Minnie Pearl once described Randy Travis as “a new vehicle on old wheels,” meaning he was driving country music into the future while staying rooted in its past.

Joshua Michael, born and raised in rural southern Wisconsin, knows a thing or two about that balance — pushing forward while honoring tradition.

Joshua grew up surrounded by country and gospel music — no surprise, considering his parents met at Country Thunder, a well-known outdoor country music festival. His love for music showed early on; at just six years old, he gave his first live performance, singing with his grandfather in church on Christmas Eve. That performance sparked a lifelong journey. Joshua continued singing in church with his grandfather, and as he grew older, his musical path led him from karaoke to open mics, then to live shows, and eventually to forming his own band.

Often described as an “old soul” and “born too late,” Joshua draws from the sounds of his heroes — George Strait, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, and James Bonamy, to name a few. He blends those influences into his own distinctive country sound, featuring a smooth-as-honey baritone wrapped in the rich tones of fiddle and pedal steel guitar.

When asked to define country music, Joshua puts it simply: “It’s songs of life and love and cryin’ and dyin’ and cheatin’ and drinkin’ and mama and trains and havin’ a good time — all the stuff that comes with life.” That’s exactly what you get from Joshua Michael — country music as it’s meant to be: honest, heartfelt, and straight from the soul.