Josh Garrels

Singer/songwriter Josh Garrels has built his career on deeply personal, introspective lyrics and exploratory sounds that range from pastoral indie folk to hip-hop. Born in 1980 in South Bend, Indiana, Garrels initially played in punk bands as a teenager and also fell under the spell of East Coast hip hop.

In his early twenties, he came into the Christian faith, which became a major thread in his musical journey. With his rich “wooly” voice, he began to explore his own folk-based sound, sometimes rapping, sometimes crooning his complex but approachable songs.

On his own Small Voice Records, he began releasing records with Over Oceans in 2006, Jacaranda in 2008. In 2011, he released the elaborate double album Love & War & the Sea in Between which was influenced by his adopted home of Portland, Oregon.

The album was praised by both Christian and secular media as a career milestone for Garrels, being named Christianity Todays album of the year, and TGC’s album of the decade. He’s had a number of songs placed on TV shows including Netflix’ Virgin River, CBS' The Ghost Whisperer, ESPN's Outside the Lines.

In 2015 he released Home which landed at number 19 on the Billboard Digital Albums chart and 83 on the Billboard 200. The following year saw the release of the holiday-themed The Light Came Down.

In 2019, he issued Chrysaline, which he co-produced with Isaac Wardell. In 2021 Garrels took a year long sabbatical on his Michigan farm, and now, he’s currently creating new work.