His newest release is titled, “Late Bloomer,” but his musical path by no means had trouble getting started. Growing up in Philadelphia, he eventually moved to Toronto for film school, which is where he honed his musical talents and formed the band Mumblin’ Jim. The singer, guitarist and pianist led the band and relocated to San Francisco where they were quickly signed to Island Records in the late nineties. Things were looking up for Rifkin, and he found himself recording in the Bahamas with renowned producer Dan “The Automator” Nakamura (Dr.Octagon, Cornershop) and opening for bands such as Cake and G Love and Special Sauce. But the band was dropped after a corporate merger, and Mumblin’ Jim cut ties with Island, though retained the rights their music. They persevered and released the album on a smaller Berkley-based label, Mod Lang.
Ultimately, the band dispersed. Discouraged, but not deterred, Rifkin headed south to Los Angeles to pursue a solo career...
Josh Rifkin Bio
Josh Rifkin was probably the only kid in his neighborhood that actually liked practicing piano. Of course, he had a little motivation. It got him out of doing dishes. Rifkin still plays piano today, but the driving force behind it is a burgeoning music career and quite a history behind it.
His newest release is titled, “Late Bloomer,” but his musical path by no means had trouble getting started. Growing up in Philadelphia, he eventually moved to Toronto for film school, which is where he honed his musical talents and formed the band Mumblin’ Jim. The singer, guitarist and pianist led the band and relocated to San Francisco where they were quickly signed to Island Records in the late nineties. Things were looking up for Rifkin, and he found himself recording in the Bahamas with renowned producer Dan “The Automator” Nakamura (Dr.Octagon, Cornershop) and opening for bands such as Cake and G Love and Special Sauce. But the band was dropped after a corporate merger, and Mumblin’ Jim cut ties with Island, though retained the rights their music. They persevered and released the album on a smaller Berkley-based label, Mod Lang.
Ultimately, the band dispersed. Discouraged, but not deterred, Rifkin headed south to Los Angeles to pursue a solo career. Though he missed the camaraderie of the band, he maintained his musical drive and with an intense passion for music, continued crafting his own songs. He immediately had success, getting his music featured in hit TV shows such as MTV’s Undressed and The WB’s Angel and Felicity. His songs even reached International Radio Air Waves. It was his song “World’s Gonna End” that garnered him the most attention when it was featured in the film Four Brothers, and that is one of the many alluring tracks that graces his latest album.
“Late Bloomer” features an amazing lineup of musicians and is an eclectic mix of stunning melodies, earnest storytelling and graceful instrumentation. Rifkin cannot simply be described as a singer, songwriter or musician—he is an artist. His music is versatile and quickly ranges from pop to rock, folk to electronic. There is something for everyone on “Late Bloomer,” and that is what makes Rifkin’s music so accessible and enjoyable. It is infectious and his unique sound and reflective songwriting makes you yearn for more than he has given you—that is the genius behind his music.
“It’s just a great vehicle,” he says of songwriting. “You can try anything, go anywhere, do anything.”
Josh Rifkin has a lot to offer on “Late Bloomer.” He doesn’t restrict his craft, but instead, aims to keep things less complicated. “I’ve tried to make things simpler as I go on. More timeless and classic. It doesn’t have to be difficult,” he says.
Rifkin’s true passion for music and songwriting shines through in his performance, and his ability to craft enduring songs proves his prowess in that he will be doing this for a long time. “I make music because I love to do it. I feel compelled to do it. It’s nice because you don’t have anyone to answer to,” he says of the creative process and the ability to simply write music that he enjoys. “All that matters is what I want to make and what I want to hear, and hopefully people will like it,” he says.
Rifkin has been on a quite a musical ride already, and it’s one he plans on taking for as long as it will let him. “Hopefully it’s something I’ll never stop doing, even if it’s just something for myself,” he says. With shows planned for the fall to coincide with the album release on Mod Lang Records, he has already begun working on songs for a new album.
Rifkin jokes of his “Late Bloomer” title, but that’s how he sees himself, saying that sometimes it just takes him a little longer to catch on to things. If Josh Rifkin’s music is just peaking, then he is sure to be creating much great music for many seasons to come.