<p>With a rare combination of tenderness and outrage, singer/songwriter Josh Aran awakens the complacent while rejuvenating the weary. His new album Water to Wash Water Away draws deep from the wells of inspiration, from the pop sensibility of the Beatles to the lyrical subtlety of Bob Dylan, from the feel-good arena rock of Led Zeppelin to the disillusioned art rock of Radiohead. For Josh, songs are like small streams flowing into a mighty river, always moving and ever changing.</p><p>A native of the Twin Cities, Josh grew up singing and playing guitar. He attended a small liberal arts university where he earned bachelor&rsquo;s degrees in English and Art History, and returned to Minneapolis in 1999. In 2000, Josh recorded his debut album, Sun Up, a warm and loose acoustic album with Tom Herbers at Third Ear Studios. In 2002, Josh met and teamed up with producer and drummer Justin Korhonen. Together they recorded with a handful of musicians, engineers, and producers (including Alex Oana, Tom Herbers, and Erik Appelwick) to create the critically acclaimed 2003 release Between Us There Arose Happiness. In 2005 and 2006 Josh produced and recorded Water to Wash Water Away with friends from the previous album and a new arsenal of talent, including Zach Miller and Sam Keenan.</p><p>With a litany of gigs behind him, Josh is a standout live performer, both as a solo artist and with his band. He has that rare ability to command complete attention from a room full of people - and the lyrics and melodies, the sheer songcraft, demand it. He has played clubs, colleges, and festivals from coast to coast in a variety of contexts: including the launch party for internet radio station Misplaced Music, benefit concerts for AIDS and Tsunami relief, and a bluegrass Beatles tribute night.</p><p>Josh is hard at work playing shows in support of Water to Wash Water Away and working with his new live band. Check out www.josharan.com for all the latest information and find out what Josh and his band are up to next.</p>