At only 23, Edmonton singer/songwriter Joe Nolan opens up to release a sound filled with a raw, mature energy revealing songs encased in mystery and exposing growing audiences to his roots sounds.
The solo songman will be touting his sophomore 2014 release, Tornado, to Legacy Guitar and Coffee House April 12.
Tornado was released on Jan. 28 by Toronto label, Six Shooter Records.
Produced by Grammy-winning producer and Canadian blues/roots musician, Colin Linden (Blackie and the Rodeo Kings), Nolan said the reception has been excellent since the album debut.
“It’s been getting a really nice response — CKUA and a lot of the campus radio stations have been spinning it, which I’m really grateful for.”
Recorded at The Rendering Plant studio in Nashville, Tenn., the album was recorded with music biz heavyweights, such as Marco Giovino and John Whynot; the studio’s resident engineer and producer Brian ‘Brain’ Harrison made news in February with his untimely passing at the age of 54.
The album follows his 2011 debut, Goodbye Cinderella, which earned Nolan a nomination for ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
It wasn’t long ago that the young songwriter was sweltering under bright lights at open mics.
Following his acquisition of a driver’s license in his teen years, it didn’t take long for Nolan to pack up his bright blue Art & Lutherie acoustic, carting it off to Edmonton stages.
Tackling the road and serving his sound at some 170 shows between mid-2012 and 2013, Nolan has toured Scandinavia twice, Nashville and both ends of Canada — including extensive time spent in Toronto.
Nolan said while Edmonton remains his home base, he is unlikely to stay in any one place for too long.
Confident in his guitar abilities, less on his identity as a ‘singer’, Nolan zeros in on his songwriting.
“They’re all important pieces of the puzzles,” he said, with reference to the components of his musicianship. “I think lyrics, the words in my songs are what I focus on — and my performance.”
Nolan continues to stir up a reputation as a ‘man of mystery’ with his songwriting — keeping his musical goals close to his heart, so he doesn’t jinx them through revelation.
“They’re all pretty autobiographical songs but I keep them open enough so they could be about anything,” he explained.
Picking one track over another as a favourite is something of a rotating chair for most songwriters. Nolan said at the present time track two on the album, “Autumn Sky” stands out for him.
“Russell Broom plays the intro on guitar and the way it starts out is so moody, slow and steady and then it drops into the song,” he said, adding that he wrote the ‘love song about a girl he cares about’ when returning home from a Scandinavian tour.
Nolan, who is already thinking about his next album, said he’s uncertain of whether the next release will be more of a rock feel or centre on a slow, acoustic vibe. He’s fairly confident he’ll figure it out in time.
Tickets to the show are available at legacyguitarhouse.com.
Learn more about the artist at joenolanmusic.com.
