Joshua Ketchmark’s first solo album Under Plastic Stars isn’t an opening salvo, per se, but rather a culmination of a long journey. Hailing from Peoria, Illinois, Ketchmark has worked with and alongside of the music world’s true icons like Michael Jackson and important modern acts like Fuel, among many others, without ever turning his attentions towards a solo album until now. It is no over exaggeration to say this moment is akin to when a butterfly emerges. Ketchmark comes across [...]

By Mike Yoder View Source Joshua Ketchmark’s album Under Plastic Stars opens with the gentle strains of “We Were Everything” and, as the past tense of the title implies, it finds the singer/songwriter in a downcast mood. Ketchmark comes across as an essentially romantic songwriter here, adept with the time tested formulas of tunes about heartache, but it’s far from the only ace in his deck. “Every Mystery” continues in a similar vein as the opener, but it’s here where […]

By Pamela Bellmore View Source There are likely to be two dominant schools of thought regarding Joshua Ketchmark’s Under Plastic Stars. The first will find Ketchmark’s twelve song collection to be a remarkably unified work, both lyrically and musically, with nary a hole to be seen in the track listing. Another point of view will likely peg Under Plastic Stars as a remarkably promising work slightly marred by too many similarities between songs and potentially benefitted by being pruned by […]

By Jay Snyder View Source From the opening, gentle strum the heart-warming, tumbleweed kicking love song, “We Were Everything” and culminating in the rhythmically pulsating, winding electric guitar leads and spitfire soul vocals of closer “The Great Unknown,” it’s clear that Joshua Ketchmark has arrived. Hailing from his humble beginnings in Peoria, Illinois and eventually carving a path to every big-time music city in the USA (LA just to name one of many places), Ketchmark is now twelve releases strong […]

By Drew East View Source Being a reviewer is really a dream job. You get to discover new music that you’ve missed and sometimes music from established artists that you couldn’t catch either. There’s so much stuff out there with the ease of home-recording taking over the market that you’re bound to forget to check out something. Reviewers on the other hand have it easy and being one has led me to the music of Joshua Ketchmark and his 12th […]

By Frank McClure View Source It all started with the debut of MTV for singer/songwriter Joshua Ketchmark. Being turned onto the channel during its birth, the volley of new music videos emerging for the first time sent Ketchmark in a search for his mother’s old acoustic guitar. Soon he was writing riffs, then he was writing songs and finally he started jamming with his friends at rehearsals at his own house and around the neighborhood. That boyhood dream is now […]

By Wendy Owens View Source Peoria native Joshua Ketchmark has truly led a storied life in the music industry with his adventure taking him from small town Illinois to Seattle to LA and beyond. He’s worked with the rock band Fuel, Jonny Lang and Melissa Etheridge. He’s learned much about audio and production while sitting in with legendary producers Rob Cavallo (Green Day), Michael Beinhorn (Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many more); he’s worked KISS’s rehearsals and even had […]

By Alonzo Evans View Source Illinois-bred singer/songwriter Joshua Ketchmark has built a slow and steady career on excellent musical craftsmanship and stellar guitar playing that’s spanned a dozen releases to date. He’s brushed shoulders with Melissa Etheridge and has worked with the production teams that have brought to life recordings by Elvis Costello, Don Henley and Ryan Adams. In a tough modern musical climate where it’s very difficult to get your own original compositions out there for the public to […]

By Daniel Boyer View Source “We Were Everything” begins Joshua Ketchmark’s Under Plastic Stars on a decidedly elegiac note, but this isn’t a dreary collection of songs. Ketchmark’s first full fledged solo effort, self-produced and written by Ketchmark, finds this longtime musical cohort of some of the music world’s biggest acts stepping out on his own with considerable talent and finesse. The primarily acoustic slant to this album is adorned with other touches like keyboards and even some occasional swaths […]

By Laura Dodero View Source A longtime collaborator and sideman for many important and legendary musicians, Joshua Ketchmark has made his way in the modern music world based on work ethic and talent. It’s little wonder that his first effort at a solo album, Under Plastic Stars, turns out to be such a satisfying effort – these songs are long gestating gems further energized by his obvious commitment to the material. Ketchmark’s work definitely falls in the singer/songwriter category, but […]

By Ryan Smith View Source Joshua Ketchmark has finally returned with another series of beautiful and thought-provoking images, in his new soundtrack, ‘Her Voice In My Head’ from the album ”The Misses”. This damn good song plays through a country sounding story of love about his life. But why would you care? Because the story that this soundtrack tells may be a resemblance to yours. The soothing sound and tone, Joshua’s captivating vocal, are nodding towards the gush of emotions […]

By Dave Franklin View Source I remember Joshua Ketchmark’s last single, 17, very well. Firstly because it was the last review I wrote before shutting things down for Christmas. Secondly because it dripped with a real Neil Young vibe. But mainly because it was a cracker of a song, one that understood its place on the singer-songwriter timeline whilst helping to take that style forward into the bright new future. Her Voice in My Head grooves on a more countrified […]

View Source Do you remember those early days of your relationship when your partner couldn’t get enough of you? Almost every night you would spend ours talking over the phone or get busy with texting adding all kinds of emoji’s to show how excited you were and truly felt. As time goes on, things start to get a little bit plain as the spark that once brought the relationship together fades and disappears into oblivion. We believe that people are […]

