Canadian country singer-songwriter Josh Ross grew up on classic rock and outlaw-country artists like Steve Earle. When he combined his gritty, rock-informed vocal style with hook-heavy modern country production, he made a major impact on the Canadian scene. Born in Waterdown, Ontario, in 1996, Ross was on a pro-football track in college, but injuries led him to focus instead on his other passions: singing and songwriting. He started traveling down to Nashville to hone his songwriting skills in 2018, moving there the following year. His second single, 2022’s “First Taste of Gone,” hit No. 5 on the Canadian Country charts, and he exploded onto the radar of country fans across the nation; 2023’s “Trouble” brought him to U.S. attention.