Josh Joplin (born Joshua David Blum on January 1, 1972) is an American singer, songwriter, as well as music and film producer. He has founded the bands Josh Joplin Group and Among The Oak & Ash. His song " Camera One" was the first independent release to hit #1 at Triple A radio. His song "Blue Skies Again" was recorded by

Jessica Lea Mayfield Jessica Lea Mayfield (born August 27, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter from Kent, Ohio, United States. She is known for her ominous song writing, with a plaintive minimalist style that draws on both country and rock music. Early years M ...

for her Nonesuch debut '' Tell Me''. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' praised it as, "simple, the infectious chorus makes it a standout...it's also a sunny, reassuring song." Joplin has toured extensively in North America, Europe, and Australia, and has recorded several albums with different bands.

Life and career

Born in Washington, DC, Joplin grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His family relocated to

Columbia, Maryland Columbia is a census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland. It is one of the principal communities of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. It is a planned community consisting of 10 self-contained villages. Columbia began with ...

, when he was thirteen. Josh attended

Sandy Spring Friends School Sandy Spring Friends School (SSFS) is a progressive, coeducational, college preparatory Quaker school serving students from preschool (age 3) through 12th grade. SSFS offers an optional 5- and 7- day boarding program in the Middle School and Uppe ...

and learned from his headmaster in the seventh grade how to play guitar. He quit the school's Community House program in the ninth grade and finished the year at Hammond High School. He briefly returned before dropping out of high school altogether. At the age of sixteen, Joplin successfully passed the

GED The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four subject tests which, when passed, provide certification that the test taker has United States or Canadian high school-level academic skills. It is an alternative to the US high ...

and earned his Maryland high school diploma. Inspired by

William Least Heat-Moon William Least Heat-Moon (born William Lewis Trogdon August 27, 1939) is an American travel writer and historian of English, Irish, and Osage ancestry. He is the author of several books which chronicle unusual journeys through the United States ...

's travelogue ''

Blue Highways ''Blue Highways'' is an autobiographical travel book, published in 1982, by William Least Heat-Moon, born William Trogdon. Summary In 1978, after separating from his wife and losing his job as a teacher, Heat-Moon, 38 at the time, took an extende ...

'' and

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

's '' Bound for Glory'', Joplin picked up his guitar and left home in a 1976 Volkswagen camper van and spent two years on and off the road, before settling in Denver, Colorado. His first professional job in music was as the runner for folk/blues legend

Dave Van Ronk David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk (June 30, 1936 – February 10, 2002) was an American folk singer. An important figure in the American folk music revival and New York City's Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s, he was nicknamed the "Mayor of Ma ...

's concert at

Swallow Hill Music Association Swallow Hill Music is a Denver, Colorado based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving roots, acoustic and folk music. The school is inspired by the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Swallow Hill hosts hundreds of con ...

. They hired him later the same year to open for

Bill Staines William Russell Staines (February 6, 1947 – December 5, 2021) was an American folk musician and singer-songwriter from New Hampshire who wrote and performed songs with a wide array of subjects. Called "the Woody Guthrie of my generation" by s ...

. Joplin's interest in folk music began in earnest after hearing

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's '' The Times They Are a-Changin''', and Phil Ochs' ''

Gunfight at Carnegie Hall ''Gunfight At Carnegie Hall'' is the final album by Phil Ochs released during his lifetime, comprising songs recorded at the infamous, gold-suited, bomb-threat shortened first show at Carnegie Hall in New York City on March 27, 1970, though it cont ...

''. He recorded an Ochs cover, "I Ain't a Marchin' Anymore", on his first record, ''Facts of Fortune for Sleepless Nights Records'', a DC record label, founded by Mr. Issa (Diao) of Good Clean Fun. Joplin released his first album in 1989, titled ''A Present for Hitler''.

Geoffrey Himes Geoffrey Himes is an American music critic who has written weekly for ''the Washington Post'' since 1977. He also wrote for '' No Depression'' as a contributing editor in its first print era in the late 1990s to the early 2000s and has written for ...

gave Joplin his very first notice, in the Columbia Flier, in 1990.

Atlanta

Having stayed a short time in New York City, Joplin heard

Kevn Kinney Kevin Kinney, known professionally as Kevn Kinney (born March 12, 1961),"The Baseball Project at Wux ...

