Joel is gonna use third person here, because he thinks it will make better sense for the readership.  Behind the curtain is man pulling levers, and that man is me–quiet, dog!

Joel has released three albums to date.  Oh damn–sounds weird.  I just can’t do it.  Reverting to first person.

I released three albums in 2012.  My wife said it was crazy.  My friends didn’t think I was serious, and the radio station never got back to me.

Fortunately, a young dynamo of a man named Ezekiel Osbourne, a co-worker of mine at the world’s largest abattoir, was entirely up for the challenge.

Zeke had everything I needed to make it happen–equipment, time, and enthusiasm.

Folk against the machine II Coming Light

Between March and May of 2012 we recorded 50 tracks which went on to become the “Folk against the machine” trilogy.  Only 43 made the final cut–and listeners might well argue that the entire project could have been condensed into just one 12-track album All-Killer/No-Filler style, but above all I have attempted an honest approach to song-writing and presentation.

The end result is three under-produced, raw, and sometimes a little naked, folk music albums.

They were each released on iTunes and Amazon, with a limited print run of 1000 copies each, to be distributed by me on my random adventures.

“Folk against the machine” was a fair presentation of my songwriting, with tracks selected from across the 15 years of my tangle with the guitar. Photos by Mark ‘Myo’ Myerson really brought the project to life, and Zeke worked overtime to get the whole thing wrapped up in a couple of weeks. It was like the first drink on a hot day, though–hardly touched the sides.  I was just thirsty for more–to do better, so two weeks after it was done I was back in the studio working on no. 2.

“Folk against the machine II Coming Light” was quite honestly the best that I can do just now.  Zeke and I took our time recording it over a few days, and I got old school friends Nev Newbigging and Bren Bufi to help me out with the EQ/mix and images, respectively.  I was happy with that–but it wasn’t quite ‘gospel’ enough to satisfy my inner evangelist.

On a random Sunday, one day before Zeke was due to jump on a plane and leave our

Folk against the machine III Gospel Redemption (live)

beloved Ipswich on a quest to find fortune in Sydney, I collapsed onto the floor of his studio, clutching a guitar, and just poured out my soul.  I was a broken and tired man that day–my wife had thoroughly had enough of me running off to make music or any other random distraction from the proper duties of a husband and father, and I wasn’t even sure that I would be welcome at home, but I had a few instruments and a couple of hours to spare, and what we got was a rugged and brutally honest account of the gospel according to Joel.  “Folk against the machine III Gospel Redemption (live)” is as true as my story gets. I’m scared of this album–I really am.  It is un-produced, one take, missed-chords and all.  I hope it doesn’t get me thrown out of any pubs or churches.  It is as honest as music can be.

Click on the images to follow links through to iTunes, or download free music at Reverbnation.