Josh Ritter Slows Down to Keep His Creative Spark Alive

In the '00s, singer-songwriter Josh Ritter put out four albums in four years, a pace that matched today's quick-change climate of consumption. But for his new album, 'So Runs the World Away,' Ritter hunkered down to figure out what would end up making the cut. This change of pace was partly borne out of Ritter's fear that he'd eventually become a has-been who performs snippets of songs meshed together in a five-minute hits medley. This future isn't for Ritter.

"If you throw in the towel, at least you don't make a fool of yourself," Ritter tells Spinner. "But the alternative is weirder -- you're like a medley artist that people remember. One of the books I loved so much is [Philip Roth's] 'The Ghost Writer.' It's so much about that idea: is you're work still alive, even if you're not doing it anymore? Is your stuff still out there, winging its way around? If you're still out there singing those songs, if you can't get in that spark, then they're just dead out there. It's awful."

Indeed, Ritter took his time crafting the material that made its way onto 'So Runs the World Away,' his most varied work to date in terms of arrangements. He explores mummy relationships, traditional folk songs and themes of drifting during the soft balladry of 'Changes of Time.'

"It's crazy how much people need," he says. "Certainly, prolific is not necessary a virtue. Take fast food: McDonald's is a prolific burger maker, but that doesn't mean it's good."

Ritter's currently on tour through July, playing theaters and large clubs across the country. And fans shouldn't fret -- all this talk about the future hasn't discouraged him altogether. "I didn't think about throwing it in," he says of giving up music. "But I definitely thought about becoming a zombie writer or zombie performer. That's the worst."