Josh Ritter is an American singer-songwriter born in Moscow, Idaho on October 21, 1976. Ritter began writing songs while attending Oberlin College. He eventually changed his major from neuroscience and graduated in 1999 with a self-designed major in American History through Narrative Folk Music.

His style is in the tradition of folk music and ballads. He is influenced by the lyrics of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Leonard Cohen, and the works of Mark Twain.

Ritter appeared at the 2002 Newport Folk Festival, Oxegen 2005, and has headlined with artists such as Joan Baez, who later released her own version of Ritter's song "Wings." Ritter's 2003 full-length album Hello Starling debuted at #2 on the charts in Ireland, where Ritter has developed a loyal following after being invited to support The Frames by leadsinger Glen Hansard. He was signed by an American label, V2 Records, in 2005 and Hello Starling was subsequently re-released. Ritter's fourth album, 2006's The Animal Years, and fifth album, 2007's The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, each received a warm critical reception.

Josh Ritter was born in Moscow, Idaho in the late 1970s to two neuroscientists. Josh bought his first guitar from the local K-MART after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic “Girl From The North Country.” Josh started at Oberlin College with the intent to follow in his parents’ scientist footsteps, but instead discovered songwriting, and the music of artists like Gillian Welch , Townes Van Zandt , and Leonard Cohen . He graduated and then moved east, favouring its close proximity