Article Contributed by Big Hassle Media
Published on 2026-07-01
Seattle’s North Beach Gritty is very pleased to announce that their new eponymous EP will be released on October 9. The new single “Maybe Don’t,” featuring iconic pedal steel player Robert Randolph, can be heard everywhere now.
Featuring Ben Smith of Heart, Bob Pantella of Monster Magnet, GRAMMY-winning pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph, and bassist and producer Geoff Ott, Macklemore, Three Doors Down, North Beach Gritty eloquently showcases the band’s compelling blend of narrative songwriting, classic guitar tone, and cinematic production.
North Beach Gritty builds sweeping, blues-based rock around the songs of writer, singer, and guitarist Josh Braff. The project grew slowly and deliberately, built around the songs of Braff — a well-known novelist looking for a louder medium. His debut novel, The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green, Algonquin Books, found an audience and sent Braff on the road reading to large crowds.
Despite critical success, the realities of the publishing industry pushed Braff toward independence. He began self-publishing work and learning the mechanics of ownership, rights, and creative control. That philosophy — independence, long-term thinking, and owning the work — would in turn define how North Beach Gritty approached music.
After an early New York show, veteran producer/engineer Bruce Buchanan, who began his career working closely with legendary artists and producers at Atlantic Records Studios in New York City, approached Braff and told him that he was not easily moved by every artist emotionally, but that something in his performance had. Their early recording sessions confirmed that the collaboration was working.
To track the EP, Braff recruited a wrecking crew of sonic architects including drummers Ben Smith of Heart and Bob Pantella of Monster Magnet, guitarists Nick Powell and Oz Noy, GRAMMY-winning slide guitarist Robert Randolph, and bassist and producer Geoff Ott. Produced by Buchanan, the EP serves as the follow-up to the band’s debut full-length album and further establishes North Beach Gritty’s blend of narrative songwriting, classic guitar tone, and cinematic production.
