Josiah and the Bonnevilles

Following a colorful solo career that took him from touring cross-country as a teenage dropout to national recognition as an American Idol contestant and Warner Bros. recording artist, singer/songwriter Josiah Leming turned his attention to Americana music and formed the indie folk act Josiah & the Bonnevilles. Following a lengthy solo tour in 2013, the Tennessee native found himself convalescing in Las Vegas, where he got turned on to the music of Texas troubadour Townes Van Zandt. Around that same time, his brother gave him a copy of Leonard Cohen’s New Skin for the Old Ceremony, spurring him to change tack and develop a new songwriting approach more aligned with American folk and roots music. By his mid-twenties Leming had already crisscrossed the country more times than most, and this wayfaring life, combined with his Tennessee roots, lent itself easily to this more rustic style. With guitarist Stephen Johnson and bassist/percussionist Josh Nyback, he formed Josiah & the Bonnevilles, quickly landing a residency gig in Los Angeles, where they developed the set of tunes that would make up their debut. After landing a deal with Vagrant Records, the Bonnevilles hit the studio with producer Dave Way (Paul McCartney, Fiona Apple) and completed work on their first EP, Cold Blood, which arrived in the spring of 2016. ~ Timothy Monger