It’s time for something acoustically refreshing. Devon-born Josh Bray is emerging onto the folk-blues scene with his debut album ‘Whisky and Wool’, released March 14th, 2011 on NewTide Records.

‘Whisky and Wool’ draws plenty of inspiration from Josh’s childhood. Although born in Devon, he grew up in Dorset, where he spent his time listening not to acoustic singer-songwriters, as you might imagine, but the likes of Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin and Pantera. It wasn’t until Bray happened to switch on the TV a few years later, when he moved to Bristol to live with his brother, and heard the late Nick Drake performing ‘Riverman’, that suddenly it all made sense to him. Josh started down a path which encouraged him to investigate further, and he soon became immersed in 1970s folk/rock/blues, taking in Joni Mitchell, CSN and Neil Young as well as John Martyn, Fairport Convention, Bob Dylan, The Band, The Allman Brothers and Little Feat among others. Those are the sounds and inspiration that echo so clearly throughout ‘Whisky and Wool’.

Josh picked up an old Spanish guitar which belonged to his late father and which he still plays with, and began to teach himself . The detuned style he inherited from the British folk scene is still a significant part of his style.

Having dabbled in music for a while and having played local clubs, Josh decided to put music to one side for the time being, and went to study law at university. After graduating, he was all set to move to the US and work in human rights law for people on death row, where he’d been offered a job – but then a friend persuaded him to put his law career on hold for a while and give music a go. He never looked back!