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<\/a>Joel says that it was time for his dad to get his name on an album. He even says that in some ways it may be serving as an introduction to his dad recording an album of his own.<\/p>\n
Solidarity<\/i> features strong influences from both musicians\u2019 pasts, including the folkier songs Joel remembers his dad loving and the music that he himself played with his friends in his youth.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy desire to play music came from wanting to play socially with my friends. My friend Rob got a guitar and I was like, \u2018Dad, teach me some guitar so I can play music with these guys,\u2019\u201d says Joel. \u201cGrowing up, the music around the house was always social music. My dad was always playing with people.\u201d<\/p>\n
His parents\u2019 love of music was a great influence on Joel and led him into the world of the professional songster. Joel formed his first band, Thrush Hermit, with friends at the age of 17.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was lucky because my folks were both really supportive of me playing music with Thrush Hermit,\u201d he says. \u201cI lived at home in the early days of that band. I\u2019d go on tour and be gone a lot, but I still had the bedroom at home, and they were never like, \u2018You gotta go get a real job.\u2019 As a result, my dad and I get along really well, because I think me going out and living the musical dream was him living vicariously through me; now, it\u2019s nice that he can be a part of the touring circuit.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea of the parent and child making music together was a big influence on their album, which is largely about coming together to help each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour own personal narrative feeds your worldview, your political view, with the idea of solidarity being this broad stroke of what brings people together,\u201d says Joel. \u201cIn the case of the album, it\u2019s me and Dad making music together. The idea of getting together and doing something positive, and something with family, feels really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s clear that Joel has a lot more projects in his future: maybe more with his father, and perhaps even one day with his son.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy son is nine years old and he digs music; he dances around to it and sings Solidarity<\/i>,\u201d says Joel. \u201cHe likes being onstage; to dance to music is very much in his veins, and to rock out. Picking up an instrument hasn\u2019t come up yet, but it didn\u2019t for me until I was 13. I\u2019m not gonna push him towards it, but if he wanted to play music it would be a blast. If he suddenly wanted to learn guitar, I could show him some things; we\u2019ll wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n