John Osinga

About

I write lyrics the way a carpenter builds furniture — with the grain, not against it. Fewer lines, more work done. I am a literary lyricist, poet, and storyteller with 45 years of craft, writing across Folk, singer-songwriter, sacred folk, Gospel, Gothic Americana, narrative lyric, Americana, and dark comedy. I write through character and perspective, not autobiography, and empathy is my primary instrument. I like to build lyrics with polysemy — words holding more than one meaning at once — so there is something new to find on a second listen. At heart, I am translating myth and history into personal, contemporary feeling. My reference points: Joni Mitchell, John Prine, Sara Bareilles, Nick Drake, Hozier, Richard Marx, Brandi Carlile, Leonard Cohen — proof that imagery, craft, and honesty belong in the same line. I welcome a composer's expertise in merging words with music. My supports: heart, mind, time, coffee, computer, and a great wife. John Osinga — St. Thomas, Ont.