By Rebecca Cullen View Source Joshua Ketchmark returns this year to paint yet another clear and captivating series of images in the way that only an experienced songwriter can. Her Voice In My Head sets the scene powerfully for its audience, brightening up the essential backbone of acoustic country or folk-rock with an emotionally driven and intimately open display of lyricism, presented at every step by the artist’s notably passionate leading voice – the likes of which offer up a sense of […]

View Source Hi Joshua, welcome to VENTS! How have you been? Hello! VENTS, thank you for having me. I have been great and staying busy. This week there has been a lot of co-writing here in Nashville, which I love. I’ve been finalizing some details for a couple of upcoming shows, and spending time reaching out and thanking all of the radio stations that have been kind enough to play songs from my latest release “Under Plastic Stars!!” Can you […]

By Eric Schuurmans View Source Joshua Ketchmark, de geadopteerde zoon van een conservatieve lerares en een vader die blues liefhebber was, groeide op aan de rand van Peoria, IL. In de kast van zijn moeder vond Joshua een oude akoestische gitaar en het songboek “With The Beatles”. Als enig kind “erfde” hij de gitaar, die doorheen zijn jeugd en wanneer hij op oudere leeftijd van Illinois naar Nashville trok, zijn vaste metgezel werd. In Nashville, waar hij acht jaar verbleef, […]

By Victoria Patterson View Source Sometimes a song is so utterly specific and memory-inducing that it leaves you in awe. Joshua Ketchmark’s track, “17,” from his album, Under Plastic Stars, is one such song. The singer and songwriter is based in LA, with deep ties to Nashville, Tennessee as well. This album came out in the summer and if you’ve yet to listen to it, I would recommend fixing that. “17” is a song about young love and how things […]

View Source Singer and Songwriter Joshua Ketchmark recently released “17” from his album ‘Under Plastic Stars’. “17” is a coming of age song with a relatable message that is fit for audiences of ages. While the song delivers a relaxed vibe, Joshua’s vocals awaken the spirit. While strumming hypnotic chords, the musician croons poetic lyrics that are delivered with the utmost clarity. “17” is an emotive performance that strikes a chord with vivid imagery and relevant story-telling. Joshua brings fans […]

By Rebecca Cullen View Source Joshua Ketchmark presents audiences with a powerful meeting of delicacy and grit. 17 is a notably emotional song, offered up acoustically for the most part, introducing the vocal tone and performance style of the artist, as well as his unique songwriting and story telling, in an immediately accessible and compelling way. Joshua Ketchmark’s story telling on this particular release has you gripped with every verse. There are certain moments that connect on a fairly broad […]

By Joshua Smotherman View Source “I’ve been lucky enough to work with Fuel, Jonny Lang, Melissa Etheridge, and producers like Michael Beinhorn, Rob Cavallo and Julian Raymond. I had a front row seat learning the tricks of the trade, going from inspiration to a reality. In those days, I did a little bit of everything including working rehearsals for KISS, cleaning out Pat Benatar’s garage and driving keyboards to The Four Seasons in Las Vegas for writing sessions with Michael […]

By The Widows Peak Bandit View Source Joshua Ketchmark has finally released his new album titled, ‘Under Plastic Stars’, and on it, he showcased his ability to draw listeners in through some amazing vocals and phenomenal guitar-play. In the album’s lead single, ’17’, Joshua absolutely shines bright, dropping one of the more heartwarming tracks you would hear today. I think one of the deepest topics to discuss in life is the idea of channeling that inner youth we all have […]

By Natalie Perez View Source Yet another individual whose life plays a role in their career especially music-wise. This be the case and point for Joshua Ketchmark. His latest EP “Under Plastic Stars”, showcases a track that truly and really gets you emotionally. That track being titled “17”, with it coming an accompanying video, performance based of Joshua showing his talents best. This track going off into details about what else, a relationship and love, like as many other artists […]

By Peter Vidani View Online Joshua Ketchmark is a singer and songwriter with a truly unique approach to his music. His recent single, 17, is a combination of catchy pop hooks and imitate folk melodies. The track reminds me of the work of artists the likes of Ryan Adams or Damien Rice, with really bare melodies and earnest vibes. 17 is a strong song that holds its own and feels rich and diverse, even in spite of a very sparse […]

By Ricky Smith View Source When words fall short, music is the only aid that can help to comprehend the desires and commune the thoughts of an artist. Joshua Ketchmark is one of those talented musicians who has always used the power of passionate music to convey his ideas and thoughts to his huge audience. With his newly released EP ‘Under Plastic Stars’ Joshua disseminates the versatility of human feelings and emotions in a beautifully covered collection of musical melodies. […]

By Dave Franklin View Source There seems to be a fad in the last few years for people attach such importance to the passing of the great and good of the rock and roll generation that we forget to highlight some of the amazing artists coming through to fill their shoes. I get that the era of the rock star has passed and a music career is built on very different tenets now, but the oft used phrase of “we […]

View Source Sung with heart and soul, Joshua Ketchmark sculpts a highly personal journey with the powerful “17”. Proving to be highly skilled at storytelling, Joshua Ketchmark employs a writerly approach to his carefully woven narrative. The patience utilized over the course of the track further emphasizes its undeniably emotional core. Over the course of the piece Joshua Ketchmark recalls the past with a tinge of yearning, one that comes to define the entire piece. Guitar playing has an intimacy […]