Susto

Susto didn’t begin until lead singer Justin Osborne thought he was walking away from music for good. Burned out after years of self-booking, self-management, and a relentless grind, he had played a farewell show with his then-band and was prepping for a move to Cuba. He set up an online home for Susto as a holding tank for demos he couldn’t quite bear to toss.

When Osborne moved to Havana as part of a study abroad opportunity, he thought he was abandoning music for anthropology. But the Cuban musicians and artists he befriended had other ideas. They were among the first to see that Susto — and the music that would ultimately fuel it — captured him too well to remain an afterthought. Re-energized, he returned to the States half a year later and recorded Susto’s first album. Just after the release of the band’s self-titled debut album, Osborne faced a clear choice to go forward with music. Susto’s acclaimed sophomore album and & I’m Fine Today made it even more clear that music and Osborne were meant to be.