Colorado singer-songwriter to perform Jan. 15 in Kennewick

John Statz played piano as a kid, and he joined the school band and orchestra.

But it wasn’t until he got to college that his true musical calling came into focus.

He picked up a guitar and started writing his own songs. A decade or so later, he’s still at it — with no signs of slowing down.

The accomplished Colorado-based singer-songwriter will stop in Kennewick on Jan. 15 to play at The Roxy Bar and concert venue, 101 W. Kennewick Ave., Suite 201.

He’ll be joined by the Seattle duo Appalachian Yard Art.

Music starts at 9 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m.

Statz said he’s looking forward to the show. He loves performing.

“There’s something really therapeutic to me about playing and singing. Those things go hand-in-hand,” he told the Herald. “I enjoy doing it so much.”

Statz, 31, grew up in Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, double majoring in music and history.

When he first started writing songs, he looked to artists like Ben Harper as influences.

But then a friend took him to see acclaimed Wisconsin-bred indie folk rock troubadours Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault, “and I was blown away,” Stotz recalled.

Foucault, in particular, became something of a mentor. “I started going to see Jeff play a lot. I made a point of introducing myself, and he started remembering who I was,” Statz said.

Foucault produced Statz’s latest album, Tulsa, which was released in 2015.

It was recorded in a cabin in southern Vermont, in the midst of the Polar Vortex. “Living together, being out of cellphone range, and being in this world solely based around recording — we were in the zone,” Statz said. “It was pretty distraction free. About as distraction free as you can get.”

The result is a melodic, evocative piece of work, with standout tracks including the titular Tulsa and Old Pro.

On the latter song, Statz sings of the struggles of a former pro football player. It’s a lovely, melancholy tune.

“They told me there’d be press jobs waiting after. And that I should keep myself in shape,” Statz sings. “My wife told me that she was sick of losing. And having nothing was all hers to take.”

Statz moved to Denver about five years ago.

Music has taken him around the country and the world — from Seattle to Iceland. He’ll play some other Northwest dates in the coming weeks, and he heads back to Europe on tour in the spring.

At the Kennewick show, audience members can expect an intimate set, he said. Statz will take the stage with just his guitar and his songs.

“I’ve really grown to love songwriting,” he said. “At first, it was just a tool, part of the job. Now it’s really become something I love.”

Tickets are $5 for general admission and $17 for a reserved table for four. They’re available in advance through Ticketfly.

For more information on Statz, go to www.johnstatz.com.

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Colorado singer-songwriter to perform Jan. 15 in Kennewick."