Josh Langston

The Outlaw returns

After a twelve-year hiatus, Josh Langston returns to the Texas charts

By Jason Jones
jjones@palestineherald.com

“Don’t look at the menu. We only eat one thing here. Order the steak sandwich and don’t ask any questions.”

This was a major operation. I was nearing my 24th hour in a van with the Josh Langston Band. The guys had played Tavern on the Gruene the night before, and woke up with everyone saying the same thing: “We going to Steaks To Go?”

Indeed, we did. Steaks To Go was in New Braunfels, near the intersection of Seguin Avenue and Elliott Knox. It was basically a brick-and-mortar food truck with a handful of picnic tables outside. Today it’s a taco house.

I was at the back of the line, trying to get a look at the menu, when Josh eased up and gave me the directions. A few minutes later I was greeted with what can only be described as a Texas version of a Philly Cheesesteak... meaning better. A lot better.

Looking back, it seems that sandwich is somewhat of a metaphor for Josh Langston. Literally one of the best things I’ve ever experienced, and nobody knows what it is or what they’re missing.

When I met Josh for the first time, he was an enigma. A guy in his twenties singing about the sort of painful memories and experiences that somebody would need two lifetimes to understand. But here he was, not just pulling it off, but doing it in a way that made you think “this guy has been here before... like in another life.”

The road trip took place in 2009. By the end of that year Langston had an album making a splash on the Texas music charts. ‘She Knows the Words,’ Langston’s biggest single from ‘Liberty or Death,’ was among the most-played songs on Texas and Americana stations. By 2011, Josh Langston, singer, songwriter and musician, was done.

Langston had moved on from the incredibly difficult world of Texas music; traveling for miles and miles to set up, play a high-energy set, load out, receive enough cash for some gas and Whataburger, then do it all over again. It took its toll and it seemed that an amazingly bright shooting star had burnt out.

“Yeah man, it's a long story so I'll give you the condensed version. I actually called it quits at a time that I was probably doing better professionally than I'd ever done,” Langston said. “Things were happening behind the scenes on a big level and I basically found myself facing the decision of ‘Do I really want to be climbing in the van or on the bus every Tuesday until I'm 70?’ In that moment I decided I did not want to do that. I cut my hair off with some scissors in my bathroom, and one by one called everyone on our team and let them go. I hadn't had a break in 7 years and I didn't see one coming anytime soon. ‘Ain't living long like this’ isn't just a great song...”

It was a dark day. Unfortunately, it is a common story in the music business.

A couple of years ago I started getting random texts from Josh with sound clips. Josh was writing again. The gods were smiling.

I received the “Devil’s Cut.” Nothing about what I received was edited or polished or produced. It was the original, naked, untouched version of his musical creation. By some blessing from above, I was allowed to hear brilliance at its inception. I can’t explain it to you, but I can tell you that it hits you differently than music does from the radio or from a record or tape or CD or whatever else. It hits you in your soul, and few outside the music circle will ever get to experience that. What I also got was confirmation that Josh was now making music purely for the purpose of making music. That’s when an artist becomes dangerous.

And that voice. I’m a writer and I have no words.

There are literally thousands of artists trying to find a sound like Josh Langston’s voice. They are working hard. For Josh, it’s simply who he is. He once told me he was able to cultivate his sound using cigarettes and whiskey. I suppose it’s possible, but it seems more likely to just be a gift from above.

His producer, David Deaton said as much: “It doesn’t sound like anything else because it can’t, and we didn’t want it to... Josh has a natural polyphonic voiceprint and there are ZERO effects on his voice.”

For those sleeping in the back row, “polyphonic voiceprint” means “it sounds like multiple voices.”

Josh Langston has the ability to harmonize. With himself. Without help. I can’t do that. You probably can’t either. It is definitely a phenomenon to behold.

“She Goes Crazy” is Josh Langston’s first single release in a dozen years. His sound has matured, but his songwriting shows the same brilliance it has always shown, and the song is clawing its way up several charts. Three weeks into July it was the number three download on CD Tex.

Josh Langston has returned. But something is different.

“Well the most obvious difference is that I'm 41 years old. I first went on the road full time at 22, so things are a lot different,” Langston said. “The music business has obviously changed drastically, but at the core of it I don't think the basics have changed. You've got to be able to connect with people, and my live show has always been my most successful way of doing that. So I'm probably destined to always be a road guy, regardless of where this thing ends up.”

Josh made a “pop-up” appearance in Palestine recently, very much a homecoming for the College Station native. While Outlaw Country is no longer in its original Palestine Avenue location, its new digs downtown felt familiar and welcoming. Josh did an acoustic set as an opener for another artist and provided a powerful display of what raw, genuine Americana music is supposed to be.

“It's been great. I've definitely eased myself into the deep end,” Langston said. “I do a lot of acoustic shows right now with my best friend Austin English, and my wife Kathy is at the merch booth selling t-shirts as much as possible. It's absolutely helped with getting back into the swing of things, having those familiar faces around so much.”

Perhaps that shooting star can find a spot in the sky to set up camp and just shine for a long time.

Welcome back amigo.

Follow Josh Langston at www.joshlangstonband.com or on Facebook at The Josh Langston. - The Palestine Herald