Spreading joy
Country singer Josh Grider wants fans to find hope in new album
Over the course of a decade, Josh Grider has grown into his place in country music.
The Las Cruces native releases music consistently and is a staple on Texas radio.
He’s come a long way from being a small-town boy dreaming of making it in music.
Grider will release his new album, “Good People,” on Friday, March 2.
The next day on March 3, he returns to Las Cruces to perform at the New Mexico Farm & Heritage Ranch Museum as part of its Cowboy Days. He performs at 7 p.m.
“I get back to Las Cruces a couple times a year,” he says. “I’ve been trying to develop more of a following in New Mexico. In Roswell, I’ve been able to get some big crowds out there. It’s pretty amazing.”
For the new album, Grider took the crowdfunding approach.
He says the album took longer to put together because he wanted to take his time.
“I had all the rights of refusal, and I would agonize over everything thing,” he says. “I recorded all the vocals at my house. I was able to do a lot of the work by myself. It has been years since I had that control.”
Grider co-wrote 10 of the 12 songs on the album along with a few collaborators, including James Slater and Bobby Hamrick. Produced by Bobby Hamrick and recorded in Nashville, Tenn., and New Braunfels, Texas, “Good People” also features legendary studio musicians Fred Eltringham, Audley Freed, Lloyd Maines and more — including a special vocal appearance from his wife, Kristi.
Throughout the rest of the record, Grider offers a poignant portrait of life in modern America, with songs that range from clever commentary on current events to heartfelt ballads pulled from the pages of Grider’s own relationships.
“I hope people find hope in this record, “Grider says. “Times are tough, and the news is bad a lot of the time, but in spite of all that, life goes on. In our personal day-to-day lives we have to deal with that bad news, but there’s still a lot of joy and love and humor to be experienced — and we can’t lose sight of that. I’d love it if these songs helped remind folks of that.”