Josh Taerk

Josh Taerk (pronounced Terk) is a Billboard Top 40 charting singer/songwriter and official Recording Academy/Grammy member. Josh’s mission is to spread love and light through his music and the stories he tells in his songs. “Music has always been my way of relating to the world around me. I tell stories with the hope that they reach people’s hearts and let them know they’re seen” – Josh Taerk.

Josh’s high-energy live shows are an experience like no other. Lyrically Speaking Magazine wrote, “the audience could feel the passion and enthusiasm Josh puts into his music...you can instantly tell that he has a large and confident presence onstage”.

“One of my favorite things to do is play live! I love being able to connect with people, feel their energy from the stage, and see, first-hand, people bringing my songs into their lives” – Josh Taerk
Over the past 12 years, Josh has toured in North America, performing throughout Ontario Canada, New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, California, and has played College/University shows in Ontario, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Indiana, and Florida. Josh also toured throughout The UK in cities like London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. Some of his more notable performances include: a headline show at the El Mocambo and The Dakota Tavern in Toronto, two headline university tours throughout the U.K., and three key support theatre tours throughout England, Scotland, and Wales. Over the past 12 years, Josh has also opened for and performed onstage with Max Weinberg (Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band), Kevin Costner & Modern West, Jon McLaughlin, Robin Trower, and The Weeks.
Josh is currently working on new music with producer David Kershenbaum (who also produced Duran Duran, Tracy Chapman, Joe Jackson, Bryan Adams, Supertramp, and Cat Stevens). Josh also organized and performed in a 5-day international telethon-style live stream fundraiser for Variety the Children’s Charity where Josh and his fellow artists/musicians raised over $50,000 for the cause in 2022. ShowHeart 2023 lasted 4 days and gained the added support of corporate sponsor Dolby.

Max Weinberg (drummer for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band) has called Josh, “the most exciting new talent I have come across in years.” Josh and Max have worked together since 2010 with Josh opening for and playing onstage with Max at several shows.

At the height of the Pandemic over 3 years ago, Josh and his brothers Ryan and Matt Taerk, started streaming fundraising concerts/simulcast radio broadcasts for organizations including Canadian Red Cross, Food Banks Canada, NHS Charities, Nordoff Robbins, and Feeding America. In June of 2020 Josh also started streaming live music on Twitch. In just over a year on the platform, he became a Twitch Affiliate and has a fiercely loyal and ever growing fanbase of over 5,800 followers, and an average of 200 paid subscribers per month. Josh continues to stream live music on Facebook and Instagram as well, partnering with Get Ready To ROCK! Radio, Essentially Pop Magazine, SCENES Media, Teen Music Insider, and Music.Com.

Josh’s album Beautiful Tragedy, released September 28th 2018, has been streamed over 210,000 times on Spotify and the title track was added onto over 100 radio stations across the UK before entering the Billboard Top 40 Pop Indicator charts at #38. Fireworks Magazine wrote that Josh Taerk, “Continues to make waves on a global scale,” and “continues to beat the standard,” with his music.

After returning from his U.K. tour in January of 2018, Josh released the first single off of his EP Stages, “Learning To Let Go,” to national and regional radio in the U.K. The single was added onto 68 stations across the country.

Taerk’s EP, Stages was released in The US on October 20th 2017 and received airplay on 80 Triple A Radio stations across North America. The second single off the EP, “Anywhere Love Took Us,” has been streamed over 120,000 on Spotify and received rave reviews from media outlets such as No Depression, Paste Magazine and AXS.

In 2017 & 2016 Josh toured North America opening for Kevin Costner & Modern West, Jon McLaughlin, and The Weeks among others.

With the high energy of his live shows, Josh was named one of the “Top 5 Live Acts” of 2015 by acclaimed music writer Jason Richie and Josh’s previous album, Here’s To Change, was chosen as one of the top 25 albums of the year. In 2015, the title track off of Here’s To Change was added onto over 40 radio stations throughout The U.K. John Oates (Hall and Oates) recorded background vocals on 2 songs off of Josh’s Here’s To Change album and said of Josh and his songwriting, “I've enjoyed getting to know Josh & his music over the last few years…I think Here’s To Change is his best work to date.”

Josh has been key support on 3 tours and headlined 2 university tours throughout The U.K. He also performed at Canadian Music Week, he made it to the semi-finals of Indie Week Canada’s Band Competition, and was then invited to play 5 shows at Indie Week Europe in Manchester. Josh was also selected to play 2 shows at the Aspen Songwriters Festival hosted by John Oates.