Joshua James is the most well-known of the Northplatte artists. Though the 25-year-old from Lincoln, Neb., didn't even own a guitar until he bought one in college, he taught himself to play that and other instruments and has since released one full-length album and three extended play CDs (EPs).
Although he named Modest Mouse as his greatest musical influence, he is perhaps the most like a traditional folk artist.
His songs, which can almost sound like lullabies, are often unabashedly political. He has been featured on National Public Radio and toured with David Gray, John Mayer and The Swell Season.
The simple, near-ascetic part of touring is one of the things James loves most about what he does.
"I love being out on the road just because I like to be unattached from anything," he said. "When we tour, we sleep in sleeping bags at rest areas — we pull off and just sleep. Everything I have on the road is a suitcase with a couple pairs of clothes and then you're off for a few months, and there's something romantic about that idea."
His favorite part of his career, though, is creating music that will provoke emotional connections.
"I just like to be able to connect with people, I suppose, in ways that normal conversation doesn't allow you to connect in," James said. "When people can relate to each other, I think that is the greatest form of humanity, I guess."
— Emiley Morgan