Josh Kaufman (born May 26, 1978) is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, composer, arranger and engineer based in Brooklyn, New York. He is a member of the collaborative ensembles Muzz and Bonny Light Horseman.

New York

Kaufman began playing in high school garage bands in New York. Largely self-taught, he decided to take music theory lessons in his senior year at high school in preparation for studying music at

Third Level Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...

. After graduating, Kaufman enrolled in the State University of New York (SUNY) in

New Paltz New Paltz () is an incorporated U.S. town in Ulster County, New York. The population was 14,003 at the 2010 U.S. Census. The town is located in the southeastern part of the county and is south of Kingston. New Paltz contains a village, also wit ...

, NY. There, he worked at The Main Street Bistro as well as Jack's Rhythms record store, and frequently made visits down to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. During this time, Kaufman was playing in bands such as Pooja and Follow The Lieder, as well as making recordings with long-time partner (and now wife) Annie Nero. Kaufman moved to

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

after university and worked as

barista A barista (; ; from the Italian/Spanish for "bartender") is a person, usually a coffeehouse employee, who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks. Etymology and inflection The word ''barista'' comes from Italian where it means a male ...

while playing in various musical projects performing originals and covers. He reunited with Paul Banks for an acoustic duo just as

Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...

were gaining popularity and the

garage rock revival Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

was emerging. Meanwhile, Kaufman's friendship with the songwriter Benji Cossa resulted in a stint working at a

SoHo Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...

printing press. This brought him a steady income while allowing flexibility for the growing amount of touring, production and arranging work that he was doing for artists such as

Dawn Landes Dawn Landes (born December 5, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is originally from around Louisville, Kentucky but spent many years living and performing in Brooklyn, New York. As a recording artist she has released five f ...

Josh Ritter Josh Ritter (born October 21, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author who performs and records with the Royal City Band. Ritter is known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006, he was named one of ...

and The National.

Josh Ritter

Kaufman became a

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo ...

for Dawn Landes and toured regularly across the US and Europe with the singer-songwriter. Kaufman befriended Landes’ then-husband

and the pair began collaborating, culminating in Kaufman producing and playing most of the instrumentation on Ritter's ''Bringing In The Darlings'' EP in 2012. Kaufman would also contribute guitar, electric guitar, bass, percussion and vocals as part of Ritter's core studio team for his 2013 LP ''The Beast In Its Tracks'' and become a lynchpin of Ritter's live backing group, the Royal City Band.

Bob Weir and Day of The Dead

While gigging around New York in venues such as

The Living Room The Living Room was a music venue on Metropolitan Avenue in the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, which was originally established on Stanton Street of the Lower East Side in Manhattan, New York City in 1988. The Liv ...

and the

Knitting Factory The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United States. The Knitting Factory gave its audience poetry readings, perform ...

, Kaufman met

Bryan Devendorf Bryan Devendorf is an American drummer. He is best known as a founding member of the indie rock band The National, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums. Devendorf is also a member of the experimental rock bands Pfarmers and LNZNDRF. In ...

of The National who were fans of Kaufman's band Follow The Lieder. As well as assisting with the recording of ''Boxer'', in March 2012 Kaufman was invited by the band to act as musical director for a one-off ensemble performance with

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

founder

Bob Weir Robert Hall Weir ( ; né Parber, born October 16, 1947) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead ...

and a host of big names from the US indie scene (including Walt Martin of

The Walkmen The Walkmen is an American indie rock band. Active from 2000 to 2013, they are known as part of the 2000s-era post-punk revival in New York City, particularly for their critically acclaimed single "The Rat (song), The Rat." The band is made up o ...

and Thomas Bartlett under the title "The Bridge Session". In August of that year, Kaufman was invited to be part of a tribute concert led by Weir entitled “Move Me Brightly: Celebrating Jerry Garcia's 70th Birthday”. The performance took place at

TRI Studios Tamalpais Research Institute, also known as TRI Studios, is a virtual music venue in San Rafael, California; it is the brainchild of Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, currently of Dead & Company as well as Bob Weir and Wolf Bros. TRI is a state-o ...

in San Rafael, California and was filmed for release as a music documentary entitled '' Move Me Brightly''. Subsequent to this outing, Kaufman was brought in to co-produce ''Day Of The Dead'', an elaborate Grateful Dead charity tribute album with Bryce and

Aaron Dessner Aaron Brooking Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band the National, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums; a co-founder of the indie ...

