Josh Ottum to release album in October

After years of stockpiling songs in his home studio, Seattle-based musician Josh Ottum had the bright idea to make his debut album a sort of “personal greatest hits”. The “personal greatest hits” album “Like The Season” comes out on Cheap Lullaby October 20

Like The Season, a twelve-song journey into the hallways, bedrooms, dining rooms and garages of popular music. Bolstered by semi-hollow body guitars, vintage keyboards, dry drums, and a hundred multi-tracked voices singing melodies, harmonies, and backwards woah-woahs and yeah-yeahs, Ottum’s exquisite pop songs shine like polished furniture through a window on a crisp fall morning.

Joining Ottum on his self-produced solo debut are drummer James McAlister (Sufjan Stevens, Richard Swift), multi-in- strumentalist Casey Foubert (Pedro The Lion, Sufjan Stevens) and engineer Jon Ervie (Modest Mouse, The Presidents of the United States of America).

Protected by an army of 5 drummers and a patriotically soulful horn section, Like The Season harkens back to the sweet melodic days of 70’s pop, i.e., Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan, Randy Newman. Like The Season also boasts the influence of modern classical composition with the use of theme and variation while drawing comparisons to such modern artists as Grandaddy, Ben Folds and Phoenix. But don’t be mistaken - this is not a record of cheap rip-offs and retro throwbacks - these disparate elements have been critically examined and intricately assembled by Ottum to fit perfectly into a fully functional and aesthetically pleasing musical living room.

Since late 2007, Ottum has done several West Coast and European tours followed by a successful month-long residency at LA’s respected Tangier Club. Along the way Josh has toured and shared the stage with M. Ward, The Walkmen, Alexi Murdoch, Stereolab, Cold War Kids, Rosie Thomas, Midlake, The Sea and Cake. Ottum’s music has been featured on NPR, KEXP and multiple MTV shows.

Having already been released in Europe, Like The Season has topped multiple critics’ polls and been featured in NME.

Some things you might want to know about Josh Ottum:

Josh Ottum grew up in Elfin Forest, California.

He used to make instructional golf videos in his backyard and lie about how good his shots were.

He sent promotional photos of staged skateboard moves to famous skateboard companies. Josh went to an opera about the atomic bomb with his dad in San Francisco.

Josh's family used to own a pony named buckwheat and a goat named billy.

Josh used to go skimboarding in Del Mar, California, then listen to smooth jazz on the way to school. During a recent week of rain-filled gloom, Josh decided to watch My So Called Life and theorize about the power that Lydian mode adds to television drama.

Josh held the Olympic torch in 1984.

Josh remembers going to the stereo shop at a young age and hearing Patrick O'Hearn's new age masterpiece "Between Two Worlds". This album continues to inform most of his major life decisions.

The cover art to Josh's full-length album, Like The Season, is a digital rendering one of his grandfather's watercolors.

Josh's favorite ice cream has changed from Rocky Road to Mint Chip.

Josh remembers tearing up while listening to the intro of the Austin City Limits version "Cliffs of Dover" by Eric Johnson.

Josh wants to tour country clubs and ski resorts.

http://www.myspace.com/joshottum