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Born in Nebraska, US, Rouse was frequently on the move throughout his childhood, spending time in other US states including South Dakota, Georgia, California, Utah and Arizona. With tis constant upheaval, Rouse found stability in music as he grew up, becoming a fan of the Smiths and the Cure. It was his uncle that provided Rouse with his first musical education, teaching to play guitar. In his late teens, Rouse was writing his own material, displaying potential that landed him with a recording contract with Rykodisc subsidiary, Slow River.
In 1998, Rouse released his debut album, “Dressed Up Like Nebraska,” which paid tribute to his birthplace, finding critical acclaim with this initial release. Rouse soon was on the road again, travelling to Nashville, US, where he based himself as an artist. A friendship with Kurt Wagner soon developed, with the pair collaborating on the EP, “Chester,” in 1999. Two further solo releases followed with “Home” and then “Under Cold Blue Stars” in 2002.
Rouse teamed up with producer Brad Jones for his fourth release, “1972,” a record that reflected upon the soft rock sounds of his youth, offering a mature album that was wider in its sonic scope. After the breakdown of his marriage in 2005, Rouse recorded the album “Nashville,” a farewell to his adopted home, with the artist moving to Spain shortly after. The record was Rouse’s most poignant release to date, full of personal lyrics that reflected upon his past.
Jones flew out to Spain to meet Rouse, who was living in a small seaside town, with the pair eventually producing 2006’s intimate “Subtitulo.” Several EPs followed before another full-length arrived, which came in the shape of 2007’s “Country Mouse City House.” Rouse’s next effort, 2010’s “El Turista,” captured his relocation to Spain, with some songs also sung in Spanish, although interestingly the album was actually recorded in Nashville.
Rouse continued to incorporate Spanish influences into his music, on display on 2011’s “Josh Rouse & the Long Vacations.” Yet with 2013’s “The Happiness Waltz,” Rouse returned to his earlier country-based sound. Following two years of battling depression, Rouse returned to triumphant form with 2015’s “The Embers of Time,” a light-hearted account of his life in Spain and the experiences this offered.
It’d probably be easy to dismiss Peter Bjorn and John as some kind of indie one-hit wonders - if there is such a thing - after their infuriatingly catchy ‘Young Folks’ (if you can’t remember the words, you could certainly whistle the tune) embedded itself in brains everywhere back in 2006. In fact, though, there’s much more to them than just that one song; Bjorn Yttlng is a renowned producer, having sat behind the desk on Lykke Li’s Wounded Rhymes and I Never Learn, whilst the band have collaborated with Drake and opened for Depeche Mode in the years since their breakthrough. After they returned to a straightforward pop sound with their most recent record, 2011’s Gimme Some, they re-calibrated their live show accordingly; they don’t bring any additional help with them on the road, keeping it to just the core trio, and have begun to focus primarily on the sharper, more upbeat side of their sound. Their sets are tight, lively affairs - although they’ve been known to indulge in the occasional inter-song jam - and, tellingly, they tend to drop ‘Young Folks’ into the thick of their tracklists, these days; they’ve enough confidence in the rest of their material that they don’t feel the need to afford their best-known song any undue prominence.
Wow! Talk about liking something you never thought you would! My husband took me to see Josh Rouse Live for our anniversary last year and I was amazed at how much I enjoyed myself. Maybe it's my stubborn ways or what, but I truly did not expect to enjoy his music like I did.
I think what is so appealing to me is how different it is from anything I've listened to before. It was like a mix between country, folk and oldies and a little bit of something unique and his own. Something unlike I have heard before and I really found myself wondering how he comes up with the music. It was such a calm, peaceful and relaxing atmosphere that I was able to comfortably contemplate this.
It was a very romantic and simple setting; good for a date, anniversary or anything where you want to have fun but don't want to deal with the obnoxious fangirls and crowds you might find at a typical rock concert. At some point, we grow out of that phase and need a different way to have fun. This venue allowed the crowd to enjoy themselves as mature adults in a mature way. The music was truly beautiful. I'm so glad I let my guard down and allowed myself to enjoy this show. Would recommend. 10/10.