Josh Ritter to reissue Golden Age Of Radio

In addition to the original album that you all know and love, the hardback package includes a bonus CD of Josh performing the songs acoustically in Nashville last year; a full colour booklet with never-seen-before photos; four B-sides and remixes; two homemade videos including the Glen Hansard-assisted ‘Me & Jiggs’; and an introductory essay by Cameron Crowe.

“Josh is one of those rare artists who writes and performs with an open heart,” the filmmaker enthuses. “Some of these songs recall the nobility of a young Johnny Cash, or the scuffling Paul Simon, but it’s all Josh’s artful travelogue. As a storyteller, he’s fueled by the legend and lore of characters arriving and leaving, celebrating sadness and exhilaration equally, but his songs can sometimes feel like private snapshots kept in dresser drawers. Those are my favourites.”

It’s the first in a series of Ritter re-releases with Hello Starling following on July 3 and The Animal Years in early autumn.

Having completed US tour duties with Gomez and John Prine, Josh heads to the Cork Marquee on July 4 for a special American Independence Day bash that finds him accompanied by a 24-piece orchestra and Lisa Hannigan. He’s also started work on his sixth studio album, which is due in 2010.