To describe Josh Ritter as “multi-talented” is an understatement. He’s an author who’s written two novels. He’s created cover art for some of his own albums. Now the singer-songwriter, who was named one of the “100 Greatest Living Songwriters” by Paste magazine, is on his way to Alberta for three solo shows.
His 13th studio album, I Believe in You, My Honeydew, was released late in 2025. Ritter describes it as love letter to the Muse, or “whatever it is that helps me write the songs.”
“It’s an album about truth, and the various ways that truth comes into our lives. When we know something, we just know it’s real. It’s a record that I wanted to feel good at a late-night bonfire.”
This tour sees him playing solo shows in Western Canada and the US throughout the Spring. He enjoys playing with a full band but also appreciates the different tone and focus of playing solo.
“Both are extremely enjoyable,” he says. “I began playing solo, so it’s familiar to me. When you play solo, the connection between you and the audience is pure, because you’re not interacting with the other people on stage. You enjoy an unbroken chain with the audience.”
Many of his songs tell detailed, and even strange stories. “The Temptation of Adam” asks whether it’s possible to find love in a Cold War bunker. “Henrietta, Indiana” is full of images that seem random but come together in a wild narrative: a dry town, a jailbreak, a preacher practicing his sermons in the basement.
When asked whether he has a favourite song to play for audiences, Ritter says, “If I were to play a song to bring people in for the first time, I would probably choose ‘The Curse.’ It’s about a mummy and an archaeologist who fall in love.”
In 2021 writer Noah Cohen-Greenberg called Ritter “the best songwriter you’ve never heard of,” alluding to the fact that while Ritter’s shows often sell out quickly, he does not fill stadiums or have what some would perceive as “mainstream” success. Ritter doesn’t mind; he might even prefer it this way.
“My conclusion at this moment is that I have been protected from a lot of decisions that I might have made that would have diluted my art. I have been lucky enough to see behind that curtain and judge for myself.”
As for filling giant arenas, he says, “It’s not a world that has any more vitality than the one I’m living now. I’m self-employed. I set my own schedule. I can make my music the way I want to. I feel incredibly grateful. I can do all the stuff that makes life your life. There is nothing better than a few hundred people in a room, with a bar in the back.”
Josh Ritter will play shows in Lethbridge, Red Deer, and St. Albert this month. Find all the details at joshritter.com
“You Won’t Dig My Grave” is from Josh Ritter’s newest album, I Believe in You, My Honeydew.
