Soaring under the radar, Nashville-based country-rock artist Joshua Ketchmark is back with his fourth single “No Stopping Us,” from his tenth studio album Blood. Ketchmark has a fascinating story; he has headlined Roxy theatre in Los Angeles, worked with Elvis Costello’s producers, cleaned out Pat Benatar’s garage but is still not a household name. Ketchmark calls it a blessing and curse, but it feels like a crime. Ketchmark has the honest songwriting and smooth singing that is at the same level (or could rival) some of today’s country acts.
“No Stopping Us” tells a story of looking back on life and feeling unstoppable no matter what the scenario. Living in a small town, headed down dark roads in your grandmother’s Cadillac. “Setting the world on fire wasn’t good enough” is a lyric from the chorus that shows frustration of how hard you might try, and it might not be good enough for someone. Ketchmark’s lyricism has you hung on every single word, not a single syllable wasted. The guitar and drums shape his words and help paint the picture of the small-town roads driving right along side him.
The track was solely produced and written by Ketchmark and the small town was a real town two and a half hours away from Chicago, IL. Ketchmark himself describes the song as a coming of age and it shows through the bright hopeful chorus and the unstoppable feeling, he is able to provoke through his production. Never say never, Ketchmark might be right outside of glory now, but he is destined to set the world on fire… again.
Reviewed by Katie Power
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