. Released in May 2016, the 59-track compilation was recorded over four years and featured a host of big names reinterpreting the Grateful Dead songbook, including

Wilco Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently dur ...

, The War on Drugs, The National, Bonnie “Prince” Billy (Will Oldham),

Jenny Lewis Jennifer Diane Lewis (born January 8, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She was the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley. Lewis gained prominence in the 1980s as a child a ...

Lucinda Williams Lucinda Gayle Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums: '' Ramblin' on My Mind'' (1979) and '' Happy Woman Blues'' (1980), in a traditional country and blues style ...

Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, key ...

Perfume Genius Michael Alden Hadreas (born September 25, 1981), better known by his stage name Perfume Genius, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Hadreas's music explores topics including sexuality, his personal struggle with Crohn's disease, do ...

Lisa Hannigan Lisa Margaret Hannigan (born 12 February 1981) is an Irish musician, singer, composer, and voice actress. She began her musical career as a member of Damien Rice's band. Since beginning her solo career in 2007 she has released three albums: ''Se ...

The Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (keyb ...

and Bill Callahan. Proceeds from the sales of the album were donated to the

Red Hot Organization Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture. Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...

. On the back of the release, Kaufman performed a special live performance of the album at the second annual Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival as part of a

supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...

of various acts who had appeared on the record, including

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, ''For Emma, Forever Ago,'' independently in July 2007. The majority of the album was recorded while Vernon ...

(Justin Vernon), Jenny Lewis,

Will Oldham Joseph Will Oldham (born January 15, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace (Palace, Palace Flophouse, Palace Br ...

Matt Berninger Matthew Donald Berninger (, born February 13, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter, primarily known as the frontman and lyricist of indie rock band The National. In 2014, he also formed the EL VY project with Brent Knopf of Ramona Falls and ...

and

Sam Amidon Samuel Tear Amidon (born June 3, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Musical career In 2001, Amidon self-released ''Solo Fiddle'', an album of traditional Irish fiddle instrumentals. Amidon's first album of ...

. In late 2015, Bob Weir revealed in an interview that he was writing songs with Kaufman and Josh Ritter for a project that had come about after Kaufman encouraged Weir to revisit the fireside songs and cowboy spirit of his teenage ranch years in

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

. On August 4, 2016, it was announced that Bob Weir would release his first solo album in almost 40 years on September 30, entitled ''Blue Mountain''. The album would be produced by Kaufman and feature contributions from Josh Ritter, Scott Devendorf, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Dawn Landes and many others. An 11-date tour featuring a backing band made up of Kaufman and members of The National was also announced.

Craig Finn and The Hold Steady

While working in a record store in the early 2000s, Kaufman encountered the music of the

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

rock band,

Lifter Puller Lifter Puller, or LFTR PLLR, was an American indie rock band from the Twin Cities and the Boston area between 1994 and 2000. Their music is considered innovative, with its angular riffs and a synth-infused sound that predated the '80s revival fa ...

. Many years later, in 2012, Kaufman was backing Hannah Cohen during an appearance at

Crossing Border Festival Crossing Border Festival is an annual festival in The Hague, Netherlands focusing on new pop music acts and literature. It is one of the largest combined music and literature festivals in Europe. The first edition took place in 1993, as a larger ...

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

, The Netherlands.

Craig Finn Craig Finn (born August 22, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the frontman of the American indie rock band The Hold Steady, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums. Prior to forming The Hold Steady, Fi ...

, frontman of Lifter Puller and more recently

The Hold Steady The Hold Steady is an American rock band originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, now based in Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2003. The band consists of Craig Finn (vocals, guitar), Tad Kubler (guitar), Galen Polivka (bass), Bobby Drake (drums), ...

, was on the same bill performing solo material. After watching Cohen's set, Finn approached Kaufman about collaborating and the pair reunited back in the US at Kaufman's studio in

Dumbo ''Dumbo'' is a 1941 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The fourth Disney animated feature film, it is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, a ...

