CURRENT

“Fans of Leo Kottke or Michael Hedges will find themselves right at home with [Roth’s] intricate guitar work…beautifully written lyrics.” – San Francisco Art Magazine

Justin Roth is a nationally touring singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist based in Colorado. His brilliantly inventive fingerstyle guitar arrangements define his unique mix of indie folk and instrumental guitar music. Justin has toured with David Wilcox and John Gorka and opened for some of the finest singer/songwriters on the acoustic music scene, including Shawn Colvin, Lucy Kaplansky, Darrell Scott, and Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary). Equally, his guitar playing has earned him shared stages with some of the greatest fingerstyle players of today, such as Tommy Emmanuel, Andy McKee, Billy McLaughlin, Michael Gulezian and Pat Donohue. Major festival appearances include the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, Kerrville Folk Festival and Sisters Folk Fest. He has also established himself as a teaching artist of his unique style and technique at guitar workshops, festival workshops, and private lessons, as well as online at on YouTube, Truefire, JamPlay and Guitar Playback. He has released five independent CDs in addition to being a core contributor to an instrumental album produced for Target Stores by guitarist virtuoso, Billy McLaughlin, entitled Lifescapes – Solo Guitar, which has sold over 70,000 copies nationwide. Justin’s fan-funded album, Now You Know, was voted as one of the Top 100 Folk Albums of 2011 by Roots Music Report.

“Superb guitar player, singer, songwriter well worth seeking out…exquisite, emotional and powerful!” – Maverick Magazine (UK)

“Now you know—Justin Roth has come into his own.”– John Gorka, Red House Recording Artist

HISTORY

Raised in Minnesota on rock and roll, singer-songwriter Justin Roth picked up the guitar in 9th grade, taking lessons from a heavy metal guitarist. His path to acoustic music was solidified at 17, when he saw innovative guitarist Michael Hedges open for Crosby, Stills & Nash. He had gone to see the famed headliners, but it was Hedges’ music that truly spoke to him. Justin was enthralled by Hedges’ expressive playing and inventive compositions and was immediately hooked by this new sound of the acoustic guitar. Justin saw that the acoustic guitar was capable of so much more than he had been exposed to before, and from that moment on, he knew that it would be the root of his musical world. From there, Justin added more layers to his playing, including partial capos and two-hand tapping, to create an even wider range of textures and voicings in his compositions and live performances.

In college, Justin was majoring in music business and planned on seeking a music industry job instead of a performing career. Following his passion for acoustic music, he interviewed for the booking position on the campus activities board and began booking all the acoustic music on campus at the University of Minnesota-Duluth for three years. As a result of that pursuit, he was exposed to the lives and music of numerous touring artists, including some who would go on to influence Justin’s music and career on a much deeper level, like Billy McLaughlin and Willy Porter. Inspired, he began honing his craft as a writer, marrying his accomplished guitar playing with his already strong vocals. By his senior year, he had recorded his first album, Up Until Now. Following graduation, he was encouraged by his friend, Chris Cunningham (of acoustic duo Storyhill), to drive out to Colorado to attend the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Song School. Keeping company with other musicians, swapping songs around late-night campfires, and hearing stories from other touring artists, Justin realized that being a touring musician was what he really wanted to do. An epic moment in his young life, it would later inspire the title track of his 2003 release Shine.

In 1998, Chris Cunningham invited Justin to join him on a cross-country tour. While they were on the road, they would often play on each other’s songs, working out harmonies and two-part guitar arrangements. One night when they were playing at a church, Justin saw a djembe drum left by the house band. During the soundcheck, Justin began drumming, backing up Chris. They both enjoyed the sound so much, Justin played percussion that night and every night thereafter. Justin has been playing the djembe ever since and has gone on to back up such musicians as Ellis Paul, LJ Booth and Tom Prasada-Rao. In 2000, Justin recorded a live duo album with Chris Cunningham called 2 Forms of ID. That same year he released his second solo album in between and contributed four original compositions to the solo guitar compilation Lifescapes - Solo Guitar, produced by Billy McLaughlin. Sold exclusively in Target stores, the album went on to sell 70,000 copies nationwide.

Since then, Justin has gone on to wow audiences across the country, performing at such renowned venues as the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, The Ark in Ann Arbor and Saint Paul’s historic Fitzgerald Theater, home of Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” A dynamic live performer, Justin has won fans over with his intricate guitar solos, heartfelt songs and spontaneous delivery, often composing songs during his shows with the audience’s help. Gaining recognition as a songwriter as well as performer, Justin has won numerous songwriting awards. He has twice been a New Folk Finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival and has won the Indie Acoustic Project’s award for Best Song of 2005 for his song Shine.