Surprisingly, of the first people to catch the american born, english raised musician busking on the streets of London, it was not Bono (who did toss 300 pounds into the guitar case) but rather the owner of a small Swedish live-music club who would have the largest effect on Joe’s subsequent life and career. Booked to play 2 nights at “Cafe Katalin” in Uppsala, Joe instantly fell in love with the Swedish music scene and people (or to be more specific, the girl who’s apartment was directly above the club (What is it with those Scandinavian women??!). Immigration, marriage and blond children followed, as did musical collaborations with many architects of the “Swedish indie sound”.
For his solo debut album in 2019 “Big Heads Small Minds” , Joe teamed up with producer Johan Carlberg, with live drums coming curtesy of the internationally renowned Brady Blade (Emmylou Harris/Steve Earle/Indigo Girls).
On the upcoming album, Joe has worked with Eric Bazilian (Joan Osborne/Robbie Williams/Cyndi Lauper) and Lasse Mårtén (Lykke Li/Franz Ferdinand/Chrissie Hynde)
Regardless of the Swedish and American collaborators, it is clearly British pop of the early ´80s that has left it’s mark on this collection of songs.
Despite the nods and reverence to the genre, the songwriting of Joe Carnwath is clearly fresh and of the present, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg: The man with the radiant blue eyes and smooth, concise baritone, has also proven to be an excellent, captivating live performer.