. There, they worked together on music for a production of Scott Z. Burns’ play The Library before Finn lined up Kaufman to produce two solo studio albums, ''Faith in the Future'' (2015) and '' We All Want the Same Things'' (2017). In March 2018, The Hold Steady unveiled two new tracks, “Eureka” and “Esther” which had been recorded with Kaufman in Brooklyn. Kaufman is collaborating with the group on further recordings. An announcement in late January 2019 revealed that Kaufman had produced a third solo record with Finn. ''I Need A New War'' was released on April 26 in the US on

Partisan Records Partisan Records is an independent record label with offices in London and Los Angeles, as well as in New York City, where the company was co-founded in 2007 by Tim Putnam and Ian Wheeler. The label, initially run out of Putnam’s South Brooklyn ...

. In an interview with The 405, Finn revealed that Kaufman had been "very hands-on for these records", saying: "We really talk through the songs... He's helped me a lot." To mark the album's release, Kaufman appeared with Finn on

Late Night with Seth Meyers ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' is an American late-night news and political satire talk show hosted by Seth Meyers on NBC. The show premiered on February 24, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. Airing weeknights a ...

for a rendition of lead single ‘Something To Hope For’. Though his work with Finn, he also bonded with drummer Joe Russo leading to the formation of their free-form group Boyfriends.

Bonny Light Horseman

In 2019, Kaufman was appearing as part of a three-piece "supergroup" called Bonny Light Horseman, consisting of himself, Eric D. Johnson of

Fruit Bats In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

and singer/songwriter

Anaïs Mitchell Anaïs Mitchell (; born March 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright. Mitchell has released eight studio albums, including ''Hadestown'' (2010), '' Young Man in America'' (2012),

. The band released their first album in January 2020.

Muzz

On March 6, 2020, it was announced that Kaufman would be joining Paul Banks and Matt Barrick to form a new band, Muzz. The band also released their first single, "Bad Feeling."

Taylor Swift

Kaufman collaborated with

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

on her album ''

Folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

'', playing harmonica, electric guitar, and lap steel guitar on the song "Betty". He also collaborated on her album '' Evermore'', playing lap steel, harmonica, and mandolin on "Evermore", " Cowboy like Me", "Ivy", and "

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

". In 2021, he collaborated on

Red (Taylor's Version) ''Red (Taylor's Version)'' is the second re-recorded album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Released via Republic Records on November 12, 2021, as a part of Swift's countermeasure against the purchase of the masters of her back cata ...

, playing electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, and harmonica on the songs Better Man (Taylor's Version),

I Bet You Think About Me "I Bet You Think About Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton, from Swift's second re-recorded album, ''Red (Taylor's Version)'' (2021). Swift wrote the song with Lori McKe ...

, and "Run".

Selected discography

As Producer/Co-producer

Cassandra Jenkins Cassandra Jenkins is an American musician, singer and songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York, United States. Early life and education Cassandra Jenkins was born into a musical New York family. Her parents played on cruise ships in the 1980s. She ...

, '' An Overview on Phenomenal Nature'' (2021) *

, '' Open Door Policy (2021) * Muzz (band), "Muzz" (2020) *

Bonny Light Horseman (band) Bonny Light Horseman is an American folk band consisting of Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson ( Fruit Bats, The Shins), and Josh Kaufman ( The National, Hiss Golden Messenger, Josh Ritter). They released their debut eponymous album in January 2 ...

, "Bonny Light Horseman" (2020) * This Is The Kit, "Off Off On " (2020) *

, "Thrashing Through The Passion" (2019) *

, "Eureka" b/w "Esther" single (2017) – also percussion *

, “Entitlement Crew” b/w “A Snake In The Shower” single (2017) – also organ and orchestra Bells *

, ''We All Want The Same Things'' LP (2017, Partisan Records) - also vocals, guitar, mandolin, piano, organ, synthesizer, synthesizer bass, bass, overdub engineer *

, ''Blue Mountain'' LP (2016, Sony Legacy) - also composer, engineer, bass, casio, drums, farfisa organ, guitars, mandolin, organ, pedal steel, piano, synthesizer, tenor banjo, vocals, wurlitzer piano * Various artists, ''Day of The Dead'' LP (2016, 4AD) - also bass, vocals, guitars, organ, piano, synthesizer * Craig Finn, ''Faith In The Future'' LP (2015, Partisan Records) - also vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, bass * Craig Finn, ''Newmyer's Roof'' EP (2015, Partisan Records) * David Wax Museum, ''Guesthouse'' LP (2015, Thirty Tigers) - also engineer, mixing, vocals, guitars, piano, synthesizer, bass, percussion, organ, leona * David Wax Museum, ''Knock Knock Get Up'' LP (2013, Thirty Tigers) *

