A New Mexico native, Josh Grider pledges allegiance to the worn, leathery country of his adopted home of Texas. He's at ease with burnished ballads and steady-rolling melodies, specializing in a laid-back touch. That comfortable sound was showcased on independent records that earned him a regional following in the 2010s. Born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Grider started playing music at an early age. He played jazz guitar as a high-schooler and in college studied classical voice, but he gravitated toward country once he launched a performing career in his early twenties. He cut his teeth in southwest Texas, picking up the country traditions of the Lone Star State. Grider released his eponymous first album in 2005 and spent the next half-decade working steadily, releasing a second album called Million Miles to Go in 2007 before heading to Nashville in 2011. The following year, he started to gain some traction through the release of the concert album Live at Billy Bob's Texas and the Gettin' There EP, which were accompanied by an appearance on the television series Troubadour TX. A third full-length album, Luck & Desire, showed up in 2014. Grider released the Brokedown EP in 2015, then returned in late 2017 with "Good People," the first single from his fourth album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine