Josh Fitzwater and The Shambles

Josh Fitzwater and The Shambles are a band exploiting their misadventures, trials & tribulations, and painfully brilliant moments that are life. Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Josh and The Shambles set out to tell a never-ending story through a head full of words and music. Josh's discerning memory that reminisces about love lost and found and capricious youth is always a few steps behind his journey. The band conveys their anecdotes by painting a scene filled with emotion, sincerity, and a modest portion of sarcasm.
Josh Fitzwater released his debut EP album titled “The Story of We” in March 2008 and he is playing gigs to promote his new tunes. Josh’s music has been described as "funky folk that resonates in your head and in your soul". Allow yourself to become part of their music that chronicles the everyday follies through life and an alacrity for all things that are beautiful.
For booking show requests you can get to him at [email protected].
{Press & What-Not}
“The six songs on Fitzwater's debut EP, The Story of We, paint him as a poet, with simple but driving arrangements as a backdrop. Depending on the track, the disc calls to mind an urban Jack Johnson, a male KT Tunstall or a young Bob Dylan... A clever wordsmith, Fitzwater's lyrics are the EP's highlight, sung in a voice both characteristic and easy on the ear… Talk with him face-to-face, and you'll find the musician endlessly energetic, animated and self-deprecating. But he also hints at focused and introspective moments, and his music seems born largely from this opposite end of his personality… Notable tracks include the bluesy, foot-stomping "When I Was a Little Young" and "Open Your Eyes," a hopeful, epic call for social awareness.”
{Columbus Alive | Columbus, Ohio}
“The Story of We is Fitzwater’s six-track debut album that combines the jazz atmosphere of a disappointing love lost with a languid country twang. As a whole, the album is reminiscent of artists such as Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson or G. Love and the Special Sauce…As a whole, this album flows together quite cohesively and makes for a solid debut album. Anyone looking for a new folk artist to check out should definitely listen to Josh Fitzwater…four out of five stars.”
{The Post | Athens, Ohio}
...last on the stage was Josh Fitzwater and the Shambles. The set was alive and Josh’s personality came through, creating an entirely enjoyable experience. The addition of the full band increases the power of Josh’s songwriting and ups the ante in his ability to get the attention he deserves. Prior to putting together the Shambles, Josh was largely a one-man operation and, though he put together a more than apt EP “The Story of We” earlier this year, his upcoming album -- which will start being recorded sometime in October -- is bound to be more creatively three-dimensional and have a musical depth with the Shambles. Josh and his band play well together and it’s clear that this new direction for Josh is definitely one that won’t be regretted, neither by him nor the Columbus band-watching public.
{Dave Schaefer | Life On The C-Bus}