a Manchester show at Gorilla, supporting Lindi Ortega.
It was in 2012 where the Derby folk-singer dropped out of school, heading across the Atlantic and setting up base in Nashville in search of the places his idols Hank Williams and Johnny Cash once graced. He became a regular in the rock and roll clubs on the east side and the legendary honky-tonks on Lower Broadway; met a host of other musicians and began writing songs at an astonishing pace.
Now he’s back in the UK touring with Lindi Ortega, performing at Festivals and appearing alongside Kris Kristofferson at a special show in London.
Turning heads with his first tour of the UK last summer, Josh returns following a year of near constant travelling across the US and performing with artists across the Nashville scene at noteworthy spots like Layla’s and Roberts Western World on Lower Broadway where one could see him either taking centre stage or playing the harmonica for someone else. On his ongoing quest to pen songs founded on substance, the last year has seen Josh notably put in emotional performances at Grenfell Tower’s Wall of Truth (a public space collating first-hand accounts, facts, testimonies and statements created by and for members of the community affected), as well as performing at a gathering for Black Lives in Tennessee (as reported on by Huffington Post); both of which have been hard-hitting and inspirational new chapters in Josh’s own living songbook.
OKeefe recorded his self-titled debut album over a couple of nights in his Tennessee log cabin with just a borrowed RCA Microphone from the 1960’s that vibrated its diaphragm and carbon to the to the voices of Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Guy Clark, and other towering spectres of country music and an Ampex 2-track Tape Machine which Okeefe purchased from JJ Cale’s estate for $100.
Catapulting himself into the spotlight Josh Okeefe has already performed with the likes of Alison Krauss and Jamey Johnson, earned headline festival spots and BBC Radio appearances, sang for the people at national and local protests and had his songs recorded by major label artists like Ashley Monroe and High Valley to name a few. And with a new album in the works, it’s the perfect time to catch the UK/US singer.
When does Josh OKeefe perform at Gorilla?
Josh OKeefe performs at Gorilla on Monday 11 June. The Manchester gig (one of our top Manchester gig tips for June 2018) sees him supporting Lindi Ortega.
Image of Josh Okeefe courtesy Heather LeRoy
