Josh Blackburn

Jenn Cohen | March 1, 2012 | 0 Comments

by Tim Wenger

Josh Blackburn is the solo Pink Floyd of Denver music. His music is a mixture of classic rock and adult contemporary with some trippy guitar effects now and then, and his voice tops the sound like a train tops a track–a low roar at times, but always in control, giving his music the soul and purpose that all music needs.

Blackburn has played in many locations, but has settled on the front range of Colorado for a variety of reasons. “I don’t think [Colorado] has hit its peak yet,” he says. “I think now is the best time to be here, this is a great place to establish a really great fan base.” He has been doing just that, playing his wacky blend of rock n roll throughout the Front Range.

Blackburn has played in multiple groups over the years, and has been doing the solo thing for a while now. He spent a few months in Nashville performing in a music store until he was recruited to play on Disney cruise lines, which is when he decided that being a musician was the road for him. “I decided from that moment, that you can actually make a living doing (this), so I started playing professionally from there,” he says.

Playing in bands has always been enjoyable for Blackburn, but he is benefitting from the solo thing as of late. He is booked through the remainder of 2012 already, and because he works by himself and does his own management, the decisions he makes, and the dollars he pockets are all his. “I got up here and started doing open-mic nights, and from there they would ask me to come back and play solo,” he says. “I decided to stay solo, and what I’ve done with it is instead of just playing acoustic and singing, I’ve learned how to loop my guitar playing and record myself to make a bigger sound, so it’s actually like watching a three person band.”

He has a new album coming out in March called Purple Elephant. “I did it all in my house, on my computer upstairs,” he says. “I mixed, mastered, and produced the whole thing, it’s a really long, deep dark album. Totally different than my last album.” This will be his fourth solo album.

Live: Colorado Music Buzz Issue Release Party, March 8 at Herman’s Hideaway

www.JoshBlackburn.com