Biography
Joshua Hedley creates songs rooted in traditional country and intended for the audiences who fill honky-tonk venues. His words draw from straightforward country themes, as he puts it in one of his tracks, "I sing about real life/Like drinkin', cheatin' and lovin'," and he pairs them with arrangements built around fiddles and steel guitars that honor Nashville's past while remaining assured and contemporary. His debut full-length, Mr. Jukebox from 2018, paid tribute to the refined yet plainspoken countrypolitan style of the 1960s, whereas Neon Blue in 2022 nodded toward the New Traditionalist approach that defined much of the 1990s.
Born in Naples, Florida, on January 20, 1985, Hedley took up the fiddle at age eight and was already performing with seasoned local musicians by the time he turned twelve. As he matured he learned additional instruments, and at nineteen he relocated to Nashville, where he became a regular at Robert's Western World, a club devoted to classic country. His encyclopedic command of old songs and instant ability to fulfill audience requests earned him the nickname Mr. Jukebox. Those performances led to further associations in Music City, where he backed artists including Robert Ellis, Justin Townes Earle, Margo Price, and Jonny Fritz. Only after reaching nearly thirty did he begin writing his own material, an undertaking he has attributed to the clarity that followed his decision to stop drinking. The resulting songs became the foundation of Mr. Jukebox, issued on Third Man Records and marking him as one of the first modern country artists signed to Jack White's label.
The 2018 album, shaped by the countrypolitan "Nashville Sound" records of the early and middle 1960s, received strong notices and prompted extensive touring. When live performances ceased in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hedley began broadcasting shows from Robert's Western World, carrying his honky-tonk style to listeners worldwide. He also appeared in the Isol-Aid streaming festival, an event organized to support musicians affected by the lack of live work, sharing the bill on that occasion with Jeff Tweedy and Leah Flanagan. For his follow-up, Neon Blue, Hedley moved to New West Records and adjusted his approach, drawing inspiration from the New Traditionalist performers of the 1980s and 1990s such as Alan Jackson and George Strait, who combined classic honky-tonk elements with clean, broadcast-ready production. Working alongside producers Skylar Wilson and Jordan Lehning plus a roster of Nashville's top session musicians, he completed the album, which appeared in April 2022.
Born in Naples, Florida, on January 20, 1985, Hedley took up the fiddle at age eight and was already performing with seasoned local musicians by the time he turned twelve. As he matured he learned additional instruments, and at nineteen he relocated to Nashville, where he became a regular at Robert's Western World, a club devoted to classic country. His encyclopedic command of old songs and instant ability to fulfill audience requests earned him the nickname Mr. Jukebox. Those performances led to further associations in Music City, where he backed artists including Robert Ellis, Justin Townes Earle, Margo Price, and Jonny Fritz. Only after reaching nearly thirty did he begin writing his own material, an undertaking he has attributed to the clarity that followed his decision to stop drinking. The resulting songs became the foundation of Mr. Jukebox, issued on Third Man Records and marking him as one of the first modern country artists signed to Jack White's label.
The 2018 album, shaped by the countrypolitan "Nashville Sound" records of the early and middle 1960s, received strong notices and prompted extensive touring. When live performances ceased in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hedley began broadcasting shows from Robert's Western World, carrying his honky-tonk style to listeners worldwide. He also appeared in the Isol-Aid streaming festival, an event organized to support musicians affected by the lack of live work, sharing the bill on that occasion with Jeff Tweedy and Leah Flanagan. For his follow-up, Neon Blue, Hedley moved to New West Records and adjusted his approach, drawing inspiration from the New Traditionalist performers of the 1980s and 1990s such as Alan Jackson and George Strait, who combined classic honky-tonk elements with clean, broadcast-ready production. Working alongside producers Skylar Wilson and Jordan Lehning plus a roster of Nashville's top session musicians, he completed the album, which appeared in April 2022.
Albums
Singles