WFUV WFUV (90.7 FM) is a non–commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York. The station is owned by Fordham University, with studios on its Bronx campus and its antenna atop nearby Montefiore Medical Center. WFUV first went on the air i ...

and bought his record, '' MacDougal Blues''. This convinced him to relocate to Atlanta. He played mostly solo shows for tips at Sylvia's Atomic Cafe, a

Candler Park Candler Park is a 55-acre (223,000 m2) city park located at 585 Candler Park Drive NE, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is named after Coca-Cola magnate Asa Griggs Candler, who donated this land to the city in 1922. The park features a nin ...

neighborhood landmark. It was here that Josh met fellow songwriter

Kelly Hogan Kelly Hogan (born January 11, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, often known for her work as a member of Neko Case's backing band, as well as for her solo work. Early and personal life Hogan was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the daughter of ...

, who worked there as a cook and played in The Jody Grind. He also met

Shawn Mullins Shawn Mullins (born March 8, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter who specializes in folk rock, instrumental rock, adult alternative, and Americana music. His 1998 single "Lullaby", hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and was nominated for a Gr ...

at the cafe. Upon seeing Five-Eight opening for The Jody Grind, Joplin began to look for a band of his own. He recorded his third and last album for Sleepless Nights, ''I Love Janey, But Janey Loves The Grateful Dead''. It was produced by Ed Burdell (

Magnapop Magnapop is an American rock band based in Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1989, the band has consistently included songwriting duo Linda Hopper as vocalist and Ruthie Morris on guitar. Magnapop first achieved recognition in the Benelux countries of ...

). Members of The Mirthmakers and Joybang backed Joplin on the recording. For a while, he played music with Ani Cordero on drums and a friend on bass, but he finally emerged with his own lineup. In 1995, Geoff Melkonian (bass, viola) and Jason Buecker (drums) founded the Josh Joplin Band. They released the albums ''Projector Head'' and ''Boxing Nostalgic'' as a trio, later adding Allen Broyles on piano and organ. Shawn Mullins signed the quartet to his own SMG Label. He produced the original version of '' Useful Music'', Joplin's sixth studio album. Shortly after its release, Jason Buecker was replaced on drums by Ani Cordero, then Eric Taylor. Deeds Davis was added on lead guitar and the band made a slight name change: Josh Joplin Group.

Artemis Records Artemis Records was a New York-based independent record label, founded in July 1999 by Danny Goldberg with Daniel Glass as President, and closed in April 2006. The label was acquired by E1 Entertainment. Artemis had a leading share of the U.S. ...

re-released ''Useful Music'' in 2001 and scored the band's first and only number one hit at Triple A radio with "Camera One", which was produced by

Jerry Harrison Jeremiah Griffin Harrison (born February 21, 1949) is an American songwriter, musician, producer, and entrepreneur. He began his professional music career as a member of the cult band the Modern Lovers before becoming keyboardist and guitarist ...

The Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks w ...

and

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

. The band made their television debut that year, appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman, followed by

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

. "Camera One" was also featured in the TV shows Scrubs,

Dawsons Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. T ...

Party of Five ''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by ...

, Roswell, among others.

New York City

Joplin moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1998. He continued to tour and play with Josh Joplin Group as well as doing solo shows. The band followed the success of ''Useful Music'' with the album '' The Future That Was'', produced by Rob Gal (

The Rock-A-Teens The Rock-A-Teens were a short-lived United States rockabilly group from Richmond, Virginia, active in the late 1950s, led by Vic Mizelle. The Rock-a-Teens were one-hit wonders whose lone hit record was " Woo Hoo", written by George Donald McGr ...

). It was recorded at

Adam Schlesinger Adam Lyons Schlesinger (October 31, 1967 – April 1, 2020) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He was a founding member of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, and was a key songwriting contri ...

and

James Iha (born March 26, 1968) is an American rock musician. He is best known as a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. He was a member until the initial breakup in 2000. Among his musical projects of recent years ...

's studio, Stratosphere Sound. Though it received much more critical acclaim, it had very little commercial success. Josh Joplin Group disbanded in December 2003. In 2004, Joplin was still living in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, across the street from his then-neighbor,

Dan Zanes Daniel Edgerly Zanes (born November 8, 1961) is an American former member of the popular 1980s band the Del Fuegos and is now the front man of the Grammy-winning group Dan Zanes and Friends. History Zanes's father was a teacher, as well as a p ...

