Published May 6th 2016
There’s no doubt, when you hear Joe Marson’s voice, that he may remind you a little bit of James Morrison within the alternative folk-rock genre. He is less grainy, vocally, and the influence of blues in Joe’s music is a little more detectable, but it is the best comparison I can give you, in case you need some type of reference.
The Social Media Connection
Joe Marson
Joe commented on my Instagram post about sound-alike Paolo Nutini, who’s song, “New Shoes”, I’d featured in my New Year’s playlist in January. He said he was a fan, of Paolo Nutini, not me – but I won’t hold that against him. He had caught on to the potential joint interest in soulful music, and suggested I’d check out his stuff.
Months passed before I did though. As a music blogger, you’ll always hit on a dry spell and run out of popular topics to write about. This is where you start looking the great unknowns. Not often do posts like that lead to surprisingly good music, like Joe Marson has to offer.
Soul, Folk, Rock, R&B and Everything In Between
The US singer and songwriter is now residing in Brooklyn, New York. It’s a great urban melting pot of various cultures and, with Manhattan nearby, an ongoing energy that always buzzes. Enough to inspire many musicians, but Joe took his time before discovering it for himself.
In his music, you can hear he has spent some time traveling the States and has not been afraid to expose himself to various music genres along the way.
His voice is a mix of soul and rock, which is maintained throughout his music too, but musically there’s also a hint of neo-soul and R&B, both contemporary and classic rhythm and blues. And he sure loves his acoustics.
Ballad Man
Once you get to know his repertoire you can’t help but notice that he’s a real ballad man. I can’t really find any real up-tempo songs in there.
Each ballad has that classic soul spirit seeping through, even when it’s an acoustic version. His mission is to make every song powerful and evoke an emotional reaction.
YouTube Covers
Just like many other artists, Joe also uses YouTube to share his music and love for the great songs that have had recent chart success. So, in the middle of sharing his performances, music videos and acoustic sessions, he also shares surprising covers like Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody” and Ellie Goulding’s “Figure 8”.
Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody” almost gets a surprising reggae vibe in his version:
Joe Tells Life Stories
Joe’s invested a lot in his songwriting abilities. He took the time out to learn the trait and perform as much as possible to find out what works. In his search, he has found that it works best to stay as close to himself as possible. So, there’s always a little piece, or a lot, of his own life in each song. With this type of music already calling out for authentic lyrics, it’s clear he has mastered this perfectly and made it his own.
On The Road
Joe is actually hitting the road starting tomorow:
Saturday May 7th – Monterey Court, Tucson, AZ
Sunday May 8th – McDowell House Show, Cruces, NM
Thursday May 12th – Daily Grind Cafe, Pueblo, CO
Saturday May 14th – Cal State East Bay College, San Francisco, CA
Sunday May 15th – Milk Bar, San Francisco, CA
Tuesday May 17th – Johnny B’s, Medford, OR
Thursday May 19th – Lost Church showcase, San Francisco, CA
Saturday May 21st – Shady Lady, Saratoga, CA
Friday, May 27th – Lestats, San Diego, CA
Sunday, May 29th – Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles, CA
If you want to know more or get your tickets, you can check out his official website
