Singles Spotlight:
Josh Ritchie –
“September Talks”

Hello reader,

How are you? Ready to find some more music to add to your playlist?

Today, we’re excited to discuss another artist making wonderful music: Josh Ritchie, a Canada-based singer-songwriter who was brought to my attention a month ago. And after listening to multiple songs on his upcoming album, I’m so glad that he was.

Ritchie has released two full-length albums, his debut Louder (2019), and Love at the End of the World (2021), and on Friday, October 17th, he’ll release his third album, So Much More Than A Dream, via the fabulous Indigenous fronted label, Meriläinen Music.

In the song’s press release, Ritchie talks about his past, being BIPOC in small communities in Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula, which continues to shape him, “There are a lot of great things about the part of Ontario where I grew up—and still live in—but for a mixed race kid who wore loud clothes and sang in choirs, it was far from easy. I’m the kind of person who would rather decant a nice pinot noir than crush a Busch Light in the back of a pick-up truck.”

Ritchie then elaborates on his growth while crafting So Much More Than A Dream, saying, “I think with this record I’ve learned how to use the studio as an instrument,” he says. “I have always loved recording and especially recording myself. It’s become an integral part of how I write and compose music but making this record just felt different. I felt more control over my craft, limitations became opportunities, and everything in the room became a tool of expression.”

In my opinion, one of the best songs on So Much More Than A Dream is “September Talks.” It’s a song that hooks you from the opening guitar notes, setting the tone for the first half of the song. It captivated me from my first listen, so I was stoked when I knew that I would share it with the SWT audience in the form of the Singles Spotlight.

Soon after the opening guitar notes, your ears will hear this incredible vocal performance. The vocal tone and pitch are perfect; you listen to a voice that catches your ear and holds you in the best way. For some, it’ll feel like a warm hug. This is Josh Ritchie, and if it’s your first time hearing his songmanship, you’re in for a treat and will definitely listen to more of his work. I guarantee it. The melody is quick-paced, one you can stomp your feet along to as you enjoy it, and the harmonies as well. If it were a season, it would be August (well, Northern Hemisphere August). Just over halfway through the song, the melodic shift occurs, with wonderfully discordant guitars and a slowed beat, which is perfectly fitting for the transition into fall. The guitar sound cascades on down with beautiful ferocity. The song serves not only as a gorgeous example of what Josh Ritchie is capable of as a musician but also as a spectacular introduction to his discography.

Via the song’s press release, Ritchie explained, “I have never liked fall. The end of summer always meant the end of my favourite things. Soccer season, music festivals and parties at the cottage all got replaced with school — my least favourite thing — cold weather and an inevitable case of the flu. ‘September Talks’ personifies that fear of inevitable and inescapable change.”

The well-crafted concept video for the song, “September Talks” from Josh Ritchie’s YouTube channel:

(All credits and rights to Josh Ritchie)

The cover art for So Much More Than A Dream:

The tracklist for the So Much More Than A Dream album:

1. The Revolution, Pt. 1
2. Numb
3. September Talks
4. Celestial
5. New Year’s Eve
6. Renaissance Man
7. Vancouver
8. Small Town Boys
9. On Repeat
10. Always
11. The Revolution Pt. 2

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site: scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions!
Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com