, ''Bringing In The Darlings'' EP (2012, Pytheas Recordings) – also plays most instrumentation * Caithlin De Marrais, ''Red Coats'' LP (2011, End Up Records) * Caithlin DeMarrais, ''My Magic City'' LP (2008, End Up Records) * Secret Dakota Ring, ''Cantarell'' LP (2008, Serious Business) – also composer, bass, glockenspiel, guitar, harmonium, percussion, piano, string arrangements

As musician, composer, arranger, songwriter

* The War on Drugs, ''

A Deeper Understanding ''A Deeper Understanding'' is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band The War on Drugs. It was released on August 25, 2017, through Atlantic Records. The album was mixed by engineer Shawn Everett. The album won Best Rock Album at t ...

'' LP (2017, Atlantic) – (as “Josh Kauffman”) electric guitar, vocals on “In Chains”, electric guitar on “You Don't Have To Go” * The National, ''

Sleep Well Beast Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a ...

'' LP (2017, 4AD) – guitars * Josh Ritter, ''Gathering'' LP (2017, Pytheas Recordings) – guitar, synthesizer *Hiss Golden Messenger, ''Hallelujah Anyhow'' LP (2017, Merge) -- Electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin *

, ''

At Swim ''At Swim'' is the third studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan. The album was released worldwide on 19 August 2016, through Hoop Recordings and Play It Again Sam. Background Hannigan had been touring for more than two years with ...

'' LP (2016, PIAS Records) – electric guitar on “Snow” * Josh Ritter, ''Sermon On The Rocks'' LP (2015, Pytheas Recordings) – acoustic, electric, 12-string Rickenbacker, slide guitar, electric mandolin, bongos, vocals * Josh Ritter, ''Acoustic Live Vol. 1: Somerville Theater / Somerville, Mass'' live LP (2015, Pytheas Recordings) – electric guitar, nylon-string guitar, vocals * Various artists, ''This Is The Town (A Tribute To Nilsson Volume 1)'' compilation LP (2014, The Royal Potato Family) – clavinet, guitar, guitar (acoustic), mixing, organ, standup bass, vocals *

, ''Bluebird'' LP (2014, Western Vinyl) – bass, piano, vocals * Various artists, '' Bob Dylan in the 80s: Volume One'' compilation LP (2014, ATO) – guitar, organ *

Trixie Whitley Trixie Whitley (born June 24, 1987) is a Belgian American multi-instrumentalist. As the daughter of singer-songwriter Chris Whitley, she began her musical career playing with her father, and recording on several of his albums.Yellowbirds, ''Songs From The Vanished Frontier'' LP (2013, The Royal Potato Family) – guitar, organ, vocals * Josh Ritter, ''

The Beast in Its Tracks ''The Beast in Its Tracks'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Josh Ritter. It was released on March 5, 2013. Background and production On April 17, 2010, American singer-songwriter Josh Ritter released his sixth full-le ...

'' LP (2013, Pytheas Recordings) – guitar, electric guitar, bass, percussion, vocals * Various artists, ''If A Lot of Bands Play in the Woods...'' compilation LP (2011, Tarquin) – accompanying The National, on “Twenty Miles To NH (Part 2)” * Dawn Landes, ''Sweet Heart Rodeo'' LP (2009, Cooking Vinyl) – composer, guitars, organ, piano, vocals *

, ''

'' LP (2021,

Republic Records Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...

) – electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, harmonica

Film Work

* ''Paper Man'' (2009, feature film) – Arranger and Co-producer with Mark McAdam, pump organ, lap steel, autoharp, guitar * '' Move Me Brightly'' (2013, concert film) – musician

Other Collaborations

* ''The Bridge Sessions'' w/ Bob Weir and members of The National – Musical director * ''

The Complete Last Waltz The Complete Last Waltz is a live rock show put on bGolden Gate Presents including all 41 songs from the historic 1976 rock and roll concert The Last Waltz. Thirty eight musicians from current rock bands participated in the original presentation ...

'' (2012, 2013, 2014, live show) – core band member Co-producer with Andrew Marlin on Watchhouse.

References

External links

Artist Management For Josh Kaufman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaufman, Josh 1978 births Living people Musicians from Brooklyn State University of New York at New Paltz alumni People from Stony Brook, New York American folk guitarists Bonny Light Horseman (band) members