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Joshua Radin

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Joshua Radin
Radin in 2017
Radin in 2017
Background information
Born (1974-06-14) June 14, 1974 (age 50)
OriginCleveland, Ohio, U.S.
GenresAcoustic folk
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Years active2004–present
LabelsMom + Pop Music
WebsiteJoshuaRadin.com

Joshua Radin (born June 14, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter. He has recorded nine studio albums, and his songs have been used in a number of films and TV series. His most successful album, Simple Times, was released in 2008.

Beginnings

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Joshua Radin was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, United States, to a Jewish family of Polish, German, Austrian, and Russian background.[1][2] He studied drawing and painting at Northwestern University, following his college years with stints as an art teacher, screenwriter, and art gallery employee.

Radin turned to music when he moved to New York City, his father bought him a guitar, and he taught himself to play and write music.[3]

In 2004, American actor Zach Braff, a friend of Radin since their days at Northwestern, introduced Radin's first composition, "Winter", to Scrubs show creator Bill Lawrence, who ultimately used several of Radin's songs in various scenes of the television series.[4][5][6]

Musical career

[edit]
Radin in 2006

According to Radin his musical career started in 2004, and he had learned to play the guitar only two years before that. His first song, "Winter", appeared on his debut album We Were Here.[7] Since that time, Radin has been touring the United States, as well as much of the United Kingdom and Europe. Over the course of his career, Radin has shared stages with artists such as Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos, Imogen Heap, Meiko, Missy Higgins, Maria Taylor, Gary Jules, Amber Rubarth, Schuyler Fisk, The Script and many more. In addition to his American following, Radin has enjoyed success with his 2008 release, Simple Times in the United Kingdom. His song "I'd Rather Be With You" reached No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart and number two on the US Top Digital Chart.[8][9]

We Were Here (2006)

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It's just the greatest music. He's a really talented guy. He's like the new Paul Simon.

—Zach Braff, 2006[10]

Radin has said that much of the album was inspired by a bad break-up.[11] It was released exclusively to iTunes for a month, before attracting attention from major labels.[12] Released on Columbia Records in May 2006,[12] We Were Here presented the first batch of songs Radin ever wrote. The album drew critical acclaim and received a four-star review from Rolling Stone, who praised it for Radin's "whispery, silver-bell voice" and its themes, calling them "poignant and refreshingly frank." The record hit number one on the iTunes Folk Album Chart and included a number of well known musicians, including Ryan Adams who played guitar on the song "Lovely Tonight".[13] Zach Braff hand-picked one of the tracks to be featured on the soundtrack for The Last Kiss.[11][14]

Radin played the song "Today" from the album, along with five other songs, for Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi at their August 16, 2008, wedding.[7][15][16]

Simple Times (2008)

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Radin's second album, Simple Times went straight to No. 1 on the iTunes overall chart upon its release. Radin enlisted highly regarded producer Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck). The two spent seven weeks recording at L.A.'s legendary Sunset Sound Studio working with a cast of musicians that included guitarist Greg Leisz, bassist Johnny Flaugher, keyboardist Jason Borger, drummer Victor Indrizzo and percussionist Lenny Castro. Among the album's many highlights are "You Got Growin' Up To Do", featuring guest vocalist Patty Griffin, lead single "I'd Rather Be with You" and "Brand New Day".[17] Tracks from the album were featured on TV shows such as Bones, Scrubs, House, Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, Life Unexpected, 90210, Brothers and Sisters, American Idol and Australian hit series Packed to the Rafters among others.[7] Radin's "Simple Times" was released on Mom + Pop Music.[18]

The Rock and The Tide (2010)

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Radin's third studio album, The Rock and The Tide was released on October 12, 2010 on Mom + Pop Music, his second release with the label. The album reached number five on the iTunes albums chart upon its release. The Rock and The Tide was produced by Martin Terefe (Cat Stevens, Ron Sexmith).[19][20] A later EP released in 2011 used 6 of the album's tacks recorded in an acoustic session.

Underwater (2012)

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On September 4, 2012, Radin released his fourth studio album, Underwater. The album was Radin's third release with Mom + Pop Music.

Radin wrote songs with Janet Devlin in the Autumn of 2012 for her debut album.[21]

Wax Wings (2013)

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Joshua Radin's fifth studio album Wax Wings was released May 7, 2013. Wax Wings, a self-released album, has eleven tracks. Included on the album is the song "Lovely Tonight", which had been previously released on iTunes as a single.[22] The tracks "In Her Eyes" and "Stay" were produced by Matt Noveskey.

