Josh Ross Reflects On Journey To Nashville As He Makes Long-Awaited Debut

Singer-songwriter Josh Ross joined podcast hosts Dan and Reid Isbell on a recent episode of God’s Country days before he released his debut studio album.

Ross, 31, told the story of his journey from Canada to Nashville, Tennessee, “and the unconventional parking lot he lived in for months before he got his first deal,” Dan and Reid Isbell noted: “This week Reid and Dan host CCMA entertainer of the year and hit songwriter, Josh Ross, out in God’s Country. The three dive in on what they’re mad at, and it includes the guys being jealous of how Josh gets to start his mornings, every day. They dive in the on Josh’s Nashville journey from Canada, and the unconventional parking lot he lived in for months before he got his first deal. Josh shares the labor-intensive process of pond management at his new farm and how throwing a line gives him solace from the road. He shares the similarities of fishing up north versus the south, and some of his favorite tactics he’s carried to the states from his upbringing. The episode ends with a Gravorite flex the boys didn’t see coming, but lands at one of the top ones GCP has seen.”

Ross released his debut studio album, Later Tonight, on Friday (September 19). He said in a statement of the 15-track project, produced by Matt Geroux: “I moved to Nashville 7 years ago, and have been working towards this moment long before that. I’m proud of what this album turned out to be; it took a lot of living to make it, and I hope that every person that listens to it finds a song or a situation that they can relate to.

“The title of this record, and the title track, became the thread that tied this project together over the last couple of years,” Ross said when he announced the album over the summer. “Every single we put out, every show we’ve played has led to this. We dug deep writing for this album, leaning into getting caught in your feelings, breaking up, making up. No matter what, all roads led back to ‘Later Tonight.’”

Later Tonight Tracklist

1. Later Tonight (Alexander Izquierdo, Ryan Vojtesak, John Byron, Ashley Gorley)
2. Hate How You Look (Nicholas Sainato, Chris McKenna, Jessica Farren, Christian Yancey)
3. My Side Of Town (Jimmy Robbins, Seth Ennis, Josh Miller, Abram Dean)
4. Smith & Wesson (Ben Stennis and Michael Tyler)
5. Leave Me Too (Ben Stennis, Michael Tyler, Laura Veltz, Allison Veltz-Cruz
6. Half Lit (Michael Tyler, Josh Miller, Will Bundy, John Morgan)
7. Mad At Me (Kyle Fishman, Travis Wood, Jimmy Robbins, Casey Brown)
8. Whiskey You (Josh Ross, Matt Geroux, Mason Thornley, Jacob Hackworth, Heath Warren, Brad Rempel, Joe Fox, Seth Ennis) 
9. Break My Heart In Two (Josh Ross and Mason Thornley) 
10. Single Again (Josh Ross, Joe Fox, Brad Rempel) 
11. Songs You Gave Me (Josh Ross, Mason Thornley, Matt Geroux) 
12. Namin' Names (Geoff Warburton, Michael Lotten, Ryan Hurd, Jesse Fink) 
13. Drunk Right Now (Na Na Na) with Akon (Edgar Robin Albers, Johannes Dieter Kranenburg, Michel Rozenbroek, Jorrit ter Braak, Maurice Huismans, Aliaune Thiam, Giorgio Tuinfort, Josh Ross, Brett Tyler, Grady Block) 
14. Nobody From Nowhere (Josh Ross, Matt Geroux, Brad Rempel, Jacob Hackworth, Heath Warren) 
15. Scared Of Getting Sober (Josh Ross, Joe Fox, Seth Ennis, Mason Thornley, Heath Warren)

Dan and Reid — who have written music for Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery, Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson and others — started their weekly podcast in early January 2024. Some of the first guests to appear on the show include HARDY, Dustin Lynch, Colbie Caillat and others.

“One of our favorite things about country music has always been how intertwined it is with the outdoors,” Dan and Reid Isbell said in a statement when God’s Country launched. They hope to “bring the outdoor enthusiast or country music lover an up close and personal look into the minds of some of the best songwriters and artists of the genre — a place where they can be honest about struggles, relationships, their connection to the outdoors, the music business, family, whatever they feel comfortable talking about. We can’t wait to see where this partnership will lead and who this podcast will reach.”

The iHeartPodcasts/MeatEater show is available anywhere you listen to podcasts, including in the iHeartRadio app. Select country stations will broadcast the show between 7-11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday evenings. Find God's Country here.