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The Roundtable

Speaking music fluently with producer and multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaufman

By Sarah LaDuke

Published April 10, 2026 at 11:27 AM EDT

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Josh Kaufman

Josh Kaufman is a Grammy Award-winning Hudson Valley based record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.

Sarah LaDuke and Josh Kaufman

He’s in Bonny Light Horseman with Eric D. Johnson and Anaïs Mitchell; tours often and
records with Josh Ritter as a member of The Royal City Band; plays with and produces albums for Fruit Bats, Cassandra Jenkins, and Craig Finn and The Hold Steady. He co-produced Bob Weir’s final solo album ‘Blue Mountain.’

Among many others in folk, rock, and roots music – Kaufman has collaborated with the Dessner brothers, Aaron and Bryce, of The National. That relationship led to Josh playing a little guitar, harmonic, and lap steel for Taylor Swift recordings like ‘Betty.’

Josh Kaufman produced I’m With Her’s 2025 album ‘Wide and Clear and Blue’ which won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.’ The track ‘Ancient Light’ won Best American Roots Song.

Josh Kaufman joined us to talk about his life – and his life in music.

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The Roundtable music music producer josh kaufman folk music

Sarah LaDuke

Sarah has worked in radio since she graduated from college in 2006. In her work with WAMC, she often interviews regional and global artists in all fields including music, theatre, film, television, and visual arts. During the main thrust of the Covid-19 pandemic shut-down, Sarah hosted a live Instagram interview program "A Face for Radio Video Series." On it, Sarah spoke with artists about the creative activities they were accomplishing and/or missing. She is on the board of WAM Theatre and lives in Albany, New York with her husband, Paul, and their dog, Doritos.

See stories by Sarah LaDuke

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