Josh Ottum is a California-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer whose career spans more than twenty years of recording, touring, and collaboration. Based in San Luis Obispo, CA, Ottum has built a body of work rooted in melody, experimentation, and long-form creative practice.

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Over the years, he has played and recorded with Richard Swift and David Bazan, and most recently was featured on a song alongside members of The Shins, Sufjan Stevens, and Rosie Thomas—an appearance that reflects his long-standing ties to the Pacific Northwest and indie music communities. In the early 2000s, Ottum toured extensively throughout Europe, sharing stages with artists including M. Ward, and has since toured internationally multiple times. His songs have appeared on a range of television programs, introducing his work to audiences beyond the independent music world.

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In addition to releasing music for two decades, Ottum is the author of Sound Foundations, a guide to creative music-making and process. He also maintains an active Substack, “Sounds Like You,” where he writes about songwriting, collaboration, and sustaining an artistic life.

Most recently, Ottum completed an ambitious three-year stretch of recording an album each month for 36 consecutive months—an expansive, ongoing project that documents a sustained commitment to process over product. Whether on stage, in the studio, or on the page, Josh Ottum’s work reflects a career defined not by moments, but by momentum.