(

The Del Fuegos The Del Fuegos were an American 1980s garage-style rock band. Formed in 1980, the Boston, Massachusetts, United States-based band gained success in 1986 with their songs "Don't Run Wild" and "I Still Want You" and appearing in a widely seen te ...

). Dan hosted impromptu stoop concerts for the children (and adults) on the block. Joplin stated being deeply inspired by these intimate events. When he recorded the album ''

Jaywalker Jaywalking is the act of pedestrians walking in or crossing a roadway that has traffic, other than at a designated crossing point, or otherwise, in disregard of traffic rules. The term originated in the United States as a derivation of the phras ...

'', he sought ways to mimic the joy he witnessed with Zanes by recording the album with the friends and people he'd grown up with, including the headmaster who had taught him guitar. ''Jaywalker'' was released on August 23, 2005, on

Eleven Thirty Records Eleven Thirty Records is an indie label based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and owned by RedEye Distribution. Co-founded in 2004 by A&R Director Stephen Judge and Redeye and Yep Roc Records co-owner Glenn Dicker, the label has released album ...

. In 2013, Joplin independently released the five-song EP ''Earth and Other Things'' on 9th Grade Records. It remains his last musical effort under the name Josh Joplin. It was recorded at Mercy Sound Studio on the Lower East Side of New York City by producer/engineer/guitarist Matt Chiaravalle. Matt and Josh had also worked together on ''Useful Music''. On April 23, 2022, the Josh Joplin Group performed a twentieth-anniversary reunion show in Atlanta, Georgia.

Among The Oak & Ash

In 2008, Joplin formed a new band called Among The Oak & Ash with Garrison Starr, Bryan Owings, and Brian Harrison. They released their self-titled debut album in 2009 on

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simon ...

. It was named Album of the Year by

WNYC WNYC is the trademark and a set of call letters shared by WNYC (AM) and WNYC-FM, a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations located in New York City. WNYC is owned by New York Public Radio (NYPR), a nonprofit organization that ...

's John Schaeffer on his program

Soundcheck A sound check is the preparation that takes place before a concert, speech, or similar performance to adjust the sound on the venue's sound reinforcement or public address system. The performer and the audio engineers run through a small p ...

. They followed it with ''Devil Ship'' in 2011. This album featured performances by

Lucy Wainwright Roche Lucy Wainwright Roche (born December 16, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter. Preceded by two EPs, ''8 Songs'' and ''8 More'', Roche released her debut album, ''Lucy'' in October 2010. In 2013, she starred as Jeri in the ''Stuff You Should Kno ...

, Paleface, and Rachael Hester. In 2014, they recorded a third album, ''A Skeptics Gospel'', which was never released. Harrison, who had co-produced all three records, died at his Nashville studio on February 18, 2014.

NarrowMoat

In 2015, Blum, who by now had shed his musical pseudonym, founded the production company NarrowMoat. He has produced two independent films, ''About Colonia'' and ''The Murphys''. ''About Colonia'', directed by Eduardo Shlomo Velázquez, was screened and lauded with awards in the short film and Spanish-language categories at several international film festivals.

Discography

* '' A Present for Hitler'' (1989) Josh Joplin * '' Facts of Fortune'' (1990) Josh Joplin * '' I Love Janey, But Janey Loves the Grateful Dead'' (1992) Josh Joplin * '' Projector Head'' (1995) Josh Joplin Band * '' Boxing Nostalgic'' (1997) Josh Joplin Band * '' Useful Music'' (1998) (re-issued in 2001) Josh Joplin Band * '' The Future That Was'' (2002) Josh Joplin Group * '' The Early Years: Volume One'' (Compilation - 2004) Josh Joplin * ''

'' (2005) Josh Joplin * '' Among the Oak & Ash'' (2009) Among the Oak & Ash * '' Devil Ship'' (2011) Among the Oak & Ash * '' Earth and Other Things'' (EP – 2013) Josh Joplin

References

External links

Jaywalker review
dailyvault.com, August 23, 2005.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joplin, Josh American male singers American rock singers Living people People from Columbia, Maryland People from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Singers from Pennsylvania Singers from Maryland 1972 births