Onward and Sideways (2015)

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Joshua Radin's released a sixth studio album on January 6, 2015. The album consisted of 13 tracks, one of which was a re-release of the Wax Wings track "Beautiful Day" recorded with Sheryl Crow.[23]

The Fall (2017)

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Radin (left) with Måns Zelmerlöw in 2016

Radin released a self-produced album titled The Fall on January 27, 2017 through Cadence Music.

Here, Right Now (2019)

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Radin's eighth studio album, Here, Right Now, was released on October 4, 2019 through Nettwerk Music Group. It was his first album with Nettwerk. Here, Right Now features a cover of Tom Petty's I Won't Back Down.

The Ghost and The Wall (2021)

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Joshua Radin's ninth full-length album, The Ghost and The Wall, was released on July 23, 2021. Radin wrote The Ghost and The Wall at his home in Los Angeles in 2020, in isolation during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The album was produced remotely via email and text messages with Jonathan Wilson, who also played several instruments on the album.[24] The two musicians have never met in person.[25]

Personal life

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Joshua Radin attended Northwestern University, where he met and became friends with Zach Braff.[26][27]

Radin also wrote the song "In Her Eyes" in celebration of his own sister's wedding.[28]

In addition to his love of music, Radin is an avid traveler.[29][30]

Philanthropy

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Radin has been involved with Little Kids Rock, a national nonprofit that provides music education to schools without music programs. Radin visited schools in six cities during his 2011 tour in support of The Rock and the Tide to give guitar lessons on the song "Brand New Day", and brought some of the students on stage at his concerts to perform the song with him.[31] He did so again in 2015 for his song "Beautiful Day".[32]

Radin also supports the North Shore Animal League as a celebrity ambassador, donating 100% of the proceeds from his single, "Here, Right Now", to the New York based animal rescue organization.[33][34]

Television and movies

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Radin's songs have been used on television series such as Designated Survivor, Scrubs, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters, American Idol, Cougar Town, One Tree Hill, House, Shameless, among others.[35] Radin also made a cameo appearance in Cougar Town's 4th-season finale. As of September 2010, he had amassed more than 75 film and television placements of his songs.[19][36]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Year Album details Peak position Certifications
(sales threshold)
US
[37] 		US
Rock
[38] 		US
Digital 		US
Heat
[39] 		US
Indie
[40] 		US
Folk
[41] 		IRE
[42] 		UK
[43]
2006 We Were Here
  • Released: June 13, 2006
  • Label: Columbia
 — — — 34 — — — —
2008 Simple Times
 34 10 116 — 2 10 48 9
2010 The Rock and the Tide
  • Released: October 12, 2010
  • Label: Mom + Pop Music
 31 9 11 — 5 3 — 59
2012 Underwater
  • Released: July 31, 2012
  • Label: Mom + Pop Music
 37 11 15 — 3 2 — 60
2013 Wax Wings
  • Released: May 7, 2013
  • Label: Self-released
 73 21 24 — 14 7 — —
2015 Onward and Sideways
  • Released: January 6, 2015
  • Label: Self-released
 49 5 14 — 3 3 — —
2017 The Fall
  • Released: January 27, 2017
  • Label: Self-released
 — — — — 17 12 — —
2019 Here, Right Now
  • Released: October 4, 2019
  • Label: Nettwerk
 — — — — — — — —
2021 The Ghost and the Wall
  • Released: July 23, 2021
  • Label: Nettwerk
 — — — — — — — —

Live albums

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  • Live from the Village (2016)

EPs

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  • First Between 3rd and 4th (2004)
  • Live Session (iTunes Exclusive EP) (2006)
  • Unclear Sky (iTunes Exclusive EP) (2008)
  • Simple Times – Bonus Material (Demos) EP (2009)
  • Songs Under a Streetlight EP (2010)
  • The Rock and the Tide (Acoustic Session) EP (2011)
  • Covers, Vol. 1 EP (2020)
  • though the world will tell me so, vol. 1 (2023)
  • though the world will tell me so, vol. 2 (2023)

Singles

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Year Single Peak position Album
US
[45] 		US
Digital
[46] 		AUS
[47] 		CAN
[48] 		IRE
[42] 		SWE
[49] 		UK
[43]
2008 "I'd Rather Be with You" 82 39 91 61 47 34 11 Simple Times
2010 "Brand New Day" — — — — — — —
2015 "Belong" — — — — — — — Onward and Sideways
2016 "High and Low" — — — — — — — The Fall

