Josie Langhorst: Diary of a Minnesota Musician, Chapter 2
This is a year-long series following Josie Langhorst, a Minnesota artist new to the Twin Cities, as she shares her experiences entering the scene and making music in a new environment.
September to mid-October 2025: Finding a Rhythm
When Josie drove back up north to Duluth for a weekend of shows in early October, it felt like she was returning to an earlier version of herself. She was met with family, old friends, and plenty of nostalgia. She came with her roommate Amri and immediately did a radio interview at The North 103.3 FM, where they chatted about DuLilith Fest happening that weekend.
Josie and Amri performed a few songs live, including the new song we mentioned in our first chapter last month. Performing a new song for the first time is stressful, Josie says. But she keeps in mind that nobody’s heard it before so if she messes up the words or chords, they wouldn’t know.
The return also brought a new connection. Sharing a lineup with Minneapolis-based songwriter Kieran for Grant Glad’s new listening room series made an impression on Josie. “Her voice was so pretty,” she says. “When we were soundchecking, my first impression was like—oh my gosh, she sounds like Adrianne Lenker.” The two have plans to stay in touch, another thread woven into the growing web of Josie’s Minneapolis music life.
The new song, “Into Our Hands / Compact Kitchen,” also debuted at that small listening room to about twenty people. “It felt like story time. I was playing the chords and mentioned they should listen to what I’m saying and if you feel it, just sing it with me. And everybody in the room started singing with me and it was so cool. It was probably my favorite musical experience that I’ve had so far.”
That moment of shared connection reminded her why she creates. When Josie puts all that emotion into writing a song, there’s a juncture of relief and point of healing because it’s now down on paper. Her fellow musician friend Austin Castle noticed. “He came up to me after the set and said he could feel the emotion in that song. That meant a lot.” For Josie, emotion and honesty are inseparable from the craft of songwriting. It’s how she processes and how she grows.
Now back in Minneapolis, standing next to the Witch’s Hat Tower in Prospect Park, Josie shares the connection to this place. Last year she’d come to the park to play pickleball on the courts, and now living close, loves seeing the tower in the distance. It helps to feel inspired knowing that Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” is purportedly about this spot. The park feels like a little oasis hidden from the city, the traffic muffled by the thick trees around.
Now the spot carries even more meaning: Josie just celebrated the one-year anniversary of dating her girlfriend at Prospect Park. They had a picnic and watercolored together in the shadow of the Witch’s Hat.
Since we last spoke she’s continued to explore the Cities. She went to a show with her friend Lee at The Mess Records, a DIY house venue to see Waking Hours and Eldest Daughter. Josie recognized mutual connections from Waking Hours to her own band Moxen and loved getting to see them perform and meeting the guitarist.
Later that week, she and her roommates went to 7th Street Entry, the very stage she dreams about playing, to see The Back Alley, a band with a connection to The Runarounds featured on Amazon Prime. “It was weird,” she laughs. “We had just watched this show about a band, and saw The Back Alley’s merch on TV, then we were at that show. Everything connected in this surreal way.”
Settling, Searching, Showing Up
When she knew she was relocating to the Twin Cities, Josie listened to podcasts on how to prepare for a move. They all said the first step was to make a routine. She jokes that setting a routine has been the last thing on her list; she seems to be working in reverse.
But there is a rhythm forming in her Minneapolis life, even if it’s still uneven. She’s job hunting and creating a semblance of a daily routine, while also showing up for her art and for herself. “I’ve been trying to find community,” she says. “I was going to go to this event by Sappho’s Social Club, a lesbian, gay community space, but traffic was horrible and I missed it. I was so mad! But the pictures looked so fun. I had total FOMO.”
So she keeps searching. She follows local artists, checks bulletin boards, even scans flyers on telephone poles. Each new name, each venue, is a breadcrumb toward belonging. “I’ve been trying to find people who are unapologetically themselves. That’s the kind of energy I want around me.”
Josie’s creative world remains tightly intertwined with her roommates. Her room continues to be a vestibule of inspiration—she’s still captivated by the skyline and busyness below—and she recently rearranged the space to feel more open and less cluttered. It led to late night recordings and songwriting with her best friend.
Her focus lately has been finishing her album, or rather, tackling the last few things that keep her from releasing it. “All the songs are done, mixing’s done. I just need to do the artwork and stop procrastinating.”
Looking Ahead
Landing gigs in the Twin Cities is trickier than you think. Josie and Amri went to Seward Cafe, which reminded her of Wussows in Duluth, and saw the stage in the corner. After grabbing a drink she propped open her laptop and went online to figure out how to play there. She asked her friend Lee and musician Sophie Hiroko about doing a folky fem night of music, but their schedules haven’t lined up just yet to move forward.
As fall settles in, her next goal is clear. “I think my biggest thing is just don’t be afraid to reach out and book shit and make those connections.” It sounds simple, but the navigation through websites, forms, and followup emails makes for a tangled web of efforts.
From rearranged rooms to radio shows, missed events to magical performances, she’s slowly transforming uncertainty into artistry. The search for belonging has become its own kind of melody, one that hums through every moment of discovery.
“I think I’m still figuring it out,” she says. “But every time I find something new like a venue, a band, or a song, it feels a little more like home.”
Stay tuned for chapter 3 in November!
About the Author & Photographer
Tom Smouse. Photo Credit: Chris Taylor.
Tom Smouse is an innovative collaborator with 20 years of experience in the Minnesota music industry. As a professional photographer, podcaster, and music journalist, sharing stories from the community remains his core passion. When not at a show you can find him at a record store.
