More info at Josh Owen Band's Official Website - click here
"a sexy fusion of cataclysmic soul rhythms and white hot funk." - Buzz Magazine
The Josh Owen Band have seen both their debut independent live album and studio EP receive massive critical acclaim and airplay all over Australia, including Triple J, Triple R, PBS, FBI, ABC 702 and 774, Dig Radio, RTR to name a few. Save Me Save Me was recently voted 1 on Triple J’s Unearthed Roots chart, and SonyBMG have selected Save Me Save Me as one of their Hottest Picks in the current voting round of the UncharTED online band comp. Both CD’s have been released in Japan and a track has been released on a Brazilian surf compilation. They have become festival regulars with appearances at the Pyramid Rock Festival (06/07), Apollo Bay Music Festival (07), Melbourne 2007 Cultural Festival, and performed to 20,000 at Federation Square on New Years Eve (06/07). Josh has toured his homeland of New Zealand twice, featuring on the Soundsplash Festival in 2007, and has appeared at the Port Fairy Folk Festival, Frankston Guitar Festival, Narooma Blues Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival and Woodford Folk Festival, Swan Valley Blues and Roots Festival and The Darling Harbour Jazz and Blues Festival over the last two years. Josh Owen Band are always spreading soulful music far and wide by touring WA, SA, Qld, NSW and Tas on a regular basis.
Raised amidst an environment of Led Zeppelin; Bob Marley; Jimi Hendrix; Al Green; The Meters; James Brown; Stevie Wonder and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Josh thrives on new musical flavours and always aims to incorporate the sounds he loves into the music he creates. Whether it’s funk, blues or reggae, the overriding element for Josh is the infusion of “soul”, and he combines all of these genres to produce his own very original sound.
Josh is quick to point out that his first priority is writing “really good songs” and then utilising elements of soul, funk and reggae. He’s been quoted as saying that “.in the blues-roots thing, I find a lot of artists doing something that’s really, really generic…just a little bit further along from a twelve bar (blues progression)…The difference with me, I guess, is that I’m applying elements of ‘blues’ to songwriting.” Accompanied by Luke Hodgson on bass and Jason Heerah on drums, Josh is able to draw on their experience as well as his own to further enhance the music they create.
With two highly successful releases behind him, and an endless soulful stream within, Josh Owen’s dynamic personality and impressive stage presence look set to take him all the way from the streets of Melbourne onto the world stage. When Josh’s debut album “The Josh Owen Band Live” was released Melbourne’s Sunday Herald Sun summed it up when they wrote: “Get in on the ground floor for a young man on the rise”. Their words have certainly proved prophetic. The album sold out two pressings and is now on a third and received such great airplay that Josh followed up with a special edition studio EP entitled “6pm”. It features four tracks as well as a bonus video clip shot at the “Live” album launch at The Evelyn Hotel in Fitzroy. This is also supported by a clip for ‘Save Me Save Me’ shot on film, and features an amazing opening single shot lasting almost three minutes. Check it out on myspace or youtube.
After an impressive three month residency at the legendary Esplanade hotel over winter 07, Josh, Jason and Luke are getting set to record their debut studio album. Get ready for something with groove and something with soul!
What the critics are saying about “6pm”:
"Not only does (Josh) possess incredible talent but also he infuses funk, jazz, soul and reggae so perfectly, his music isn't typical and predictable.l think I'm in love.” - Kate Hughes, Mixdown Monthly.
" the dynamic three-piece have finally laid out some tracks in the studio, capturing their mélange of soul, funk and roots to rousing perfection." - Sebastian Glass, Beat Magazine, Melbourne.
".this EP is sure to win The Josh Owen Band plenty of new fans and serve as another stepping stone on their path to glory." - Jesse Shrock, Beat Magazine, Melbourne.
"Josh could easily take his music far beyond the Melbourne scene. The popularity of the roots' based power trio could see the Josh Owen Band tread the same path as others like John Butler and The Vasco Era." David Trethewie, Forte Magazine, Victoria.
What the critics said about the debut “Josh Owen Band Live”:
"Owen's stunning debut, recorded at Melbourne's Evelyn Hotel, has one thought running through my head constantly - this guy reminds me of Ben Harper (with a little Diesel and Hendrix too). But it's not just the look. It's the soul, it's the blues, it's the way he feels every note he plays, the way his voice soaks into your pores." - Karl Mayerhofer, Australian Guitar Magazine, Issue 48
"It's a bold strategy - release a live album for your debut and have it feature all originals. It is even better when it comes off, as it does for the Josh Owen Band. Ben Harper and Ryan Adams would love some of these tracks, while it is not hard to imagine blues rockers such as Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Johnny Lang stretching out on others." - Lee Howard, Sunday Herald Sun, Melbourne
"Josh is that rare combination of both a naturally talented and well-schooled musician. Whether it’s funk, blues or reggae, the overriding element for Josh is the infusion of soul and he combines these genres to produce his very own original sound." - Pedro Manoy, The Drum Media, Sydney
".personally, I am torn between wanting the Josh Owen Band to stay one of those local Saturday night chill-out bands, and hoping they get recognised for the world class act that they are." -Jesse Shrock, Beat Magazine, Melbourne
“The Melbourne based talented funk trio Josh Owen Band is full of funk, reggae and roots taste. Josh's melodic and funky tunes remind me of PRINCE (Josh sounds like he inherited Prince's DNA for musical talent), and his laid-back melody has hooks of "Surf Music". I can't wait to listen to their upcoming studio recording album”. Jun Maegawara, Ad Lib Magazine, Tokyo
Lee Howard of Melbourne’s Sunday Herald Sun listed “Josh Owen Band Live” in his top 10 CD’s of the year!
