Josh Martin Artist Bio

With a captivating style of guitar playing, proficiency in a variety of instruments, and the deep vocal integrity of someone much older and wiser than his 26 years, Josh Martin is a singer/songwriter/musician from Eastern Kentucky signed with Sony/ATV Nashville and is ready to make waves in country music. Josh pulls from his own memories and stories of growing up in the small coal mining community of Floyd County, which makes his music authentic and deeply personal.

“I’m blessed to have so many great childhood memories of spending time with family and friends. In an area where the coolest thing you could do on a weekend is cruise Main Street or catch a movie at the two cinema theater, we had to make our own entertainment. So we played music.”

Martin grew up singing traditional gospel songs in church with his family and learning to play guitar at age 10. He started his career leading a traveling bluegrass band as a freshman in high school and later became the lead singer and guitarist for a local rock band. The success of the bluegrass band paved the way for tours and shows across the eastern United States. In his travels, Martin has had the opportunity to perform with bluegrass greats such as Doyle Lawson, Mountain Heart, Ralph Stanley II, and many others.

His love of bluegrass, gospel, and contemporary country give Josh a unique voice and artistic perspective. He currently lives in Nashville, TN with his wife and baby girl where his professional music career has begun taking off. Between writing songs, recording in the studio, and playing live shows, Josh is well on his way to getting the national recognition he deserves. He has written songs with award winning songwriters such as: Kent Blazy, Mark Nesler, Phillip White, Steven Dale Jones, Phil O’Donnell, Andrew Dorff, and many others. With the help and guidance of respected industry professionals the sky is the limit for this Kentucky native.

“My influences come from all the country greats; Haggard, Jones, Garth, to rock legends like The Eagles and James Taylor–bluegrass pickers Doc Watson and Tony Rice to contemporary artists like Eric Church and fellow Kentuckian, Chris Stapleton. All of these iconic artists have influenced not only my musical journey, but my life’s journey as well. They’ve told stories that have lifted me up in hard times, helped celebrate good times as well as helping me see the world from a whole new angle. That’s my conviction as an artist; to do for today’s generation what those artists did for me.”
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