Others

Compilation appearances

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References

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  1. ^ Talking Shop: Joshua Radin. BBC News (March 29, 2010). Retrieved on January 5, 2019.
  2. ^ Enright, Paul. "Musician Interviews – NAME". Way Cool Music. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  3. ^ "Joshua Radin: New Album Hits #1". Hillel.org. September 17, 2008. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  4. ^ Joshua Radin: A Musician For the Fans Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Socal.com. Retrieved on January 5, 2019.
  5. ^ Josh Radin Biography. Youmix.co.uk
  6. ^ Fake Doctors, Real Friends: A Scrubs Rewatch Show with Zach & Donald. iHeart.com. Retrieved on December 17, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Chomut, Christina (March 4, 2009). "Joshua Radin finding Simple Times". Sheknows.com. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  8. ^ "Joshua Radin | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  9. ^ (September 27, 2008), "TOP DIGITAL". Billboard. 120 (39):52
  10. ^ Arnold, Chuck (December 25, 2006), "TOP 10 MUSIC". People. 66 (26):45
  11. ^ a b Gitlin, Lauren (August 10, 2006), "Joshua Radin: We Were Here". Rolling Stone. (1006):102
  12. ^ a b Newman, Melinda (April 1, 2006), "YOUNG READY TO ROCK".Billboard. 118 (13):38
  13. ^ Esposito, Rose; Martin, Jeffrey Stuart; Lampert, David; Billings, Andrew C.; Budiansky, Sandra; Kazan, Tina; Albrand, Kurt; Lazev, Scott (March 28, 2008), "Feedback". Entertainment Weekly. (984):4
  14. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (August 11, 2006), "Track Stars". Entertainment Weekly. (890):66
  15. ^ Jordan, Julie; Tauber, Michelle (September 1, 2008), "'I'm the LUCKIEST Girl in the WORLD'". People. 70 (9)"50–57
  16. ^ Arnold, Chuck (November 24, 2008), "QUICK CUTS". People. 70 (21):47
  17. ^ Caulfield, Keith (April 4, 2009), "'Twilight' Bites Back; Decemberists' Digital Debut". Billboard. 121 (13):37
  18. ^ "Joshua Radin – Simple Times – Album Review". Chorus.fm. AbsolutePunk.net. September 9, 2008. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  19. ^ a b "JOSHUA RADIN'S 'THE ROCK AND THE TIDE' OUT OCTOBER 12 and Tour Dates | Indie Rock News". Indierockreviews.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  20. ^ Arnold, Chuck (November 1, 2010), "QUICK CUTS". People. 74 (16):45
  21. ^ Janet Devlin: 'I felt lost after X Factor'. Digitalspy.co.uk (October 19, 2012). Retrieved on January 5, 2019.
  22. ^ "Joshua Radin News - AbsolutePunk.net". Archived from the original on April 13, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  23. ^ Strecker, Erin (October 28, 2014). "Exclusive: Listen to Joshua Radin's 'Beautiful Day' Featuring Sheryl Crow". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  24. ^ "Joshua Radin, The Ghost And The Wall: No Boundaries During A Lockdown – PS Audio". August 16, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  25. ^ Ellwood-Hughes, Pip (July 19, 2021). "Interview: Joshua Radin opens up about making new album 'The Ghost and the Wall' during the pandemic". Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  26. ^ Finkel, Alexandra (March 1, 2009). "Joshua Radin sings to his alma mater". The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  27. ^ "Joshua Radin Reveals Vulnerability in 7th Album "The Fall"". MiLLENNiAL MAGAZiNE. January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  28. ^ "Curiocity: Q&A With Joshua Radin". October 18, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  29. ^ "Joshua Radin Travels Through Restless Subconscious On 'The Ghost And The Wall'". American Blues Scene. July 23, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  30. ^ "A Day in the Life of…Joshua Radin". SPIN. July 29, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  31. ^ "Joshua Radin Partners with Little Kids Rock in Support of Music Education | Little Kids Rock". Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2014
  32. ^ "Joshua Radin | Little Kids Rock". Archived from the original on January 14, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014
  33. ^ Kim, Dave (July 23, 2019). "Musician Joshua Radin Supports Animal Rescue in New Song 'Here, Right Now'". Michigan Humane. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  34. ^ Preview: North Shore Animal League's virtual celebration of rescue, retrieved January 29, 2022
  35. ^ "Joshua Radin – Interview With Joshua Radin". Folkmusic.about.com. April 10, 2012. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  36. ^ Joshua Radin at Artistopia Archived July 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  37. ^ "Joshua Radin Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  38. ^ "Joshua Radin Chart History: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  39. ^ "Joshua Radin Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  40. ^ "Joshua Radin Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  41. ^ "Joshua Radin Chart History: Americana/Folk Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  42. ^ a b "Discography Joshua Radin". irish-charts.com. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  43. ^ a b "Joshua Radin | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  44. ^ "British album certifications – Joshua Radin – Simple Times". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  45. ^ "Joshua Radin Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  46. ^ "Joshua Radin Chart History: Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  47. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 228.
  48. ^ "Joshua Radin Chart History: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  49. ^ "Discography Joshua Radin". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
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