Joe Driscoll is causing quite a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic with his unique sound, brilliant lyrics and stonking live sets. Mixing together threads of hip-hop, reggae, soul, folk and roots rock, Joe is doing his own thing and doing it with style. The worthy recipient of the Indy Award for ‘Best Solo Act Of The Year’ Joe’s star is set to rise even higher with appearances at Glastonbury and The Secret Garden Party in the coming months.
We were lucky enough to meet Joe at a small set he performed in London a few months back and not only do we think he’s one of the best new talents around he’s also a incredibly charming, nice guy to boot!
UK Music Jobs intrepid Lee Jarvis sat down with Joe to ask him how things are going and what he thinks of the music industry at the moment.
When did you first get into music / singing / playing guitar?
That’s kind of what inspired Origin Myths, my last album. When I was ridiculously young, like 5 or something I was listening to John Lennon singing and told my mom thats what I was gonna do when I grew up. Been singing as far back as my memory goes, musical theater by age 8 or 9, playing guitar by 10 or so. The guitar was way bigger than me when i started.
You grew up on the east coast of the US, right? What music did you listen to growing up? Who were your early influences?
Beatles and an old Bob Marley tape I found. My brother turned me on to hip-hop, mainly De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest. 3 feet high and People’s Instinctive Paths were unbelievably influential in early years. Wu-Tang and Rage Against the Machine held it down for a long time. Ani Difranco and the Beastie Boys are ever present.
Where are you based at the moment? – it seems like you are permanantly on tour!
Yeah, in my song Nomad I say I live in my heart my head and 10,000 houses. Yeah, always on tour, but lately been slowing it up a bit. Brixton is where I find my rest now.
When i saw you live in London, i think i described your sound as a very relaxed kind of sound, the kind of sound you expect from the west coast, or even a hawaiian sort of vibe. But then certain songs obviously have an east coast hip hop flavour and reggae sounds, all the time with the kind of story telling associated with American folk songs. Fair to say that you are a mixed bag?! Do you think this has a lot to do with your broad success in so many countries with so many different kinds of fans?
Yes, definetly. Thats what has always turned me on most about music, is the bridges it gaps. I’ve played purist folk shows, and purist hip-hop shows and gotten amazing reactions from both. I grew loving music that could do that; make everybody groove regardless of classification. I live for music that transcends, so I love when thats what turns people on about my stuff.
And you were the headlining Live act at the Malawi Lake of Stars Festival in ‘07, that must have been one helluva gig. Did that further influence your music making / lyric writing?
Yes, spending time in Africa is one of those experiences that goes beyond words. It was incredibly mind expanding, and I just want to figure out how to spend more time there. The rhythm is completely different over there, and I absorbed so much. I want to go back!
Your live show is very unique too, how did you create / develop it? It’s almost like a jam session, with yourself as several band members, would you say that’s accurate or do you have a description you like to use? Would you say that songs sound different each time you perform them – do you add new elements while you’re jamming away?
Yes, thats pretty accurate. Being that all the loops are chopped live, there are always slight (or sometimes major) differences. I like that alot. To quote The Chairman Of The Board : “I never play the same song twice.”
What about the equipment you use live, the loop sampler / trigger pedals – were you looking for some sort of technology to help you since you perform on your own, or are you a technology geek?
Wow! So funny, I’m about the furthest thing from a technology geek! I wish I was one! I had never owned a computer before, and hardly ever played electric guitar when I found it. No, a producer I was working with was making loops of my beatbox in his computer and we started to discuss live possibilities. We went to the guitar shop, I pulled out the pedal, and chopped up a pretty good Wu-Tang Clan Aint Nothing to F*$@ With right there. I had them wrap it up and spent the next 3 months composing in my room.
Even though you are a “modern one-man band”, is there anyone you’d like to work / record / perform with?
Loads. I am actually currently collaborating with a crew called the One Taste Collective- http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=ZGvA5hAXd0Y. I love the solo show, but expect to see alot more cross pollenation from me in the coming year!
You’ve won an Indy Music Award, and sold out shows both sides of the atlantic, yet people can still catch you at an intimate bar gig too. This is obviously your passion and you love performing? Could you see yourself doing anything else / if you weren’t a musician what would you be doing?
No doubt I’d be teaching. I used to volunteer doing after school music shops. I love inspiring the youth, and passing along culture. I will definetly end up in some form of teaching later in my life when touring and recording schedules slow up a bit.
Tell us about your previous albums.
Well, as the solo loop artist I released Little Beat BIg and Life As A Monkey, which were both live albums. I’m still proud of Life As A Monkey, but there is only so much you can do live. Origin Myths was my first studio thing, and that was a huge step for me. After that I put out a project called Local Principles, which was more straightforward hip-hop with old samples and drum loops. I never used to get inspired in the studio, cause I was so used to the live rush and energy. Nowadays, it is my passion and I’m just loving the craft of making quality albums.
Do you think that the whole advent of music downloads and myspace is good for music and musicians? Do you see this growing even more in the near future?
Yes and no, it’s evolution and devolution simultaneously; like most human progress. Every artist on myspace will tell you how much it has helped them, from getting fan mail from holland and fiji, to getting gigs in france, it is great. People can type your name in, and in seconds hear what you do and make direct contact. However, it has flooded the waves of communication with people that don’t really have talent or anything to say. It has kind of muddled the laws of supply and demand, in both the spiritual and fiscal sense. I’m glad thousands of people get my music for free, but I also wish I had ten pounds for everyone of those downloads as well so artists could recieve the kind of pay they deserve. I love the internet as much as I hate. It’s just the new battleground of life, so whether it’s good or bad is what we make it. And yes, it will be even more so in the future.
What about your plans for the near future? More touring? Back in the studio?
Studio studio. I love performing, but it’s two different head spaces. I’ll be doing the festival circuit this summer, but in a more relaxed vibe than hardcore touring. Hardcore touring probably commence in the fall, or upon completion of new recordings.
What about further down the line – do you aspire to be involved in the music industry in any other ways? Record Label? A&R? Or is the beatboxing / singing / rapping / bass / guitar / harmonica enough for you?!
Yeah, like I said- One Taste Collective– http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=ZGvA5hAXd0Y. I’m trying to start up a new label now for a batch of releases, then enshallah- global domination. Or at least a couple of shweet tours. 
There will never be enough!
01 – Cassandra
Check out Joe’s MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/joedriscoll
Lee Jarvis.
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